Introduction: Make a Melting Spoon
If you ever wonder how to make your own gallium spoon, this Instructable will cover it.
Why would anyone want to make a gallium spoon?
Usually people make gallium spoons for demonstrating purposes or to prank someone.
You can make a copy of somebodies spoon and prank them by demonstrating how it melts when you stir the tea.
What's will you need:
- Spoon that you want to copy
- Silicone Rubber of your choice.
- Vacuum chamber (optional)
- Polycarbonate or Acrylic Sheet (optional)
- Acrylic scoring knife (optional)
- Some Screws
- Modeling clay
- Gallium
- Digital scale for measuring silicone (optional)
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Step 1:
I took a spoon and embedded half of it in the modeling clay.
Then I made a box around it with some acrylic glass.
Step 2:
As you can probably guess, we will make a 2 part mold.
To make sure both parts of the mold align together, I marked some registration keys.
Step 3:
I measured silicone by weight and mixed it with catalyst.
Step 4:
I put the silicone in the vacuum chamber to get rid of air bubbles.
Don't worry if you don't have a vacuum chamber. It's nice to have one, but it's Ok if you don't.
More about it in the next step.
Step 5:
I poured the silicone into the box.
If you did not use a vacuum chamber, make sure to pour the silicone from as high as possible.
For example: Pour the silicone from the table into the box that's sitting on the floor.
By long-pouring the silicone, you can limit the air trapped in it.
It's a good practice even if you use a vacuum chamber.
Step 6:
When the silicone had cured, I removed the clay without removing the spoon.
Try to clean the spoon, so it's shiny again.
Then I made another box around the spoon.
Step 7:
I poured the silicone and left it to cure.
Step 8:
After removing the spoon, I cut a spout so I could pour in the gallium.
Step 9:
I used acrylic sheets to make a clamp.
The clamp will hold both pieces together (not too tight, not too loose), so there are no leaks.
You can use pieces of wood and rubber bands or only rubber bands, but I prefer to use acrylic as you can see inside of the mold.
Step 10:
I melted some gallium and used a syringe to inject it into the mold.
Step 11:
When the gallium was hard, I removed the spoon from the mold.
As you can see, the mold has captured all the imperfections of the spoon. The original spoon had some light scratches and so does the gallium spoon.
It's important to clean the original spoon before making the mold . Silicone can capture even your fingerprints.
If you try to stir hot water or teas, the spoon will melt.
Just don't drink that water!
22 Comments
6 years ago
cooool !!!!!! thanks for sharing
Reply 6 years ago
Thank You!
6 years ago
I'd always wondered how the guys like Uri Gellar bent spoons back in the 80's....and this must be the answer!
Reply 6 years ago
I think they use other techniques to do it. Gallium will melt in your hands if you hold it for long enough to reach around 30°C.
Cheers!
Reply 6 years ago
Correct. This is but ONE (mechanical/self working/technological) technique to bend, well, destroy spoons. I doubt Uri Geller had much use for this technique.
The best "magic" way to bend spoons is TO JUST BEND THEM.
The clever bit is a) how/when to bend it without it being noticed, and b) how to hide the fact that you have already bent it until you want to reveal it, and c) How to convince people things are bending "more" when they really aren't through language tricks.
That's the real skill :)
6 years ago
Did anybody try to cast it with gypsum yet.?
Reply 6 years ago
for casting
6 years ago
The more scratched and worn the original spoon, the more authenticity is imparted onto the 'gag' spoon.
6 years ago
1 - Did you use any type of mold release between the two silicone pours?
I would have thought the two would be permanently bonded together!
Just to help cost it out:
2 - How much silicone did you use?
3 - How much gallium did you use?
I bought some "desoldering solder" - you use it by heating a joint you want to desolder (usually all the pins of a chip), then heating them and lifting the chip off.
The desolder game solder gas a much lower melting point than normal tin/lead solder, so it makes it much easier (even after the solders mix). The lower melting point is easier on the chip, and it stays melted much longer allowing you to get the part off.
Regular "eutectic" tin/lead solder (eutectic=lowest melting point is about 63% tin, 37% lead) melting point is 361F).
The stuff I bought was marked something like 132 degrees F. I thought it must be a typo and it should be degrees C. But, low and behold, I boiled some water and the stuff melted!! In hot water!! It must be gallium.
Reply 6 years ago
Oh... I used around 15g of gallium
Reply 6 years ago
I did not use any mold release agent.
I don't remember the exact amount of silicone used, but it was approximately between 400-500g per each side, so 800g - 1Kg in total.
Interesting!
Gallium should also melt in your hands or at least start to sweat.
Does it melt in your hands? You'll have to hold it for a while to heat it up.
Reply 6 years ago
Could be woods metal or fields metal or one of many others, gallium isn't the only one...
6 years ago
LOL. No need to reply
6 years ago
Ca you drink the water after gallium melts?
Reply 6 years ago
Gallium is pretty non-toxic, so you could probably drink the water. Just don't drink the Gallium itself!
Reply 6 years ago
Fields metal melts at 62C and is totally non toxic so might be a better option. Still not a good idea to consume the metal though.
6 years ago
Super cool. Gallium is awesome!
Reply 6 years ago
Cheers!
6 years ago
I made it once and surprised my friend as the spoon melted after entering the water ;)
Reply 6 years ago
Nice one :)