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I experimented with making a clock using ferrofluid previously. I was inspired by this clock [0] but put off by the price tag. Generally the main issues I foun

I experimented with making a clock using ferrofluid previously. I was inspired by this clock [0] but put off by the price tag. Generally the main issues I found were that it degraded over time and I had real trouble with ferrofluid smearing on the container. Will have to try again now! [0]: https://www.thisiswhyimbroke.com/ferrofluid-clock/ https://www.thisiswhyimbroke.com/ferrofluid-clock/

bawolff 5y ago
That is so cool But 12 grand!? Wow.
- stronglikedan 5y ago
  They must read HN, because they've reduced it to the low, low price of only $8k now.
  - pierrec 5y ago
    12 Canadian.
nerfhammer 5y ago
The article mentions "Because ferrofluid adheres well to glass, special treatments were required on the glass" but doesn't go into details
- fuzzfactor 5y ago
  Could be treated with something like Repelcote: https://uk.vwr.com/store/product/2994602/repelcote-vs-water-repellent https://uk.vwr.com/store/product/2994602/repelcote-vs-water-... which coats the glass with a layer of silicone polymer. Not entirely unlike some automotive silicone "waxes" which repel hydrous materials. Or treatment of the glassware with the much more hazardous dimethyldichlorosilane (DMCS), which actually reacts strongly with the the glass surface at the molecular "sticky points" (which otherwise cause water to wet clean untreated glass and form a H2O film rather than bead up). The DMCS is pretty rough and you need to handle it under a hood since it can give off more "smoke" consisting of pure HCL vapor sometimes when you open the bottle, compared to opening concentrated hydrochloric acid. And it eats through the bottle's plastic closure every few years, so it's one of the ones that you need to keep an eye on and replace the cap as needed. But you get some pretty slick glassware.
gfaure 5y ago
This kind of reminds me of the Heptapod writing system from "Arrival". I wonder what contributes to the cost -- is it simply because it's unique, or are some of the materials expensive?
exikyut 5y ago
Huh. I wonder if the commercial one had the same issues, and the price tag was an intriguing way to put people off reporting bugs? :)

bawolff 5y ago

That is so cool But 12 grand!? Wow.

stronglikedan 5y ago
They must read HN, because they've reduced it to the low, low price of only $8k now.
- pierrec 5y ago
  12 Canadian.

nerfhammer 5y ago

The article mentions "Because ferrofluid adheres well to glass, special treatments were required on the glass" but doesn't go into details

fuzzfactor 5y ago
Could be treated with something like Repelcote: https://uk.vwr.com/store/product/2994602/repelcote-vs-water-repellent https://uk.vwr.com/store/product/2994602/repelcote-vs-water-... which coats the glass with a layer of silicone polymer. Not entirely unlike some automotive silicone "waxes" which repel hydrous materials. Or treatment of the glassware with the much more hazardous dimethyldichlorosilane (DMCS), which actually reacts strongly with the the glass surface at the molecular "sticky points" (which otherwise cause water to wet clean untreated glass and form a H2O film rather than bead up). The DMCS is pretty rough and you need to handle it under a hood since it can give off more "smoke" consisting of pure HCL vapor sometimes when you open the bottle, compared to opening concentrated hydrochloric acid. And it eats through the bottle's plastic closure every few years, so it's one of the ones that you need to keep an eye on and replace the cap as needed. But you get some pretty slick glassware.

gfaure 5y ago

This kind of reminds me of the Heptapod writing system from "Arrival". I wonder what contributes to the cost -- is it simply because it's unique, or are some of the materials expensive?

exikyut 5y ago

Huh. I wonder if the commercial one had the same issues, and the price tag was an intriguing way to put people off reporting bugs? :)