Fitzroy storm glass

Although this isn't strictly model engineering, I am hoping some of the clever people on here can provide an answer. For a novelty, I intend building a "Fitztroy" storm glass.**LINK**

Among other things I require 40ml of ethanol. The smallest quantity I can find on Ebay is 500ml. I am concerned that if I order this, it it will either be confiscated by Customs as it enters the country or I will be stuck with a big bill for Excise Duty, VAT etc.

I have looked at Surgical Spirit, which is similar to methylated spirits without the colouring. It can also contain other additives. Does anyone think this stuff would work?

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Interesting project, Anthony ... thanks for sharing the link

Two thoughts:

1. Would isopropyl alcohol work as a substitute for ethanol ?
2. A good Vodka is not far off pure [I have used it for lens cleaning]

I recently purchased [1] from a UK supplier, cheaply and efficiently

[2] should always be kept in your stock

MichaelG.

I see that the recipe calls for 33 ml water and 40 ml ethanol. You could substitute vodka or another white spirit for the mixture, but not for just the ethanol part. Neutral spirit is used in making gin and might be available in small quantities from one of the new breed of gin makers, or here. I believe it can be bought in French supermarkets, people use it to make their own liqueurs.

Pure ethanol is either heavily taxed or has to be bought under licence; this is because pure alcohol is top-dog for tax-dodging recreational purposes. Cheap ethanol as sold as a solvent, as fuel, or for medical purposes contains additives that might well interfere with Camphor's ability to form crystals, especially in a sensitive application like a Storm Glass. I doubt anyone knows for sure and suggest the easiest way to find out is to try it.

I like Michael and John's suggestion of using a good Vodka! Otherwise, Meths contains fewer additives than Surgical Spirit and the Blue colour can be removed with a drop of thin toilet bleach.

Dave

Here in France we can buy "Alcohol à Bruler" (burning alcohol) which is 90% ethanol and has no colouring. That should work and is available at most supermarkets. So if you know someone doing a wine buying day trip across the channel you could ask them to get some. It costs about €1/litre.

You might find the potassium nitrate a problem as it can be used in explosives.

Russell

Edited By Russell Eberhardt on 04/09/2019 15:15:54

Thank you for the replies.

I have checked the local stores and the strongest vodka I can find is 40% ABV. The ratio in the storm glass recipe is 40ml ethanol, 33ml water, which I work out to needing a vodka with an alcohol content of almost 55%. I need to research "Polish Spirit" which has a high alcohol content, allegedly to stop it freezing in their winters.

I had to go to the local chemists today to collect some medication, so bought a bottle of Surgical Spirit while I was there. I will try that and if it doesn't work I'll try the bleached meths.

Potassium nitrate is available on the net as a meat preservative and is also probably in the local garden centre.

I suppose mixing ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride would give the same mix of ions.

Ebay has strict rules about selling alcohol (from the excise viewpoint) - as I found out when i lisited a collectable whiskey i inherited. I can't see a problem buying ethanol from there as presumably same rules donlt apply.. and the 5-10% impurity is probably methanol or something equally undrinkable.

For those that like an anecdote - intravenous vodka s the theoretical treatment for dogs drinking ethylene glycol. Despite looking I never had a patient with that to justify buying vodka as a business expense..

pgk

Googled Polish Spirit and found 2 sites selling it with an ABV of 95%. At £30+ a bottle I'll try the other options first.

pgk, the risk of animals (and small children) drinking/licking ethylene glycol has most probably been significantly reduced as a result of ethylene glycol being replaced by propylene glycol in vehicle anti-freezes.
DaveD

Don't know where you are situated but Amazon sell bio-ethanol and isopropyl alcohol. You may also find the bio-ethanol in garden centres.

John

Hi Anthony,

Fitzroys stormglass was in "Eagle" Annual when I was young. Got it made up at Boots!

They did ask if it was OK to substitute Surgical Spirit, which they did.

I can confirm that it worked very well and I enjoyed using it and comparing with the weather. Seemed to be accurate.

John

Bioethanol, Alcohol à Bruler, Surgical Spirit and Meths are all similar, that is mostly ethanol with a good dollop of nastiness to stop people enjoying a bottle of it in front of the telly.

The alcohol content is fine. The awkward question is will the nasty additives in these concoctions upset the crystallisation of Camphor inside Antony's Storm Glass? Don't know! I think he'll have to experiment to find out!

A serviceable mix might be made from good Vodka as the pure-ish alcohol/water base, with added meths/bioethanol or French burning alcohol to make the strength up to 55%. Vodka would dilute the additives making them less likely to interfere.

The recipe is:

As the tipping point is effected by temperature and pressure, it makes a crude weather forecasting device. The density of the liquid must be be important; whatever the crystals are made of they have to float in the tube rather than fall to the bottom like a Snow Globe.

Dave

If I recall there was also a rash of cases reported (some years ago) of foxes biting through brake hoses for the sweet taste...

pgk

.

May I presume that you have a freezer?

... you might investigate 'freeze distillation' [purely Academic research of course]

MichaelG.

.

Edit: I've just checked ... and it's probably nor worth bothering

https://www.thoughtco.com/why-doesnt-vodka-freeze-3975987

.

P.S. my litre of Isopropyl Alcohol only cost £5.55 delivered.

... But I don't think we yet know if that would work.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 04/09/2019 17:52:50

Link. Ten Quid from here

Smirnoff blue label. 45% ethanol and you get 677ccleft to drink

"I thought Fitzroy's Storm Glass was a weather forecaster until I discovered Smirnoff..."

Neil

Industrial methylated spirits is the one (in the UK) with 95%ethanol and 5%methanol. Surgical spirits has castor oil added as well, which made it useless even for cleaning injection sites.

54 years a diabetic...

You may find a good off licence/ wine merchant sells miniatures and 1/4 bottles of various spirits in the vodka or Polish spirit.