I apologize for any condescension on my part.
I once thought I would like to get involved with Daguerreotypes. In the 1990s, I worked in diagnostic imaging at a major VA hospital as they transitioned from a facility built during WW-II to a, then shiny and new modern facility of 1000 beds. Part of that transition involved all-new equipment of every sort in every department.. In the middle of all that I managed to salvage two Mercury Sphygmomanometers'; blood pressure equipment. My thought was to salvage the mercury for use in the traditional Dag process.
My professional experience has involved the use of ventilated glove boxes to work with radioactive materials and laminar flow hoods for working with blood products. I felt that I could safely work with boiling Mercury fumes. Never have done that and the blood pressure gear remains safely packed away. Some day I will either salvage the Mercury and sell it (any one here interested?) , or perhaps more responsibly, take it in to a Haz-Mat recycling site.
Re: Fireworks. I grew up in Michigan and most fireworks were banned. While in grade school, I had a friend who had relatives in Kansas where they could then buy about anything short of dynamite. He would come back from visiting them with copious q2uantities of dangerous stuff. It is a wonder any of us managed to make it to our 50th High School reunion last July! Your concerns in that regard are well founded.
Bookmarks