Metals for class
There are suppliers who can provide metal cylinders that measure 13mm by 50mm, in Steel, Copper, Brass, and Aluminum.
We have modified the Instructors Manual and substituted Aluminum for Lead, since lead is more difficult to find now.
You can search for these as "Specific Gravity" or "Density" sets, that is how they are used in science classes.
UPDATE: As of May 2021, Amazon.com has sets at a reasonable price. This set is 13mm diameter by 50mm length (the sets we used to use were 15mm diameter).
Thanks to Brigita Langerholc in Slovenia for letting us know about those metals.
Other options: As of the fall of 2016 the best supplier we found is Sempco Inc., located in Nashua, New Hampshire. They have the best price we've found - just $4.01 a set, compared to $16.47 per set for the metals on Amazon. We have purchased some of these metals and can confirm that they are suitable for use in class.
We also found metals at the sites below at reasonable prices - we have not bought from them and are not endorsing them, just listing them for your convenience:
Carolina.com
Fisher Scientific
xump.com
OnlineScienceMall.com
Another supplier who will cut metals to your specification is Speedy Metals:
You can select your metal, select the diameter, and the length. We checked on Copper and Brass - they are probably the more expensive ones. For 10 each, 3/4 diameter by 3/4 length, looks like they will probably cost about $5 per piece, so each set of 4 metals would run about $20.
Alternative metals
You can use common everyday items that people are familiar with. Just be sure that everyone is using the same type of item - you don't want one person projecting into a stainless steel bolt and another into a dinner fork. During the conditioning cycle, everybody should be doing the same thing.
You can easily find objects around the house that you can use, and also at your local hardware store:
You probably have many stainless steel items around the house. Most people use stainless flatware - knives and forks and spoons. Scissors are usually made of stainless steel, and so are wrenches and many other tools, as well as many nuts and bolts.
Copper is easy too. Maybe you have an old copper pot, or a tea kettle or a copper candlestick. You can also use copper wire, and copper plumbing fixtures. By the way: pennies are no longer made of copper, because it would take more than 1 cent worth of copper to make a penny.
Musical instruments, bells, and some belt buckles are made of brass. Also decorative items, pendants, and many plaques.
Since lead has become more difficult to find, we now use aluminum, which is very common and easy to find.
Your local hardware store will have everything you need: copper pipe and copper tubing, and also both copper and brass fittings and couplings that are used in plumbing work, often for less than $1. They have both stainless steel and brass screws and bolts.
You could also visit a gift shop and see if there are any brass or copper items you'd like to have for your house. If you want a brass bell at your front door, that will also provide you with a metal to use.
In class, students should all project into the same type of object at the same time. If you use brass bolts, have everyone project into brass bolts. If you use a brass bell, have everyone project into the brass bell. That makes it easier for them.
Instruct each student to handle each object, turn it around and look at it from all sides, smell it, bring it to your forehead and let it touch your forehead, close your eyes, and make an impression.
Then during the condition cycle you will be asked to repeat those movements before projecting yourself mentally into the metal.
Handle each object, turn it around and look at it from all sides, smell it, bring it to your forehead and let it touch your forehead, close your eyes, and make an impression.
Then during the condition cycle you will be asked to repeat those movements before projecting yourself mentally into the metal.