The very first comment in the thread links to a video which does the exact thing you are wishing for. The video explains why the experiment is stupidly dangerous then gives tips on how one could make it safer. (But not safe.)
Note, it has nothing to do with plastic tongs. The main danger, according to the youtuber, is that you turn on the aparatus, get momentarily distracted, and forget that it is on and touch the wood or the electrodes.
He offers multiple mitigations:
- indicators which show when the transformer is energised. He in fact recommends two separate paralel indicators. An audible one and a visual one.
- momentary switches where you physicaly can’t forget them on. Two switch in an “AND” configuration, where you need both of your hands to actuate them, so you can’t accidentally try to adjust an electrode with one hand while the other is energising the system.
He in fact goes further and recommends some fancy specialist switches, which turn off if you push them too hard as a result of a muscle spasm from an accidental electrocution.
So now you need to make a complicated electronic setup with multiple independent indicators, and specialist switches and yet the project is still not safe! There are still multiple things which can go wrong where a simple and inocous action leads to instant death.
It is a thing which is easy to do unsafe, and relatively hard to so safe.
At which point can we simplify the advice to the general population into “don’t do it”?