Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Homemade and Repurposed Lab Gear

Homemade and Repurposed Lab Gear

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Mateo_swe - 6-5-2021 at 09:38

I just have to ask you all, something that came into my head when browsing a store.
Can these steam cleaners (see pic) be used as a steam source when you want to steam distill something?
I have never tried one of these so im not familiar with them.
If one would just connect a short hose at the steam outlet and connect other end to a glass tube that is inserted into second neck of a reaction flask with the glass tube reach into the bottom of reaction flask, submerged into the liquid.
Then just start the unit and top it up with distilled water when needed.
Would this work, or is the steam from these units not good somehow?
It seems much easier than to set up a steam generator in the usual way.
Any thoughts on this?

SuperOxide - 24-5-2021 at 15:49

Heres my very minor contribution.

I only have 1 hotplate, and I needed to warm up some polyphosphoric acid to ~90 °C so I could easily pour it into a beaker that was on the hotplate (being heated and stirred).

I looked around for something to heat it up, and luckily I found this candle warmer thingy that my ex got from some BS candle pyramid scheme years ago (Scentsy, if my memory serves me right).

The surface gets almost exactly to 100 °C, so it worked perfectly for my needs! And while I can't control the temperature, it still works great for many purposes that I've needed it for since.

Because the silly candle pyramid schemes seem to have been popular, I've seen these candle warmers at a lot of my friends places, so they're rather common. If you live with a female, I'd say there's a 85% chance you have one or two in your house that you don't know about, just collecting dust :-)

Fyndium - 27-5-2021 at 03:58

An all-glass vacuum flask, great for recrystallizations.

Belowzero - 27-5-2021 at 14:06

Quote: Originally posted by Fyndium

An all-glass vacuum flask, great for recrystallizations.

This needs a little more explanation, what is the intended use for such a flask?

Fyndium - 28-5-2021 at 05:55

It is sold as a thermos flask, but it's just made out of glass. Older ages flasks were made of glass, but as people mishandle them, they will break, so they were superseded by SS flasks.

No other, but slower thermal gradient will allow for bigger crystal growth without using insulated vessels, and it is visually more appealing as it's transparent. Also, some stuff react with stainless steel, so no issue here.

Konduktor - 13-7-2021 at 21:40

Quote: Originally posted by Mateo_swe

I just have to ask you all, something that came into my head when browsing a store.
Can these steam cleaners (see pic) be used as a steam source when you want to steam distill something?
I have never tried one of these so im not familiar with them.
If one would just connect a short hose at the steam outlet and connect other end to a glass tube that is inserted into second neck of a reaction flask with the glass tube reach into the bottom of reaction flask, submerged into the liquid.
Then just start the unit and top it up with distilled water when needed.
Would this work, or is the steam from these units not good somehow?
It seems much easier than to set up a steam generator in the usual way.
Any thoughts on this?

Not really. Those devices do not generate a continuous flow of steam, and need time to boil the next portion of water after about 20 seconds of use. This thing is, sadly, useless for anything except for cleaning bathroom tiles.

Mateo_swe - 16-8-2021 at 04:55

Thanks Konductor

Good to know these cleaning vacuum devices dont produce a continuous flow of steam.
Now i can forget that idea and focus on other things.

ManyInterests - 19-11-2021 at 14:10

I won't put up a picture. But I had a coffee maker that went kaput, and what I did was use it as a makeshift filteration apparature. I put a pair of funnels where the coffee filter used to go to let as much space for my carafe. It isn't 100% borosilliciate glass, but it does handle boiling water very well for obvious reasons. It also holds more than 1 liter of water, which means I can normally filter and clean everything before having to treat the water and pour it down the drain.

mayko - 30-5-2022 at 18:40

Maybe you've seen inexpensive plastic drain snakes like this one?
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Cobra-Plastic-Drain-stick/100075799...

They're great for clearing soggy plant matter out of the boiling flask after a steam distillation (not bad for hair clogs either)

zed - 14-7-2022 at 21:06

Ummm. My Ringstands finally got built.

Ten pound, Cast iron, weight plates, strongly resisted being drilled. My High Speed Steel, Drill Bits, just couldn't drill the required holes. The plates, of unknown, scrap origin, just couldn't be drilled. Too hard.

I finally bought a set of Stubby Tungsten Carbide Drill Bits. The 6mm Carbide bit, produced a hole, approximately correct for my purposes. Easy peasy. The holes were a little large but tap-able. I just stuck a 1/4 inch, 20... Tap into the chuck of my drill press, and I turned the chuck by hand. A few stainless steel bolts to attach hardware and Bingo! Heave duty ring stands.
If you have the weight plates, it's an easy build.
Just bolt your threaded end plates to yer weight plates, and screw in 1/2 inch copper pipe,
https://www.ebay.com/itm/185499951448?epid=14015609736&h...

[Edited on 15-7-2022 by zed]

SuperOxide - 15-7-2022 at 17:17

Quote: Originally posted by zed

Ummm. My Ringstands finally got built.

Pictures... or it didn't happen

Water chiller

Gammatron - 30-8-2022 at 14:10

Here is a chiller I made from a water fountain I found in a dumpster. I used a cheap 12v pump and a juice bottle as a reservoir to make a closed loop and it stays around 5⁰C. I mounted it in a box on wheels so it's real easy to move around. I have since insulated all the tubing and put a guard over the fan.

[Edited on 8-30-2022 by Gammatron]

3D Printed Labware

arkoma - 27-9-2022 at 20:27

Bought a 3D printer earlier this year, and I love it. Lately,I have been doing some preliminary investigations on the chemical resistance of polylactic acid (PLA)filament. It's actually amazingly durable.

This first round, I printed five little beakers with grey Sunlu PLA+ filament. Wall thickness of 1mm. So far I've exposed them for an extended (24+ hours) period of time to:

Acetone
IPA, 91%
Toluene
Methyl Ethyl Ketone
Turpentine (the real stuff)

I would have bet on failure from the turp, tol, and MEK, however, only obvious damage was "leakage" of turpentine. No melting or deforming of the plastic with any solvents checked so far, only a bit of "whitening" after evap of the solvents.

Be interested to see how this stuff stands up to acids and bases; but at this moment I wouldn't hesitate to use this stuff for things like funnels and what not.

Gammatron - 27-9-2022 at 20:35

I haven't done any rigorous chemical testing on PLA but the only one's I've come across so far that destroy it are sulfuric acid and DCM. I have found it to hold up well against hydrocarbons, curious if it could withstand gasoline though.

[Edited on 9-28-2022 by Gammatron]

arkoma - 27-9-2022 at 20:48

From the mix of solvents I exposed it to, I think PLA+ would probably be OK with gasoline for quick things like funneling. Wouldn't want to STORE hydrocarbon solvents in it. I'm curious about bases though, as I've seen ammonium hydroxide solution fuck up some PET.

I've got a variety of liquid acids to throw at it too:

Formic
GAA
HCL
Sulfcuric
Nitric

Gammatron - 27-9-2022 at 20:57

Hmmm yeah I wonder how it'd hold to NaOH, especially if hot. And given the effects I've seen with H2SO4, I would imagine most strong acids would attack it. Definitely do some more testing and let's us know!

Yttrium2 - 8-10-2022 at 09:52

I’d really like to know if there is a commercially available bookshelf or some such box, preferably with a sash, that I could use for a fume hood.

Thanks

Oxy - 9-10-2022 at 01:21

Don't know if you find something suitable, why don't you go to hardware store, but some wood or chip boards and assemble it by yourself? If you find the bookshelf or whatever then you're pretty likely to still do some manual work meant for adaptation for chemical use.

Konduktor - 14-10-2022 at 05:59

Post-pandemic world is full of cheap second-hand UVC disinfection lamps, and I came across this one in working condition, for as little as $1. Works great for visualising plates, only needs some shield to prevent me from going blind.

scitiana - 24-11-2022 at 05:12

supposedly HDD platters are made with a Pt alloy coating them i'm gonna test mine by using them in a hypochlorite cell

i was experimenting with soldering wires directly to the platter rather than just clamping on to them,
they seem to be coated in a thin non metallic or oxide layer but brushing that off with a scotch pad left me with a mat surface that readily bonded to the solder.

now to finish building the rest of the cell

*edit by arkoma--image resize*

[Edited on 11-25-2022 by arkoma]

Gammatron - 24-11-2022 at 05:59

I'll be interested to see how that turns out, I have a bunch of those and old HHD's are cheap too.

pneumatician - 27-11-2022 at 20:41

Bottle cut: I use for a test tube stand & for dust funnel :-)

Any size, any mouth diameter...

smooths the corners to prevent cuts.

3D printed PLA Bosshead

arkoma - 29-11-2022 at 16:29

Running trials (so to speak) now. Generic PLA, 50% infill (gyroid)

[Edited on 11-30-2022 by arkoma]

SuperOxide - 3-12-2022 at 17:21

Quote: Originally posted by Gammatron

Here is a chiller I made from a water fountain I found in a dumpster. I used a cheap 12v pump and a juice bottle as a reservoir to make a closed loop and it stays around 5⁰C. I mounted it in a box on wheels so it's real easy to move around. I have since insulated all the tubing and put a guard over the fan.

[Edited on 8-30-2022 by Gammatron]

Now this is quite impressive! What do you use as the coolant? Do you have the ability to control the temperature?

Gammatron - 4-12-2022 at 16:30

Thanks! There is a thermostat which I have set to the lowest temperature but I found that If I bypass it I can get below 0⁰C so I bought some electronic controllers so I can just set the temp to whatever I want. I use antifreeze for coolant.

draculic acid69 - 13-1-2023 at 04:13

Quote: Originally posted by arkoma

Running trials (so to speak) now. Generic PLA, 50% infill (gyroid)

[Edited on 11-30-2022 by arkoma]

Horseheads can also be made out of timber. A 1"x1"x2" block of pine with 12mm holes drilled for vertical and horizontal poles with a few 4mm holes for screws to tighten things in place works for lighter things. I wouldn't use it for a 1L full of water but smaller things are fine

Rainwater - 13-1-2023 at 05:18

Quote: Originally posted by arkoma

Running trials (so to speak) now. Generic PLA, 50% infill (gyroid)

[Edited on 11-30-2022 by arkoma]

You may find this post processing analysis useful
https://youtu.be/DyAKtS1b3SQ

arkoma - 13-1-2023 at 15:06

So far, the handiest things I've been printing are funnels, ones that fits a 24/40 taper and perforated plates for filtration. In my mobile, so i will edit in some pics later.

scitiana - 17-1-2023 at 07:15

in my search for a affordable catalyst i stumbled across this

has anyone here got experience working with thse? cus it seems to me that this would be a relatively cheap catalyst for a ostwald reactor

ave369 - 27-3-2023 at 10:38

Today I've made a Bunsen burner. I bought a cheap Chinese made propane-butane burner for camping stove cartridges, and cut the burner in two. The cartridge adapter with valve became part 1, the cylinder valve for my makeshift gas line; the burner head itself, attached to an improvised round stand, became the Bunsen burner.

The two parts are connected by a gas line that is made from a silicone tube. The silicone is chemical resistant and survives heating to 250 C.

I had to craft this because the cartridge with the original burner installed was far too tall for any of my clamps and retort stands.

[Edited on 27-3-2023 by ave369]

Fumehood Vacuum System

Gammatron - 27-3-2023 at 16:14

The file size of my pictures was too big to post more than 1 but I wrote about it on my blog. Very easy to build system capable of vacuum distillation on corrosive substances.

https://gammatronscience.wordpress.com/2023/03/27/vacuum-sys...

Rainwater - 27-3-2023 at 16:16

Looks better and cleaner than mine. How loud is it?

Gammatron - 27-3-2023 at 16:25

Not loud at all with the little mufflers on the exhaust. I was expecting it to be pretty noisy being on top of my FH but it's quite nice.

Rainwater - 27-3-2023 at 16:33

PS. CaSO4 is a ;>/"& to clean. This may be a cleaner alternative, does require filtering the gas stream
http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=159094...

Gammatron - 27-3-2023 at 17:52

Nice write up! I did a smaller scale reaction yesterday and luckily the CaSO4 broke up with a little shaking. I may have to use a metal rod to break up the pieces in this run but I work at a plant with an ammonia chiller system and I found a place where I can bleed some off into a bottle of water. Boom! Free NH4OH of the highest concentration I can make. I dont need anhydrous, just a more concentrated solution than what is available at the store.

Organikum - 29-3-2023 at 01:00

Quote: Originally posted by earpain

.......
And then, the Monstrosity
........
Once that is finished, i simply slide a 500ml RBF on that bottom receiver elbow piece, connect my vacuum source to the special straight vacuum adapter which is slowly rendering vacuum angled take-off's obsolete.
Then i proceed with a Vacuum Fractional Distillation
In such a way where it is most ideal to use <100ML flasks as the stillpot, but crucial to use serious BIG BOY glassware to condense and collect.

You still have to change receiver flasks between fractions and for this to disconnect the vacuum? Also it would seem to me that you will have quite some distillate collecting in the vacuum adapter not able to run down into the collecting flask, thats somewhat beating the purpose isn't it? I would have thought for 100 ml boiling flasks the shortway thing on top of the small flask would completely suffice. Looks grandiose though, no doubt on this!

Texium - 29-3-2023 at 07:06

Quote: Originally posted by earpain

Now that DCM is gone, I've been plagued by the tediousness AND the mechanical yield loss off having aq. layers 10 or more times the volume of my compound. And all the organic non-polar solvents still sold to the public either boil at WAY TOO HOT degrees celsius, or just suck in general because they hide water or they dont really dissolve stuff(naphtha).
OR I have to make them from scratch! diethyl ether, chloroform, this isn't over!

Two words: ethyl acetate.

Morgan - 31-3-2023 at 17:17

I repurposed my old 35 mm photo lab film developing tank by placing a piece of steel wool inside it and then putting the lid back on. To that I attached a dust collector/bellows that fits over a drill bit to catch sawdust or whatever when drilling into walls or ceilings. Then just a magnet to hold it down. It's strangely simple but really gets going when blasted with a second torch. It seemed a lot of mass to be slinging back and forth, uncertain if the silicone bellows would hold up.
https://youtu.be/rBeaZNxOQYc
https://youtu.be/WXUVMTi8cZU

j_sum1 - 24-4-2023 at 18:40

Broken frit funnel and an evaporating dish makes a good gas bubbler. Here I am concentrating some HCl.

arkoma - 25-4-2023 at 09:04

Sum broken gear in sum lab. Pun intended. Must be a coarse frit though.

Organikum - 20-3-2024 at 03:59

Magnet stirrer broke needed a quick replacement.

Motor is from a battery lawn trimmer - complete overkill but due to its mass it needs no big balancing. Magnets are Sm/Co - I had too many Neodyms dying already.
Not shown is the lab-power supply I use now, I will later use a 14V PS and a 5 buck speed controller (PWM). It pulls now in the worst case 1,5 Watt.

Changes I would make now: Magnets a bit more apart like 5 mm.

It is perfect and powerful with RBFs and eggs.

Mateo_swe - 6-5-2024 at 14:16

Anyone of you are using the replacement heating mantle sleeves?
Like the one in Organikum´s post above, the picture to the right.

I have a few of those in different sizes but i want to put it into something to easier keep the shape around the flask when using them.
I been thinking I maybe put the mantle sleeve in a clay flowerpot with some vermiculite inside.
Vermiculite can handle the high temps and are a good insulator for heat.
That might help to keep the shape of the sleeve around flask and allow for it to be placed upon a hotplate stirrer (for the stirring function).
If you use these, do you use as they are (as in the pic above) or have you made some support thingy for them?

And if you haven't seen these before, they are a cheap alternative for a heating mantle (find in auction sites) but you need a variac to drive them or buy a dimmer type driver.
Just be careful not to electrocute yourself, one should at least know a bit about electrical safety when messing with mains voltage and currents.

Coffee cup warmer for evaporation.

Sulaiman - 24-6-2024 at 02:38

I've recently been evaporating dilute nitric acid solutions to recover solid residues,
I've found this coffee cup warmer to be very useful,

It maintains a temperature of about 85C and can be left on for as many hours as desired.
I've left it on overnight several times.
(outdoors; a covered, ventilated, tiled area - no hazards)

I think that coffee cup warmers have been mentioned before,
but I found it so useful that I've mentioned it here again.
Also useful for recrysalisations.

I wonder if a diy mag stirrer would work through one......

jackchem2001 - 24-6-2024 at 21:21

It is common to use aluminium foil to create an insulating layer of air around a boiling flask. If the foil is in direct contact with the flask, this is obviously no good for producing an insulating layer. Even worse, however, is that I suspect this introduces the potential for cracking when cooling the flask. One of my boiling flasks developed a large star crack on its side where contact between foil and flask had been made.

Here is somebody who has had a similar experience:
https://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=18619...

I don't think this really belongs in this thread but I don't see one that really suits it better.

yobbo II - 11-9-2024 at 12:06

https://leclair.vision/

This stuff (IMO) would be great for high temp. experiments.
Not too expensive.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225983222952?_nkw=teflon+bowl&...

Visions is a brand of innovative glass-ceramic cookware originally created by Corning France. Released in Europe during the late 1970s and early 1980's, it was officially introduced in the United States during the latter-half of 1983 and became the number one selling cookware set for a number of years.

Notable for its transparency, it is commonly seen in an amber or cranberry tint. Some model lines feature painted decoration, sculptured bodies, and SilverStone non-stick coating. A white variant was sold in some regions as "White Visions".

Visions is made of a material belonging to the Pyroceram family of vitroceramics (glass-ceramics). It features thermal characteristics similar to Corning Ware, plus improved resistance to staining and the detrimental effects of acids and detergents.

It will withstand heat up to 850°C (1,560+ °F) and is safe for use on a gas or electric stovetop range as well as in the oven, under the broiler, and with a microwave.

Additionally, due to it's ability to survive sudden temperature changes of up to 450C, it can used for food storage in refrigerator or freezer and be taken directly to stove and then table or sink without worry of shattering. It's also great for combination cooking. One piece of Visions can do the work that would typically require numerous pieces of more conventional kitchenware.

Can it be drilled to attach tubes to?

It is similar to the stuff 'glass toped' electric cookers are made from.

Yob

[Edited on 11-9-2024 by yobbo II]

Morgan - 12-9-2024 at 15:19

Quote: Originally posted by yobbo II

https://leclair.vision/

This stuff (IMO) would be great for high temp. experiments.
Not too expensive.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225983222952?_nkw=teflon+bowl&...

Visions is a brand of innovative glass-ceramic cookware originally created by Corning France. Released in Europe during the late 1970s and early 1980's, it was officially introduced in the United States during the latter-half of 1983 and became the number one selling cookware set for a number of years.

Notable for its transparency, it is commonly seen in an amber or cranberry tint. Some model lines feature painted decoration, sculptured bodies, and SilverStone non-stick coating. A white variant was sold in some regions as "White Visions".

Visions is made of a material belonging to the Pyroceram family of vitroceramics (glass-ceramics). It features thermal characteristics similar to Corning Ware, plus improved resistance to staining and the detrimental effects of acids and detergents.

It will withstand heat up to 850°C (1,560+ °F) and is safe for use on a gas or electric stovetop range as well as in the oven, under the broiler, and with a microwave.

Additionally, due to it's ability to survive sudden temperature changes of up to 450C, it can used for food storage in refrigerator or freezer and be taken directly to stove and then table or sink without worry of shattering. It's also great for combination cooking. One piece of Visions can do the work that would typically require numerous pieces of more conventional kitchenware.

Can it be drilled to attach tubes to?

It is similar to the stuff 'glass toped' electric cookers are made from.

Yob

The lids are usually Pyrex and the casserole dishes and pots should have molded on the bottom the words - Oven, Microwave, Rangetop, Freezer. Some don't say Rangetop and are all Pyrex like the plates and some cookware. I saw a Corning Visions cranberry platter that didn't have Rangetop printed on it but instead Microwave, "Oven & Broiler", Freezer which would also probably be acceptable high temp material.
I happened to hear the word Pyroceram in the 9 minute region of this video when mentioning nose cones.
US Tests Its Monstrously Powerful Laser Carrier To Beat Hypersonic Missiles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmN23S8GmWk

I found them useful for this jumper experiment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjXxg3I5Zas

[Edited on 13-9-2024 by Morgan]

yobbo II - 12-9-2024 at 16:07

I could make a rude comment about that jumper...

Spill some water on the top (the bottom actually) of that dish and you will see the meissner effect.

Yob

Morgan - 12-9-2024 at 17:45

Some fun facts about Pyroceram
https://www.woodstove-fireplaceglass.com/pages/pyroceram-gla...

Sulaiman - 12-9-2024 at 20:53

Quote: Originally posted by jackchem2001

...If the foil is in direct contact with the flask, this is obviously no good for producing an insulating layer. Even worse, however, is that I suspect this introduces the potential for cracking when cooling the flask...

I gently crumple my foil then open it up before loosely wrapping it around an rbf,column etc.
This provides better insulation due to less foil-glass contact area and the formation of trapped air pockets.
and good chance of reusing the foil many times.

Wrap so that you can open a little when hot - to inspect progress.

Sulaiman - 12-9-2024 at 22:15

Quote: Originally posted by Mateo_swe

...If you use these, do you use as they are (as in the pic above) or have you made some support thingy for them?.

I used a cake tin as an enclosure
https://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=71664
I used some aluminium sheet with a similar sized hole underneath the top to clamp the mantle,
So the mantle only needs to be gripped around the top circumference.

PS my heating element baskets went very stiff after a few uses so if possible use a new liner/basket/element for your new heating mantle..

Inspiration from nux vomica https://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=67866...

[Edited on 13-9-2024 by Sulaiman]

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