Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Your favorite lab equipment

Your favorite lab equipment

alexleyenda - 23-6-2014 at 21:36

Just a topic to share the lab equipment that simplifies the most your life or that you prefer to work with for whatever reason.

I have 3 pieces that I like particularily:

1- Buchner funnel : Since I have received my buchner funel 2 months ago, i'd rather kill myself than use the extremely slow inneficient messy gravity filtration again.

2- Ground glass joint erlenmeyer, because it heats up so fast and is just far less not necessary trouble than a RBF when more than one neck is not necessary. And you don't have to always carry a god damn stand and be afrait that it rolls.

3- Ground glass anti-splash adapter, because some liquids just can't boil without foaming or bumping crap everywhere around. It's always a pain when something spills over the container and on the hotplate or in your apparatus.

[Edited on 24-6-2014 by alexleyenda]

kavu - 24-6-2014 at 01:42

I couldn't do without 4 ml vials. Easy for running parallel small scale screening reactions!

bismuthate - 24-6-2014 at 03:46

Test tubes!

arkoma - 24-6-2014 at 04:37

Quote: Originally posted by alexleyenda

2- Ground glass joint erlenmeyer, because it heats up so fast and is just far less not necessary trouble than a RBF when more than one neck is not necessary. And you don't have to always carry a god damn stand and be afrait that it rolls.

[Edited on 24-6-2014 by alexleyenda]

Yes! Just "made my own" 24/29 Erlenmeyer (joint from broken RBF and lots of teflon tape

)

numos - 24-6-2014 at 07:00

1. Pressure equalizing dropper funnel, makes gas generators care free, no babysitting required
2. Beakers - simple, cheap, and used in basically everything I do, from measuring to weighing, to running simple reaction, to heating, etc etc. If not my favorite then definitely the most useful

Texium - 24-6-2014 at 08:13

1. The Buchner funnel and vacuum filtration system that I don't have yet

2. My crappy little kitchen hotplate, seems to be used for just about everything
3. As weird as it is… Yogurt cups! They're sturdy and made of heat/chemical resistant PP. They make perfect weigh boats, evaporating dishes, or just places to put stuff temporarily. The wider Greek yogurt type ones are the best. I don't really eat yogurt, but my mom does a lot, so I save the cups.

Brain&Force - 24-6-2014 at 08:49

Pipettes and disposable plastic cups. I use a certain brand of clear plastic cups because they're good for demonstrations.

alexleyenda - 24-6-2014 at 12:35

I must admit test tubes are great, half of the time I use them they break, explode, get dissolved by molten bases or become permanently stained... If I had to use expensive glassware for that I'd be ruined :p

Quote: Originally posted by arkoma

Yes! Just "made my own" 24/29 Erlenmeyer (joint from broken RBF and lots of teflon tape

)

Haha I'd like to see a picture of that

Quote: Originally posted by zts16

3. As weird as it is… Yogurt cups! They're sturdy and made of heat/chemical resistant PP. They make perfect weigh boats, evaporating dishes, or just places to put stuff temporarily. The wider Greek yogurt type ones are the best. I don't really eat yogurt, but my mom does a lot, so I save the cups.

That is a freaking awesome idea, it's for things like that that I made this thread. I'm out buying yogurt ! :p

arkoma - 24-6-2014 at 12:41

a bit of teflon tape.....

2014-06-24-134016.jpg - 9kB

Rogeryermaw - 24-6-2014 at 12:54

buchner funnel... i must second that! honestly, i have used almost all of my glassware extensively so i wouldn't want to do without any of it. i also love my separatory funnel. my best pieces are my pressure equalized funnels. if one has the patience to babysit them, peach planted the awesome idea in my head that they can be used as a cheap, imitation soxhlet system. just have to be present to open the stopcock every 20-30 minutes. i was surprised how well it works!

alexleyenda - 24-6-2014 at 12:56

It fits well in place, more than I would have thought.

[Edited on 24-6-2014 by alexleyenda]

arkoma - 24-6-2014 at 13:08

being "poor" at times has its advantages--I'm a recycler from hell!

Magpie - 24-6-2014 at 13:15

...without a doubt, my fume hood.

alexleyenda - 24-6-2014 at 13:19

Quote: Originally posted by Magpie

...without a doubt, my fume hood.

brb crying :p

Rogeryermaw - 24-6-2014 at 13:31

^^^word. it's on my list. i sort of dislike having weather dictate my experimentation schedule. the luxury of a fume hood would change life!

alexleyenda - 24-6-2014 at 13:43

Same thing for me. Today it rains as hell... day off.

arkoma - 24-6-2014 at 13:46

Move to the desert m8's. Rain is a cause for CELEBRATION LOL

BobD1001 - 24-6-2014 at 13:48

Certainly my Buchner Funnel is one of my most commonly used lab items. A reflux setup is a great necessity as well!

Mailinmypocket - 24-6-2014 at 14:47

Hotplate/stirrer I think is my favorite... No flames, it stirs so I don't have to...maybe I'm just lazy

alexleyenda - 24-6-2014 at 14:54

Quote: Originally posted by Mailinmypocket

Hotplate/stirrer I think is my favorite... No flames, it stirs so I don't have to...maybe I'm just lazy

That's something i'm gonna buy when i'll have money (like in 5 years, after university -_-) ^^ And nah, seriously, hand stiring with a glass rod is annoying, trust me !

Rogeryermaw - 24-6-2014 at 19:13

Quote: Originally posted by arkoma

Move to the desert m8's. Rain is a cause for CELEBRATION LOL

i envy you to some extent for that. the lack of humidity would aid in chemical storage!

arkoma - 24-6-2014 at 19:50

Oh Lord, do I SO not miss the humidity in LA (Lower Arkansas)

Texium - 24-6-2014 at 19:52

Not very humid where I live either, but that's primarily because of the abnormally long drought.

Hopefully it doesn't go on too much longer. The place will turn into a desert.

Amos - 25-6-2014 at 10:53

My perfectly spherical round-bottom flasks. They catch the light so well that any liquid inside them just shimmers and glows.