Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Where to begin

Gwoguar - 12-5-2015 at 12:56

So I've recently finished an AP chemistry class and it's left me looking to go further. My high school doesn't offer any more chem courses so I thought home chemistry seemed like the best way to continue learning. Starting a home lab is intimidating and I'm not sure where exactly to begin. I'd love to get some insight from you more experienced home chemists about how to start this new hobby. I'm particularly interested in organic chemistry and bio chemistry. I'd like to know what are some good things to read and what supplies and apparatus to buy.

Sorry this question is so general and thank you for the help!

Fantasma4500 - 13-5-2015 at 04:26

university perhaps, although it will be centered on profit and you may start feeling abit different about chemistry
if you decide to do chemistry at home, you want to keep as quiet with it as if you were hiding several nuclear detonators at home, depending on where you live of course, but ill take that as being a western civilized society anyways. so take extreme care if you want to do stuff at home

Amos - 13-5-2015 at 05:30

Quote: Originally posted by Antiswat  
university perhaps, although it will be centered on profit and you may start feeling abit different about chemistry
if you decide to do chemistry at home, you want to keep as quiet with it as if you were hiding several nuclear detonators at home, depending on where you live of course, but ill take that as being a western civilized society anyways. so take extreme care if you want to do stuff at home


I think the majority of members are going to disagree with you there, although it's hardly surprising what someone named "Anti-SWAT" would have to say about it. Several members, myself included, have had much easier times getting jobs or internships thanks to our hobby; I had a job interview this week in which the interviewer seemed very impressed by my experiences doing chemistry at home, and in no way taken aback or distrustful. Not to mention that talking to other people about it is a good way to make others comfortable with the idea of our hobby and maybe make them interested in participating. Trying to act like you're a super cool secret agent and being all covert about it is a sure way to seem suspicious. Any strange smells or sights noticed by your neighbors will make them think you're making drugs, but they're much more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt if you don't go out of your way to hide your chemistry all the time.

I think it's just fine to share your hobby with people you deem educated and reasonable enough, and don't try to talk about yourself like you're edgy and cool or being proud of doing dangerous stuff. And obviously if you're going to do this, don't go making drugs, chemical weapons, or high explosives.

I think it's best to find ideas about what you want to make or do, and then each time, buy the necessary materials and apparatus. Buy an excess of the reagents you use, and over time you should have a nice stockpile of useful glassware and chemicals to work with. Since you're primarily interested in organic chemistry, you're eventually going to find that a hot plate, distillation kit, and separatory funnel are pretty much mandatory. It's also useful to have a lot of solvents necessary, such as methanol, ethanol, acetone, dichloromethane or chloroform, diethyl ether, and toluene.

If you're looking for ideas for experiments to conduct, watch the forum closely, and visit YouTube channels like Nile Red, Doug's Lab, myst32YT, and UC235. Welcome to the forum, and good luck setting yourself up in this hobby!

Etaoin Shrdlu - 13-5-2015 at 05:58

Get yourself an organic lab manual and a small-scale glassware set, then pick up chemicals for the experiments you're interested in. Probably less than $500 to go through labs for an entire undergrad course.

smaerd - 13-5-2015 at 06:04

Along with the items Amos suggested I'm going to say my first piece of real glass-ware was a chromatography column and I'm glad it was. Not that I do separations all the time at home (it's pretty rare), but for organic chemistry its an essential technique/tool. Right up there with a sep. funnel to me.

I'd look into over the counter solvents. I see no issues with chloroform or diethylether, but ethyl acetate has recently become available for very cheap in the USA. I recommend that as a replacement for a lot of the same solvents. Talk to your parents about a safe place to store these things, accidents happen, they aren't common, but they happen. Have a fire extinguisher and work outside or in a well ventilated place where flammable items are kept away.

It is daunting at first. I think we all went through that especially being able to see how amazing many peoples labs on here are. I started with 10 test tubes(and a home made test tube rack), a ring stand, and mason jars. Now I have shelves of glass-ware and chemicals.

One of the main things for a person looking into when getting into chemistry, in my opinion, is learning safety and proper techniques to use the equipment. Learn about MSDS reports, watch MIT videos on youtube for how to do certain procedures, learn the basics of how those procedures work(distillation, separations/partitions, chromatography, filtration, etc).

By the time you get into your organic chemistry lab in college you'll be laughing while people are hooking up condenser hoses to the vacuum line.

Best wishes, hope to see you around on the forums.

szuko03 - 13-5-2015 at 06:50

Quote: Originally posted by Amos  
I think the majority of members are going to disagree with you there, although it's hardly surprising what someone named "Anti-SWAT" would have to say about it. Several members, myself included, have had much easier times getting jobs or internships thanks to our hobby; I had a job interview this week in which the interviewer seemed very impressed by my experiences doing chemistry at home, and in no way taken aback or distrustful. Not to mention that talking to other people about it is a good way to make others comfortable with the idea of our hobby and maybe make them interested in participating. Trying to act like you're a super cool secret agent and being all covert about it is a sure way to seem suspicious. Any strange smells or sights noticed by your neighbors will make them think you're making drugs, but they're much more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt if you don't go out of your way to hide your chemistry all the time.


I am not disagreeing with you but there is a big difference between bringing it up in a professional setting and having your neighbors see it through a window. Proper explanation is what leads to less issues not simply doing it in the open. If you are going to suggest people know then he should tell his immediate neighbors so they are aware. Letting people know invites problems even if you dont mean for it to. Again I am all about sharing and whatever but I pick those who I tell by hand.

I would take some college level chemistry classes. I know it is just how I learn but for the more thick and analytic stuff, calculation etc, I need someone to help me. I think at some point even those who are destined for greatness in the field and their lives will be littered with rumors of them always having the ability or that they had a "gift" but at some point everyone needs a yoda to their luke skywalker, even if it is rumored they are the next great one. That is just me though and everyones different.

I am just getting into the whole doing chemistry labs at home. My plan is to get a basic glassware set spend some 500 dollars on all the basic stuff making sure its high quality as I have seen some horror stories of budget beakers. I am going to get a level one organic chemistry text book, it was always my favorite and my major, and do all the labs and work in it to fully understand the stuff. Being a member of this forum has shown me that even some of the more advanced reactions and set ups can be done in the home provided you have achieved that understanding, which is super cool to me and means my passion will never die.

I would start with the basics and get a basic level text book. Try to get someone to tutor you or help you because it will be a great resource. The people on this site have to be some of the smartest amatuer chemists hobbists or whatever. We can all help each other

[Edited on 13-5-2015 by szuko03]

Amos - 13-5-2015 at 06:58

Quote: Originally posted by szuko03  


I am not disagreeing with you but there is a big difference between bringing it up in a professional setting and having your neighbors see it through a window. Proper explanation is what leads to less issues not simply doing it in the open. If you are going to suggest people know then he should tell his immediate neighbors so they are aware. Letting people know invites problems even if you dont mean for it to.

Again I am all about sharing and whatever but I pick those who I tell by hand.


I agree that a certain degree of selectivity should exist. As for my neighbors, they spend a lot of time outside in their backyard; we never really interact with them on purpose, but I will do my outdoor chemistry where they can see it and inquire if they ever want to.

One more thing for the OP: I would refrain from shopping online on sites run by larger name companies that deal almost exclusively in chemicals or apapratus; they're often prohibitively expensive. eBay, Aliexpress, Onyxmet, Duda Diesel, and Carolina Biological come to mind for suppliers.