Equipment questions

when I started chemistry as a hobby last year I bought several lots of used glassware,
I now have a box of 250 ml and a box of 500 ml RBFs.
Hardly ever use even one as they fall over or roll around too easily.
Cork rings cost more than your RBFs.
For small distillations etc. I use ground glass joints, so RBFs no use there.
Nett result ... two boxes of RBFs waiting to find a use

So, unless you have a specific use in mind,
I recommend Erlenmeyer/conical flasks for general mixing and heating
A batch of borosilicate test tubes, a test tube rack and tongs for smaller or hotter
A small range of different size borosilicate beakers
Heatproof (e.g. gardening) gloves to grab hot things that you did not plan to grab
and a nice comfortable pair of goggles, or a face shield etc.
Start your shopping with eye protection,
you can do a lot of chemistry using household glassware etc.,
you can't do much if you can't see.
(I recently had lens replacement operations for cateracts,
only a temporary loss of sight but I now appreciate vision very much !)

and start collecting glass bottles, jars etc, surprising how many I use.

Fritted Gooch crucibles are useful.

I'd delay the Kjeldahl bulb until you decide on the rest of your distillation setup.

I'm still a noob so wait for other opinions

Edit: forgot the Aspirator bottles;
I can see a use for de-ionised/distilled water 'on tap' but not much else,
everything else of use is flammable, corrosive or toxic, not suitable for 'on tap'
(aga may have another use


[Edited on 14-11-2015 by Sulaiman]

Quote:

For small distillations etc. I use ground glass joints, so RBFs no use there. Nett result ... two boxes of RBFs waiting to find a use

"For small distillations etc. I use ground glass joints, so RBFs no use there."
should have been
"For small distillations etc. I use ground glass joints, so these RBFs are of no use there."
sorry for any confusion that I may have caused.

RBF, round bottom(ed) flask, no distinction between ground joint or not
the box of 250 ml rbf that I have are the older non-ground neck that require a bung.
(U2U me if anyone wants 250 ml rbfs for the cost of p&p)

(I just checked, the 500 ml actually have a small flat on the bottom so I may find uses for them

English; net is for catching stuff, nett is total after deductions



[Edited on 15-11-2015 by Sulaiman]

Quote: Originally posted by Sulaiman

Hardly ever use even one as they fall over or roll around too easily.

Quote: Originally posted by Sulaiman

the box of 250 ml rbf that I have are the older non-ground neck that require a bung. (U2U me if anyone wants 250 ml rbfs for the cost of p&p)[Edited on 15-11-2015 by Sulaiman]

Quote: Originally posted by aga

Wish i'd spent the extra $ and gotten ground glass Erlenmeyers as well, so everything could be plugged into everything else.[Edited on 15-11-2015 by aga]

Quote: Originally posted by TheIdeanator

They don't make ground glass to plain glass tube adapters that you can stick into a drilled rubber stopper? I would think that those would be popular for cheapskate chemists when the ground stuff started becoming popular and even now. Hell, I'd like some because I want to use those gallon pickle jars for stuff.

Quote: Originally posted by TheIdeanator

These things are ground 24/40 and I found a great diy heating mantle that I could build for $5-10 per unit and a simple heater driver for maybe $25 all prettied up. I'll be visiting the guy(again) on Wednesday in the hopes that he'll be available this time. [Edited on 16-11-2015 by TheIdeanator]

Quote: Originally posted by Sulaiman

RBF, round bottom(ed) flask, no distinction between ground joint or not the box of 250 ml rbf that I have are the older non-ground neck that require a bung. [Edited on 15-11-2015 by Sulaiman]