Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Conversation of an older barn to a chem lab

Fidelmios - 24-11-2016 at 15:37

Hey all,


I was able to recently rent a large barn to make it a science shop, and I Want to convert a portion of it to a chem lab. I've got the glassware, and. Flynn safety manual, but now I'm on the task of making it safe, and also making it look less like a tweaker lab. Of course everything I'll be doing will be legal, and nothing crazy apart from a few refluxes, but nevertheless anything that looks like it could produce drugs is running the risk of being inspected at some point. Thus I want to ensure that I am safe, as well as look safe. So I would love any tips or tricks on setting it up. For instance, when making a fume hood, I plan to push a fee box fans into my windows above the boiling station, will this be sufficient, or should I do more?

Magpie - 24-11-2016 at 15:41

Any half-way well-equipped organic lab will look like it could produce drugs, because...well...it could.

Fidelmios - 24-11-2016 at 15:49

True, I should have phrased it more along the lines of asking for a way to make it look less crack denesc. I'm sure I could put a few box fans up and call it a fume hood, but would an e closure for the fans be better, or perhaps keeping a lab notebook in lab, and a list of all the chemicals I have on hand. Chemical fire extinguisher, a metric ton of baking soda ect?

j_sum1 - 24-11-2016 at 16:24

Definitely a lab notebook and inventory complete with locations for each item. That kind of thoroughness is just not done by anyone doing anything dodgy.
Those items together give a clear picture of what you are up to and what kinds of goals you have for your lab. As time progresses they become a greater and greater testament to the integrity of your operation. Your inventory alone can demonstrate that you are not making certain items. It is a simple exercise then for interested parties to check that your inventory is largely accurate and that it matches the journal.

As far as outfitting the barn, go as professional-looking as you can. There is plenty of advice around on how to build a good fume hood. Make it awesome.

Fidelmios - 24-11-2016 at 19:04

I was thinking of recording a barn to lab video series for future people to cone and see propering setups as well. Also if I make some major fuck up along the way you all can help me, as well as it makes a more solicit case against the tweaker farm. That could backfire on me if I end up making something not 100% legal, like if I dried ethanol with resin, around here I'm not sure if it is legal or not but I know making moonshine is.