dorking out - 18-9-2003 at 01:20
Hi everybody! I just registered after a while of lurking.
I thought of a topic I havent seen discussed:
Are there any ways to use mad science to save money or time or do things more efficiently?
I can only think of a couple examples.
NaOH can be purchased very cheap for 1kg, which could save a couple bucks on cleaning your drain.
You could make your own chemiluminescent materials, cutting costs on glow-sticks.
You could dye your own shirts, and make your own soap...
You could distill your own alcohol...
And we mustn't forget the money saved on entertainment! 
a_bab - 18-9-2003 at 04:01
"You could make your own chemiluminescent materials, cutting costs on glow-sticks"
Yes, you can; but you need really expensive chemicals. You want to synthesize these chemicals ? Fine; you need expensive precursors and equipment.
I'd say that glow sticks are not that expensive.
Mephisto - 18-9-2003 at 06:49
... and make your own soap and nitroglycerin from fat ... ah, no this wasn’t the real life, I messed it up with "Fight Club“ 
I taste some times ago a self brewed beer. Surprisingly it tastes very good, a little bit like the German beer "Schoefferhofer Weizen“. But
I didn’t know, if it was really cost cutting to brew it.
Iv4 - 18-9-2003 at 07:38
YAY somewhere I actually know some shit.Unless you pay taxes on it or something equally stupid its definatly worth brewing.Though 90% of everyone I
know just distils it into vodka(never tased the mash).
Think about it a kilo of potatos some water maybe a little sugar to get it started and some yeast(the baking grade works just fine).Say 4
euros(I'm in the East of the planet so it might cost less here but still I doubt by much). you get vodka.Usually that would cost you more.Takes a
while but done in a large bucket with a tap like still and heating element it pays of.
Or just absorb ethane in warm sulfuric acid under some presure add water and distil of.Theres the ethane/water raney nickel 600 atms and a lot of heat
method.
Say a few questions:with electrolysis could the water and ethane be made to ethanol without those condiions.
Another thing.With the sulfuric acid way would polyethane work?
[Edited on 18-9-2003 by Iv4]
save money on cleaning supplies!
Polverone - 18-9-2003 at 08:14
Technical grade concentrated acids and alkalies are a lot better for cleaning in the bathroom than branded products... just be careful where the
materials go! And be careful not to mix the two classes.
Bringing up dusty posts
chloric1 - 16-6-2005 at 13:33
I once impressed my landlord by cleaning his shower of lime and soap scum for a measly $0.75 worth of chemicals. I had purchased a gallon of
butylcellusolve for $9 and used about 50ml of this with tap water and about 1 oz of citric acid from the wine makers store. Tartaric acid is stronger
and would chelate a little better.
[Edited on 6/16/2005 by chloric1]
Cleaner
MadHatter - 17-6-2005 at 10:22
Using Red Devil Lye, I use a 5% NaOH solution to remove heavy grease from the commercial vehicles
I work with. Works better than any of the commercial cleaners - and faster.
Rosco Bodine - 17-6-2005 at 11:01
Seriously , what Mad Science really does
is teach you factually the true story about
all those things McGyver could have taught you , but didn't truly want for you to know
And remember , there are few problems that can't be made to vanish by the proper application in sufficient quantity of high explosive
For those especially stubborn stains ,
when nothing less will do
[Edited on 17-6-2005 by Rosco Bodine]
Pyridinium - 17-6-2005 at 13:44
I find that a mixture of sulfuric and phosphoric acids is a good cleaner for badly rusted tools. Cheaper than naval jelly.... nastier too. It
destroys gloves rather quickly.
I know another chemist who uses phenol for cleaning around the house. By today's standards, that is mad science.
12AX7 - 17-6-2005 at 17:35
Ouch! At worst I use HCl... the last stuff I was pickling I was literally pickling, vinegar saturated with salt works wonderfully to remove oxides if
you have a few days.
Tim