xeneficus
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Is this a good lab setup?
I'm preparing to set up my first lab, but I'd like feedback to prevent inevitable noob mistakes.
The glassware setup I have listed out is from American Science and Surplus:
Glass
2 250ml Erlenmeyers, borosilicate
1 600ml Beaker, borosilicate
5 16x150 Test tubes, borosilicate
1 250ml graduated cylinder, plastic
1 1000ml graduated cylinder, plastic
Set of 5 propylene beakers (50ml, 100ml, 250ml, 500ml, 1000ml)
Equipment
alcohol thermometer
mortar and pestle
rubber stoppers
test tube tongs
test tube brush
This comes to about $70 with free shipping. I feel like I'm overbuying, what can I remove?
The chemicals I'm planning on getting are:
Sodium Bicarbonate
Distilled Water
Ammonia
Acetic Acid
Isopropanol
Acetone
Ethanol
Glycerin
Ornitherine (this is an oddball, but I want to make putrescine  )
Potassium Permanganate
Sulfuric Acid
Potassium Nitrate
Muriatic Acid
Do I have enough chemicals?
It feels like I have too much glassware and too few chemicals. What do you guys think?
[Edited on 20-7-2016 by xeneficus]
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j_sum1
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Too few of both. You will quickly be scavenging around for more glass.
Notable omission from your list is an accurate scale. Accurate mass ÷ accurate volume gives accurate concentration. And given the choice, a scale
is more useful than a cylinder.
I don't put too much stock by plastic beakers etc but you have to start somewhere.
One thing to consider is that you will end up with dirty glassware and you will break something. You want to think about whether your work will stop
while you wash up or re-order.
The way to build these things IMO is to go project by project. Especially if you are on a budget. You make a list of experiments you wish to run and
then buy what you need for the next thing on the list. That way you slowly build up chemicals and equipment that you need and everything you have is
useful to you.
The other thing that is good is to read labels and scavenge for bargains. A surprising number of useful things can be purchased OTC (and OTC changes
from location to location.) Yard sales, op-shops, dollar stores and great uncle Fred's junk are great places to find useful equipment. Keep your
eyes open and you will quickly reach a place where you bigger problem is storage of all the useful things you own.
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Steam
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As jsum said, build up things slowly. It really depends on what you ultimately want to do. Organic chem, energetic compounds, precious metal recovery,
etc.. If you are just starting and have an inclination for organic then I would recommend investing in some basic distillation/reflux equipment. At
the bare minimum a Round Bottom Flask and a Condenser. I recommend a simple Liebig condenser (cheaper and more versatile than Allihn, Graham and the
like condensers) With this purchase you also need to consider what joint size you will be using. I started with 24/40 joint size and I use it now in
my college research projects.
Also, looking back I kind of wish I had bought an organic chem kit off ebay or something. They are a bit spendy ($200-$300 depending on what you get),
but it is a great way to kickstart a lab if you don't mind waiting a few weeks for stuff to ship. Some people get a bit weird about glassware from
china saying that it is "poor quality", but quite frankly unless you are dealing with more risky chemicals (ketene, cyanides, phosgene, some kind of
halogenated molecule, something that goes boom when you heat it), or really stressing your glassware with extreme conditions you will probable be
fine. *Famous Last Words Right There...* I have only had one failure with a chinex flask... naturally it was when I was making chloroacetone...outside
of my fumehood. *facepalm*
Also grab a few wash bottles too! SOOOO useful!
Also, good scale is excellent investment as well as Jsum said!
I would also recommend to start the search for a hotplate/stirrer.
Finally, if you don't live in a place where you wouldn't want to be doing chemistry outside I would recommend to start looking into making a fumehood.
Lots of good threads on here about DIY fumehoods! 
Good luck on your Adventure my friend!
[Edited on 20-7-2016 by Steam]
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Deathunter88
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Personally I would ditch the polypropylene beakers, as they don't do anything particularly well. Heat? Maybe a warm water bath at most. Mixing of
chemicals? Not as good as a disposable cup which you can throw away if stained. Use the money to get a 250ml glass beaker. Or 2. Or 3. Or 6. I find 6
250ml beakers to be enough for most experiments.
On second thought ditch the plastic graduated cylinders too. You can't use them with coloured liquid without staining them permanently. 250ml and
1000ml graduated cylinders are not very useful anyways. Better get a 50ml and a 100ml glass one. Also the chemicals can be had cheaper OTC.
Sodium Bicarbonate-Baking soda
Distilled Water-drinking distilled water
Ammonia-cleaning soap free ammonia
Acetic Acid-cleaning vinegar
Isopropanol-drug store rubbing alcohol
Acetone-hardware store solvent
Ethanol-denatured alcohol
Glycerin-drug store lubricant
Potassium Permanganate-water treatment chemical
Sulfuric Acid-drain cleaner
Potassium Nitrate-stump remover
Muriatic Acid-concrete cleaner
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Sulaiman
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based on my vast experience of two years;
The MOST important items are missing:
Goggles !
Please get a comfortable pair and wear them EVERY time you enter your lab
... even if just moving chems. from one container to another.
Gloves,
I wear latex gloves most of the time, to protect from stains mainly.
I keep a pair of utility/gardening gloves handy when working with heating ... just in case.
For emergency neutralisations,
keep a bottle of saturated sodium bicarbonate solution handy when working with acids, and vinegar for bases.
Never needed mine yet but better safe than sorry.
Plan for disaster ... sometimes it's worse
Lab notebook
... start with a good habit, it does help me (but I'm semi-senile)
Plastic measuring cylinders are inaccurate and stain easily,
e.g. I'd rather have one glass cylinder than a box of plastic ones.
For hobby volumetric glassware use, class-B is sufficient, class-A is an extravagance.
Similarly, I'd rather use a set of drinking glasses than plastic beakers.
although more expensive, I suggest that glassware such as flasks use ground glass joints,
even if initially you use rubber bungs and glass tubing.
You can thank me later
You need weighing scales,
digital kitchen scales for larger measurements and/or 50g x 0.001g or 500g x 0.01g, <= others may suggest differently <=
be sure to get at least one callibration weight.
You should buy or make a test tube rack, best-to-worst; metal, wood, plastic in that order.
Heating;
the kitchen cooker is an obvious resource ... do not be tempted unless your partner/mother is VERY forgiving 
even with a modicum of experience some stains are really stubborn
I use one of the cheap hotplates, not perfect but covers most requirements (except stirring)
It is time to search your local suppliers for OTC products ... as above.
I would also start collecting jars and bottles too.
EDIT: The starter chemistry sets are excellent value if bought 'used', lots of useful stuff that I still use,
test tubes, test tube rack, test tube tongs, spirit lamp, small flask, and many of the chemicals and indicators are very useful.
Look in thrift shops, 'craigs list' places, eBay etc.
Also, buy a pencil and some self-adhesive labels,
it is surprising how quckly you can have bottles of unknown/forgotten stuff 
[Edited on 20-7-2016 by Sulaiman]
[Edited on 20-7-2016 by Sulaiman]
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NEMO-Chemistry
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A heat source would be handy, bunsen burner,alcohol burner or better if you can a hot plate. Also boiling chips.
Fire extinguisher and or blanket (i have a blanket). Sep funnel, a tap powered (water) vacuum thingy is useful if you have a fritted filter funnel.
Other useful doo dahs
Tongs or test tube holders, a test tube rack (make one). And a rack with dowels for drying test tubes.
Dont skimp on safety gear ever! Also just in case get a eye wash kit and some plasters.
LAB BOOK pref Hardback.
Name and number of a decent therapist who is used to treating ADDICTIONS! You will become addicted at some point, everyone says it will only be one
day a week, and only one room blah blah blah.
Its lies! Do NOT be fooled, this chemistry lark is highly addictive, worse than crack for some people.
a spare pare of trousers for those 'OH SHIT!' moments helps as well.
Find the local branch of chemist's anonymous as well, support groups help alot
ABOVE ALL
Have a bloody good time
[Edited on 20-7-2016 by NEMO-Chemistry]
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Deathunter88
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Yeah safety is definitely not to be forgotten. I also like to have a 5 gallon bucket of sand, baking soda, and kitty litter for that time when you
kick over your entire acid cabinet. <-not that this has happened to me.
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morsagh
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Maybe quite out of theme, but by heating ornithine you will get mostly lactame. In reality putrescine isn´t smelling very bad, i was working with
pure putrescine and wasn´t so horrible.
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arkoma
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Quote: Originally posted by Deathunter88  | Personally I would ditch the polypropylene beakers, as they don't do anything particularly well.
. 250ml and 1000ml graduated cylinders are not very useful anyways. Better get a 50ml and a 100ml glass one. Also the chemicals can be had cheaper
OTC.
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You can NEVER have enough beakers. As far as Grad cyl's go, get a 10ml, and a 50ml (and a 100ml if you can afford it).
An electronic gram scale is also pretty durned hard to do without!!
"We believe the knowledge and cultural heritage of mankind should be accessible to all people around the world, regardless of their wealth, social
status, nationality, citizenship, etc" z-lib
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