Drying rack

A laboratory drying rack or simply drying rack is a pegboard used for hanging and draining washed or wet glassware in a laboratory.

General

A drying rack is a board-like item where recently washed glassware or other lab equipment is hanged to dry in open air. A common model consists of a pegboard with a tilted surface to aid in the drainage of water, with pegs, and sometimes a small trench with a plastic tube used to evacuate the draining water, and prevent it from leaking on the wall. Commonly made of plastic, like PP. Wire drying rack is a metallic variety of drying rack, which consists of thick plain steel rod which is coated in chemical resistant paint, usually vinyl, which is bent into forming a pegboard-like construction, also tilted to aid in the drainage of water. A plastic tray sits below the wire rack, to collect the drained water.

While most types of drying rack are used for drying common use glassware, like beakers, flasks, cylinders and funnels, other types of racks are available for pipettes, slides, dishes, stoppers, tubing and so on.

Availability

Laboratory drying racks can be bought from lab suppliers and online.

DIY drying rack

You can make a simple drying rack by taking a pegboard and coating it in a protective coating, like PlastiDip.

You can also make a drying rack from scratch, using wood, though you'll have to make it waterproof properly, as wood rots in moisture.

Dishwasher racks can also be used as drying racks. Mason jar tree drying racks are also a good choice.

Maintenance

While the all-plastic drying rack isn't affected by water or most corrosive reagents, the metal wire rack, being made of plain carbon steel, may suffer corrosion if the protective coating is damaged or breaks down and water or acids enter contact with the metal. This is a problem mostly for old drying racks. Make sure to remove the protective coating around the corroded metal and the rust, before applying a new layer.

References

Relevant Sciencemadness threads

• Drying Rack Idea