Laboratory Equipment Suppliers Help

Quote: Originally posted by ClF3

Hi all, My first post and I'm struggling to find decent glassware suppliers at reasonable prices. Any pointers please anyone? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks ClF3

Quote: Originally posted by Funkerman23

I will give you a condensed version of the many many threads here: It goes without saying that SAFETY IS FIRST. Make damn sure you know what you're doing and buy the protective gear first, before you buy the glass. Get good quality and comfortable googles and use them EVERY TIME. If you don't have to be told to take off the googles because you are so used to them being there, you aren't wearing them enough. Same applies to gloves: before you so much as sit on the stool the gloves need to be on. Wash your damn hands!!! I could spend 10 pages here yelling at you to make safety first and it wouldn't be enough. Don't think it can't happen to you: it will. The only thing you can do is make sure you are protected and that you know what to do in the case of an accident. SAFETY FIRST!! Chinese glass : use name branded glassware. Sellers like Deschem, Laboy, Nanshin sales and Synthware are known good glass brands.Kantuu200 was a good seller but I don't know if they are still selling. US brands like Pyrex,Kimble, Ace, Chemglass, Wilmad labglass, are the gold standard. Chemglass tends to be thicker than other brands so heating and cooling need to be done slower. Avogadro's on eBay is a great seller as well. You are not going to get the finest ground joints but they will work for general & non extreme preparations. I wouldn't trust them blindly for things like distilling mercury metal, but it is possible. Used glass can be great (see the thread from Dr. Bob "Science equipment looking for a home") but carries risks. Bruised glass is a real threat and it can't be seen with the naked eye. Chips are a nuisance, and for the most part getting cracks repaired is not an option unless you have a scientific glassblower available.

Quote: Originally posted by ClF3

Hi thanks for the replies and comments on safety and glassware brands. I only knew of Pyrex as a decent brand so Funjerman23 thank you and thank you for the idea of the Venn diagram fusso lol. I'd like or should have perhaps mentioned I am studying chemistry and biology but this has come as a complete career change from IT because I started basic home chemistry to teach my children and I fell back in love with the subject myself. It's worked as well. My eldest has moved up a set in science and my youngest won an award from the headmaster who phoned the house personally to tell us. I personnaly am off to university next year at the ripe old age of 40. Ish. Rouge Rose, I have glassware I've purchased from eBay such as boiling tubes, flasks e.flasks and vacuume funnels etc. I even have a vacuum dessicator but twice it arrived from Asia broken. Hence I could really do with a faster delivery of any kind of apparatus from the EU or preferentially UK. What prompted me for this question was that I couldn't find any 24/29 glass thermometer wells/stems. It's not just these items it's lots. So suggestions are welcome and those mentioned I shall checkout thanks, ClF3

Quote: Originally posted by Sulaiman

CIF3 In UK I have not found a better source of equipment than eBay, new glassware from China and used Quickfit glassware within UK, new Quickfit here https://www.scilabware.com/en/brand-group/quickfit

These suggestions are great, thank you for your input you're a good bunch

I'll reference these next payday for a good shop around.

The only problem with the Chinese gear, for example is my £123 vacuum dessicator that arrived damaged and totally imploded at 50 KPa though they said it was rated to 6 KPa. It's the back and forth wait you see of returns and replacements etc.

Anyway you've all answered my questions kindly and thoroughly so thank you and I look forward to my next shop hooray!

Quote: Originally posted by XeonTheMGPony

Quote: Originally posted by Funkerman23   I will give you a condensed version of the many many threads here: It goes without saying that SAFETY IS FIRST. Make damn sure you know what you're doing and buy the protective gear first, before you buy the glass. Get good quality and comfortable googles and use them EVERY TIME. If you don't have to be told to take off the googles because you are so used to them being there, you aren't wearing them enough. Same applies to gloves: before you so much as sit on the stool the gloves need to be on. Wash your damn hands!!! I could spend 10 pages here yelling at you to make safety first and it wouldn't be enough. Don't think it can't happen to you: it will. The only thing you can do is make sure you are protected and that you know what to do in the case of an accident. SAFETY FIRST!! Chinese glass : use name branded glassware. Sellers like Deschem, Laboy, Nanshin sales and Synthware are known good glass brands.Kantuu200 was a good seller but I don't know if they are still selling. US brands like Pyrex,Kimble, Ace, Chemglass, Wilmad labglass, are the gold standard. Chemglass tends to be thicker than other brands so heating and cooling need to be done slower. Avogadro's on eBay is a great seller as well. You are not going to get the finest ground joints but they will work for general & non extreme preparations. I wouldn't trust them blindly for things like distilling mercury metal, but it is possible. Used glass can be great (see the thread from Dr. Bob "Science equipment looking for a home") but carries risks. Bruised glass is a real threat and it can't be seen with the naked eye. Chips are a nuisance, and for the most part getting cracks repaired is not an option unless you have a scientific glassblower available. It is amazing we all survived befor half the crap was even invented. Just make sure glass is borosilicate, all ways heat and cold test with water, then dry heat stress it, by then if it will break it'll do it in a harmless fashion. 1H in the library will save you 4 in the lab. I recommend Daschem fast shipping, great entry level quality thus far, I have distilled sulfuric acid several times from his gear. Never fear chemicals, respect them but don't fear them, and if you do fear them don't play with them till it is gon as some one scared is dangerous. when you respect them and know how to handle them you will rarely ever need to wear an environmental suite behind a blast shield to measure out some kno3. Back in the day we "Ghasp" Handled Mercury, could by a ton of stuff over the counter and safety what? Yet we're all alive. This obsessive fear culture I loath as it actually makes it more dangerous in the trades! Just understand the stuff which you use to the point you have healthy respect for it and no fear of it, and have a clear head and be methodical, be prepared for accidents. Use what is needed, as the saying goes use the tools the job demands and no more, other wise you just end up cluttered and hampered from a fast response. [Edited on 11-11-2018 by XeonTheMGPony]

Quote: Originally posted by CharlieA

I don't follow this. At eight times (approximately) the rated pressure the desiccator failed? Would this not be unsurprising? Although I have issues with various items of Chinese gear, I have generally (but not always) had satisfactory resolutions to my complaints to the venders.

Quote: Originally posted by Funkerman23

Quote: Originally posted by XeonTheMGPony   Quote: Originally posted by Funkerman23   I will give you a condensed version of the many many threads here: It goes without saying that SAFETY IS FIRST. Make damn sure you know what you're doing and buy the protective gear first, before you buy the glass. Get good quality and comfortable googles and use them EVERY TIME. If you don't have to be told to take off the googles because you are so used to them being there, you aren't wearing them enough. Same applies to gloves: before you so much as sit on the stool the gloves need to be on. Wash your damn hands!!! I could spend 10 pages here yelling at you to make safety first and it wouldn't be enough. Don't think it can't happen to you: it will. The only thing you can do is make sure you are protected and that you know what to do in the case of an accident. SAFETY FIRST!! Chinese glass : use name branded glassware. Sellers like Deschem, Laboy, Nanshin sales and Synthware are known good glass brands.Kantuu200 was a good seller but I don't know if they are still selling. US brands like Pyrex,Kimble, Ace, Chemglass, Wilmad labglass, are the gold standard. Chemglass tends to be thicker than other brands so heating and cooling need to be done slower. Avogadro's on eBay is a great seller as well. You are not going to get the finest ground joints but they will work for general & non extreme preparations. I wouldn't trust them blindly for things like distilling mercury metal, but it is possible. Used glass can be great (see the thread from Dr. Bob "Science equipment looking for a home") but carries risks. Bruised glass is a real threat and it can't be seen with the naked eye. Chips are a nuisance, and for the most part getting cracks repaired is not an option unless you have a scientific glassblower available. It is amazing we all survived befor half the crap was even invented. Just make sure glass is borosilicate, all ways heat and cold test with water, then dry heat stress it, by then if it will break it'll do it in a harmless fashion. 1H in the library will save you 4 in the lab. I recommend Daschem fast shipping, great entry level quality thus far, I have distilled sulfuric acid several times from his gear. Never fear chemicals, respect them but don't fear them, and if you do fear them don't play with them till it is gon as some one scared is dangerous. when you respect them and know how to handle them you will rarely ever need to wear an environmental suite behind a blast shield to measure out some kno3. Back in the day we "Ghasp" Handled Mercury, could by a ton of stuff over the counter and safety what? Yet we're all alive. This obsessive fear culture I loath as it actually makes it more dangerous in the trades! Just understand the stuff which you use to the point you have healthy respect for it and no fear of it, and have a clear head and be methodical, be prepared for accidents. Use what is needed, as the saying goes use the tools the job demands and no more, other wise you just end up cluttered and hampered from a fast response. [Edited on 11-11-2018 by XeonTheMGPony] My apologies if I came off as one of those obsessive fearful twats. I know the pain they have caused all too well. I didn't know anything about the OP, and for years we would get preteens& teenagers here who where eager, but careless, so a little of that old habit showed in my writing. Back a few years ago Bfesser would have linked to all the good threads here on these topics but I never did get him to tell me how he had them handy. I do genuinely want to help, so please accept my apologies.

Quote: Originally posted by kumpulai

I was also looking for some glassware to update my permanent distills and the Schlenk line. The vacuum manifolds can be pretty expensive so I was looking for a cheap vendor. I ended up ordering everything from the China-based Laboy glass because I found several threads on this forum complimenting the quality of their glassware. I placed my order 2 months ago and received the confirmation of payment soon after the transaction. I also received the order confirmation from the company a day later or so. Unfortunately, I have not received the order or heard from them ever since. I tried to contact them a few times by email but their customer service is not responding. I'm still hopeful that I would receive the order one day, but after two months, it starts to seem hopeless. Therefore, I cannot recommend to order from this company although their prices are pretty competitive.