Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Where to buy glassware and other equipment?

Where to buy glassware and other equipment?

BlazeBall - 11-6-2012 at 17:31

I am looking to buy some basic lab equipment, but it's difficult to find websites that are sell everything I need, and using consistent fittings.

I bought a ceramic digital hotplate stirrer on ebay for £150, but I need things like round bottomed flasks, distillation equipment, beakers etc at reasonable prices. And clamps and stands, that kind of thing.

Does anyone have any recommendations as to good sellers?

sargent1015 - 14-6-2012 at 05:01

If you had UTFSE, you would have found a number of members selling glassware on here...

Hexavalent - 14-6-2012 at 09:25

I can only second what sargent said. There have been numerous threads here about people seeling equipment, different sites, suppliers and more. Do a little research before posting - use the forum's built in search engine or use google with '[Search term] sciencemadness'.

BlazeBall - 15-6-2012 at 19:22

Yes I am aware that people on here are selling glassware, but I prefer to buy from businesses wherever possible. And yes I did use the search function but couldn't find any relevant results searching for UK lab suppliers.

plastics - 16-6-2012 at 13:19

http://www.sciencemadness.org/whisper/viewthread.php?tid=180...

Add in:

http://www.scientificlabs.co.uk/

Not cheap but comprehensive

[Edited on 16-6-2012 by plastics]

mineralman - 17-6-2012 at 03:01

As were on the subject, whats the best thing to coat the insides of suitable containers to make them chemical resistant? **note chemical and not heat,microwave or anything else, that should be a seperate consideration when purchaceing the container**
I remember fester talking about some paint, teflon from kitchenware is way more complicated then just melting it (vacume chambers and autoclaves).
Whats out there that can be of use?

If this should be in a seperate post, just say. I just thaught it would save bandwidth(sp?) MM

mineralman - 17-6-2012 at 03:12

DID YOU NOT READ THE POST ON THE EBAY GUY? oops, laboy? in the view sellers other itams, he quite offten has some top glassware @ great prices.

Also, don't confuse sciencemadness with wetdreams or the like, the chance of buying glassware with any traces of illegal substances or dodgy sellers would be miniscule to none if thats your concern.
SCIENCEMADNESS is a cut above the rest IMHO, wish id found it b4 wetdreams and drugs forum, theres just as much info on improvisation, but more emphasis on saftey.
but I digress MM

sargent1015 - 17-6-2012 at 06:12

Quote: Originally posted by mineralman

DID YOU NOT READ THE POST ON THE EBAY GUY? oops, laboy? in the view sellers other itams, he quite offten has some top glassware @ great prices.

Also, don't confuse sciencemadness with wetdreams or the like, the chance of buying glassware with any traces of illegal substances or dodgy sellers would be miniscule to none if thats your concern.
SCIENCEMADNESS is a cut above the rest IMHO, wish id found it b4 wetdreams and drugs forum, theres just as much info on improvisation, but more emphasis on saftey.
but I digress MM

Thanks MM,
there is no reason you cannot buy equipment from Sciencemadness users. Usually we have it cheaper...

Pyro - 17-6-2012 at 08:46

this one is in Holland, but ships to the UK for reasonable prices, i can vouch for him, as i have bought lots of stuff, its good quality, but shipping tends to be a bit slow

peach - 17-6-2012 at 15:42

Quote:

at reasonable prices / businesses wherever possible

You might be best off looking at United Glass in the US and their glass kits to get off to start quickly and without spending bin loads of cash.

Quote:

whats the best thing to coat the insides of suitable containers to make them chemical resistant?

That's an field of study in and of it's self really, since different chemicals will do very different things to different materials. Glass is fine for the majority, but entirely unsuitable for a fair amount of fluoride & molten alkali work, where you'd want PTFE or nickel perhaps, by the same token, soda glass from the kitchen is not suitable for anything that gets remotely over warm bath temperatures, HDPE works great for a lot of things, but not for a lot of solvents.

BlazeBall - 18-6-2012 at 13:59

Thanks guys, United Glass and Laboy Glass are exactly the kind of thing I was looking for, I've had great difficulty in finding any UK businesses with that kind of stock, I've bought from thelabwarehouse before but they don't have sets like that. Given the large variety of reagents on sale to individuals, I'm surprised that a good range of glassware is so hard to come by here. Guess I'll have to brave customs though if I order from those places.

Re, scientific labs, I had tried to navigate their website but the 90's approach to web design of having to look through a pdf catalogue that doesn't even list the prices really did me in. Mind you the united glass website is pretty atrocious.

Quote: Originally posted by mineralman

My concern was more consumer protection. When buying from a business there are many legal protections for the consumer in the UK.

Products that fail soon after purchase must be replaced by the retailer etc, none of that pathetic 90 day warranty bs on expensive equipment that I hear so often about in other countries.

[Edited on 18-6-2012 by BlazeBall]

BlazeBall - 18-6-2012 at 16:55

Does anyone know if this thermometer

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/thermometer-with-10-18-joint-20-to...

will fit in the adaptor included in this set?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-advanced-chemistry-lab-glasswa...

Mailinmypocket - 18-6-2012 at 17:07

Nope, the thermometer size is 10/18 and all the joints on that kit are 24/40. You could just get the kit and then buy a 24/40 claisen or still head with a 10/18 thermometer opening instead of one with 24/40 on all ends

Expediglass is reasonably cheap, here is a claisen adapter similar to what you would need...

http://www.expediglass.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductIndex=1...

[Edited on 19-6-2012 by Mailinmypocket]

DJF90 - 18-6-2012 at 17:15

Nope, that thermometer is jointed (NS10 or whatever 10/18 is), whilst that thermometer adaptor is a compression fitting. Get a normal thermometer (OD is about 7mm) and its held in place by tightening the plastic adaptor - this compresses the rubber grommet which bulges out and holds the thermometer.

It wasnt that long ago that thelabwarehouse had a nice assortment of Quickfit sets. They still have the basic B14 one (29BU) and the expansion set (29X I think?) but they used to have a B10 set (10BU), and a couple of B19 ones too (42BU, which was 22 components, comprised of a more basic 46BU set and 46X expansion). There was also a 27BU, which was the "complete" B14 set.

Unfortunately, SciLabWare (a.k.a. Bibby Sterelin, Quickfit & Quartz etc.) have discontinued many of these sets. The reason being (as elaborated in a talk with marketing manager Andrew Davies at a trade exhibition) was that universities these days tend to order items individually and in bulk, as needed, as opposed to as kits, i.e. a department might buy 100 x 100ml B24 flasks, 20 B24 liebig condensers, etc etc... thus the kits have mostly been discontinued. It was fairly recently that SciLabWare released an updated B10 set, complete with rotaflow pressure equalising funnel and such, enclosed in foam lined plastic carry case, but already I see that they do not offer this product anymore. These are sad, sad times for the amatuer chemist.

EDIT:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Quickfit-17-piece-micro-organic-ch... something like this is perfect for small scale work. This is the old version of the 10BU set mentioned by myself (vide supra). I actually have one of these myself, with a few additional pieces. The small neck size can be frustrating at times, but its a decent set of glassware and that is about the same as what I paid for mine.

Find attached some old photos of the B10 stuff I had.

[Edited on 19-6-2012 by DJF90]

[Edited on 19-6-2012 by DJF90]

Acquisition of non-hg 10/18 thermometer?

HeYBrO - 16-8-2014 at 02:32

Hi everyone, sorry to revive an old thread but i didn't want to start a new one if i could use this one. I am looking for a non-hg 10/18 thermometer for my short path distillation head. I am well aware that you can buy 10/18 thermometers from china, however, I would like to buy a 10/18 thermometer without mercury. Any suggestions where to find one that is not $70+? I would perhaps be willing to purchase one from a trusted member if available. If no one has any ideas ill have to bite the bullet and buy a Hg thermometer.

DJF90 - 16-8-2014 at 10:10

I don't know of anywhere that sells spirit 10/18 thermometers, but QuickFit sell (through usual vendors such as Fisher) b14 ones that are spirit filled, so they may also do B10 (10/19, should be practically identical with the american 10/18 size).

If anyone in the UK is interested in a B10 mercury one, u2u me. I have a couple spare (brand new in box) that I'd be willing to let go for £50 each.

HeYBrO - 16-8-2014 at 23:11

DFJ90, how much of that kit do you still own?

DJF90 - 17-8-2014 at 03:36

All of it of course. I had considered selling it a while back, but wasn't motivated by the hassle of listing it on ebay. Perhaps one day I'll offer it up on here but for the time being I'm gunna keep it incase I get the opportunity to play.

HeYBrO - 19-8-2014 at 02:27

Do you have any old 10/19 thermometers for sale? I'm just gonna bite the bullet and get a mercury one, but i'd rather ask you first because quick fit is better quality.

Oscilllator - 19-8-2014 at 03:31

PTFE tape wrapped around a normal thermometer works brilliantly. I have used it for vac distillation of HNO3 with no troubles. No need to fork out for anything more than a $2 roll of plumbing tape (which any lab should have on-hand anyway).

HeYBrO - 19-8-2014 at 03:34

Good idea thanks. Should save the hassle of buying a new thermometer.