Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Square one

Bright Spark - 27-4-2015 at 13:17

Hi guys, I am still here reading the boards most days and trying to educate myself as and when I can

I have learned a lot, I am reading Zubricks lab survival guide

I got a magnetic stirrer hotplate

I designed an inverter to control heaters, pumps etc basically anything mains!, I will test it on the hotplate but a heating mantle is on the list

I built the inverter prototype today, made a couple of silly mistakes like too big connector on the 15VDC output, mislabelled the anode and cathode of one input to the opto, they are minor but me being me I will build another and tin it and make it look nice, this one is to blow up not that it looks bad =)

the inverter is supplied by the mains and it has a rectifier and gate drive chips complete with power supply, it has optocouplers for isolation, it basically needs mains supply and two sets of PWM pulses

theres provision for overcurrent protection which I haven't included but one day....when I get around to it

I already have plenty of boards with a uC on that I can use but I plan on making a big control board that will come when I know what I am doing and I can plan it out properley!, at the minute I just don't know what I need so the plan is

I have some k type thermocouples which I will get going with the inverter so I have PID control on the temps

I have my eye on a vac pump at work that will be mine, its no good sat on the shelf I am looking into vacuum sensors so that I can use another inverter to control the vac pump and control pressures

I am looking into cooling systems which will come later a simple pump and ice bucket will do to start but I have these peltier coolers that are very cool pardon the pun, an elaborate and expensive cooling system could be developed

I am interested to develop some electronic alarm to warn of fumes but I don't know what I am doing or much about the area of hazradous environments, theres all kinds of gas sensors I initially thought an oxygen sensor alongside others but hmmm

Now I need some glassware and its difficult going, I plan on doing some of the reactions on this site like the bromination of vannilin, toluene-> benzaldehyde but all in good time when I have the experience hopefully building lots of kit and taking my time to get it going with nothing but water will give me the experience needed

I am looking at this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Organic-Chemistry-Laboratory-Glass...

but I just cant make a call, it looks too cheap to me, I don't mind spendiing money but I am not made of it

I would love to hear people opinion on that glassware

hotplate.jpg - 556kB h_bridge.jpg - 558kB pcb.jpg - 577kB

[Edited on 27-4-2015 by Bright Spark]

aga - 27-4-2015 at 14:04

Hello Bright Spark.

Getting started just needs some heating.

Stirring is a Luxury that once used, you will never want to do without,

Vacuum ? I guess you are interested in organics.

ben0315 glass works fine, and doesn't not fall apart after 5 minutes.
I bought quite a lot of it and have done all sorts of horrible things in it with 100% success.

If you'll be doing really nasty OC or Energetics, best not buy on ebay.

Zombie - 27-4-2015 at 14:22

You have your head on straight Bright. Kudos!

I'm still collecting bits, and building the lab so I can relate.

Maybe the fume(s) detector is a bit of overkill. A simple smoke detector will pick up most things, and a great fume hood is really a must have. I figure I will have about a grand into mine but if I bought it it would be well into 7k so...

Keep up the good fight Bright!

Bert - 28-4-2015 at 04:43

From your focus on equipment in this post, it seems fabricating the tools for chemical operations is taking more of your time than using them?

That's not a bad thing, mechanical & electrical engineering are all good...

Bright Spark - 28-4-2015 at 09:53
Quote:

Hello Bright Spark.Getting started just needs some heating.Stirring is a Luxury that once used, you will never want to do without,Vacuum ? I guess you are interested in organics.ben0315 glass works fine, and doesn't not fall apart after 5 minutes.I bought quite a lot of it and have done all sorts of horrible things in it with 100% success.If you'll be doing really nasty OC or Energetics, best not buy on ebay.


Hi aga

I know a lot can be done on a shoestring and this is my normal route for doing most things

For me chemistry is different to anything else, its just something on the side to fit in when I can, I am really interested in the area and I work with very knowledgeable people and I have access to all kinds of chemicals, machines and equipment we have a number of GCMS, FTIR and other things I don't even know what they do yet!

So in my mind I am in a good position and now is the time if ever the best thing is that it will make me a better engineer

I will order the glassware but I think I will get someone else to buy it for me

Thanks
Quote:

You have your head on straight Bright. Kudos!I'm still collecting bits, and building the lab so I can relate.Maybe the fume(s) detector is a bit of overkill. A simple smoke detector will pick up most things, and a great fume hood is really a must have. I figure I will have about a grand into mine but if I bought it it would be well into 7k so...Keep up the good fight Bright!



Hi Zombie, I will be building a basic fume hood, I am still forging a plan in my mind as to how best tackle it, aluminium strut and perspex I am thinking but theres lots of options and I obviously won't be doing anything dodgy without one but I think my first fumehood will be very basic, one of those cheap grow tents would do the job I think
Quote:

From your focus on equipment in this post, it seems fabricating the tools for chemical operations is taking more of your time than using them?That's not a bad thing, mechanical & electrical engineering are all good...



Hi Bert, you are absolutely right

Building electronics is what drives me, I do it every waking hour whether its work, academic or recreation, my hobby is my job and for me this is the driving force behind it, building scientific instruments and controlling process seriously inspires me, theres a guy called Paul Horowitz at Harvard University, Paul is very famous mostly for his work with the SETI program

He wrote a book with his colleague Winfield Hill 'the art of electronics' and it is undoubtedly the best electronics book ever written, the latest edition is just out and its absolutely fantastic, in this book it is full of extremely advanced electronics much of it is above my level and experience but hey I am only 33 and I am very interested and keen so if I can learn a fraction of what they know they I will be doing well

Step forward chemistry and I just see it as an opportunity to apply electronics, in fact that is exactly what this is for me, a way to apply a lot but also be forced to learn a lot but I can guarantee it will be fun, worth the investment in time and money for me

So I can appreciate you looking and thinking well the task is mammoth to build all this kit why not just get on with it after all what I am proposing isn't required to do the job

But remember that even if you dropped in all the equipment right now I am still way to n00b to start, I just dont know enough, I am a complete imbecile that doesn't have the basics and to complicate matters I have other responsibilities that rank higher namely my studies, I have to stay focused on my PhD, this is priority for me everything else fits around it

I am in absolutely no rush at all, its all fun, a bit at a time slowly does it

Peace out

Zombie - 28-4-2015 at 12:45

Quote: Originally posted by Bright Spark  



I will order the glassware but I think I will get someone else to buy it for me

Thanks



Reminds me of when I was 17, hanging in front of the liquor store (hootch), and then the pharmacy (rubbers).

You're going for lab glass... :o

My how times have changed.
Quote: Originally posted by Bright Spark  


Step forward chemistry and I just see it as an opportunity to apply electronics, in fact that is exactly what this is for me, a way to apply a lot but also be forced to learn a lot but I can guarantee it will be fun, worth the investment in time and money for me

But remember that even if you dropped in all the equipment right now I am still way to n00b to start, I just dont know enough, I am a complete imbecile that doesn't have the basics
Peace out



I completely relate to this.
The lab idea was born out of curiosity, and has bloomed into a project for the ages.
I'm not exactly sure where it will all lead yet but its the journey, and not the destination.

we have a lot in common here.