Sciboyce
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Chem C3000 starter opinions?
Hello there! 
I fear this may appear extremely primitive, however for a total novice with only foundational theoretical knowledge, would this chemistry (or any for
that matter) set be a good starting investment?
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chemrox
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You might have posted a link. What is Chem C3000? Generally speaking kits are not great deals. They usually come with some useless pieces like
Vigeraux columns and non-equalizing addition funnels. Much better to buy used stuff you know you need.
"When you let the dumbasses vote you end up with populism followed by autocracy and getting back is a bitch." Plato (sort of)
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Sciboyce
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http://www.chem-c3000.com/manuals/645014_chemc3000_manual_sa...
This was the chemistry set in question. I'm unsure of what to purchase first, really :/
Thanks for the feedback! I'm looking at glassware on eBay currently
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Ozone
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Actually, it's not bad.
I have been drooling at these, but they are damn expensive. Super nice, though. See also their collection of chemicals:
http://hms-beagle.com/heirloom-chemistry-set-free-shipping-u...
O3
-Anyone who never made a mistake never tried anything new.
--Albert Einstein
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bob800
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The Chem C3000 is what first got me into chemistry and I would definitely recommend it. The value in terms of raw materials and equipment is pretty
terrible (i.e. you only get really small vials of chemicals and not even a graduated cylinder nor a balance nor a good ringstand), but the instruction
booklet is fantastic and it's a lot more engaging when you know you already have everything you need to do a whole booklet's worth of experiments.
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MrHomeScientist
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I second the recommendation for the HMS Beagle set. I supported that when it was a Kickstarter campaign, and received all the chemicals from the set.
Lots of small, ~25mL bottles of a wide variety of chemicals, including some very hard to find ones (CCl4!). The equipment set also looks like a good
starter set. The full set linked above is super nice, but the box alone is $450!!
I also highly recommend his book, the Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments. Really great lab manual for the home experimenter.
The way I built my chemistry hobby is by buying only what I needed for a reaction I wanted to try. I would see a neat reaction here or on YouTube, and
would buy only the necessary chemicals and equipment for that reaction. That way, over time I have built a large collection of reagents and apparatus.
The benefit of going this route is you never waste money buying things that sit unused on a shelf. (Well, except for those can't-pass-up deals  ) Now I've got a nice collection of almost everything I ever need, and if I don't
have it on the shelf I can probably make it. Check out Dr. Bob's thread in the Reagents subforum and see if he's still got stuff left - he's got some
amazing deals.
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The Volatile Chemist
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Well, for a beginner, perhaps beakers and flasks from Dr. Bob would be a bit excessive. I'd go for the C3000 kit if it's affordable for you.
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ave369
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I, too, began my lab from a chemistry set. Of course, it was a Russian one and not C3000. But it gave me a good collection of reagents (including a
jar of sodium fluoride I'm afraid to use).
Smells like ammonia....
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chemrox
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I started with a Gilbert Master chemistry set that had all manner of non-PC chemicals. I had a lot of fun with it and with some notes from mom I got
con nitric, ammonium hydroxide and con H2SO4. One of the experiments was making H2S which I annoyed my brother with. Rockets and flares came next.
It's wonder I got though with only one fire and all ten fingers. I'm not really impressed with C-3000 but who knows? It might be a little fun.
"When you let the dumbasses vote you end up with populism followed by autocracy and getting back is a bitch." Plato (sort of)
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Sulaiman
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I started with a much simpler chemistry set in 2014
once friends and family knew that I was interested in chemistry I got two more chemistry sets for free
it seems that many of these chemistry sets, given as presents, get very little use
so first thing to do is to let friends & family know your intention, see what turns up,
especially now, just after Xmas !
Have a look on recycling/reuse forums for free chemistry sets, better, ask for one.
eBay usually has cheap 'used' chemistry sets.
The booklets give some nice starter experiments
there is quite a bit of usable equipment supplied too.
Even though I've spent over $1,000 since then I still use quite a bit of stuff from the old chemistry sets.
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The Volatile Chemist
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I started with a chemcraft kit I was given when I was 12. So much fun First
glassware came from an adult who, as a kid, used the glassware which had been given to him by his pharmacist father. He's a Chemical engineer now.
Anyways, like i said, if the C3000 is in your range, go for it. I saw a YouTube video of a guy using chemicals from that kit a while back, and he had
more knowledge than the average youtuber.
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theking01
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I also highly recommend his book, the Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments. Really great lab manual for the home experimenter.
The way I built my chemistry hobby is by buying only what I needed for a reaction I wanted to try. I would see a neat reaction here or on YouTube, and
would buy goldenslot
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Sulaiman
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SPAM ALERT ... do not follow the link above
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