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Lambda-Eyde
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Rich_Insane: Check out DP Glassblowing on eBay. I've seen them sell some gently used 19/22 organic chemistry sets for under 100$. Really nice sets
with different sizes of flasks, condensers, adapters and such. I can't see any sets like those listed in their eBay shop right now, but it doesn't
hurt to ask. 
For heating, you should definitely get a hotplate stirrer, it's a must! Even I, who doesn't yet have one can testify to that! Try to acquire a nicely
used one off of eBay.
To measure your joint size, take a metric caliper and measure the width of the opening and the depth of the joint. The first number (eg 24) is the top
width of the joint in millimeters. The second number (eg 40) is the depth of the joint in millimeters. After a while you'll get good at doing visual
estimates. 
Are you good friends with your chemistry teacher? Try asking him if they have any surplus equipment they could spare. That's how I got my 250 ml
Electromantle. 
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1281371269
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Does anyone know of some institutions in the UK that might give me equipment they no longer use (if I ask them very politely!)?
I'm in a similar situation to Risch_Insane...this stuff is not cheap! And if anyone could link me to a website that would sell a fully glass
distillation setup...I can't find one anywhere in the country, and shipping from the USA is >£30
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Lambda-Eyde
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Mossydie: This seller is located in the UK, and carries a lot of Quickfit glassware. You could possibly ask him if he could acquire a complete setup?
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Rich_Insane
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Unfortunately I'm in a school where budget cut shave affected us pretty bad, so I don't think I could get to much from there.
For a hotplate, what would you recommend? I see quite a few auctions for ridiculously cheap mag stir/hot plates for auction. I see this one for $99
that is also a mag stirrer:
Hot Plate
It is a Chinese one though (I can't understand Chinese, and I'm not sure of the quality). it also comes with free shipping, so that's a plus. I'm
worried that all this labware will be purchased, and I will have no money left for actual chemicals.
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1281371269
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I saw that one on ebay.co.uk. I have had bad experiences with such cheap, chinese electronics - in general, I never go for something unless the
english in the item description is fully comprehensible and in the case of that item it is not. As a general rule, spend more and you will save in the
long term because you will have high quality long lasting kit.
There's an American site dedicated to labware auctions:
http://www.labx.com/
Also: www.unitednuclear.com
You probably knew about those, but if not check them out. United nucleaur always makes me envious when I waste some time browsing through it. If only
they could ship to the UK...
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woelen
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Try looking at the German eBay. Most of my labware (heating mantles, part of my glassware) is from German sources (old GDR labs). Looking somewhat
outdated, but very robust in general. I use these parts already for a long time and have good experiences with that.
I also have bad experience with chinese materials. I purchased HV-diodes and HV-capacitors from a chinese seller. The capacitors were rated at 6 kV,
but they broke already at 2 kV  (giving a tingling noise and becoming
conductive) and the diodes simply broke down erratically. Since then I say NO to chinese materials. In the contrary, I have good to very good
experience with old equipment from the former soviet union and the eastern european countries. Many of these things were built ridiculously heavily
and were ridiculously overrated. Not good at all from an economical point of view, but for home experimenting it is very good, some of my old Russian
equipment hardly can be destroyed!
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Rich_Insane
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Well the language on the site itself is readable, and they offer a 7-day warranty. It's just that the hotplate/mag stir itself is in Chinese.
Unfortunately I cannot see any good deals on German Ebay (I can't read German either) or UK Ebay. I may order my glassware from Unitednuclear, if i
cannot find any better deals.
How does this sound?
$130 for a hotplate/stirrer, $105 for glassware, and $110 for chemicals? Is it possible? I just found out I only have $310, so i need to beg $40 out
of somewhere.
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woelen
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If you have such a limited budget, then I first would limit yourself to plain experimenting and leave out the hotplate/stirrer. Buy yourself some test
tubes, simple glassware and a small propane torch. If you do that, then you can spend $200 or even more on chemicals.
I do not say that a hotplate is not important, but given the limited budget, to my opinion it is not the thing to start with. Who knows what money you
can spend next year, I also have taken several years to build up what I have now.
This page may be helpful to you: http://woelen.homescience.net/science/chem/misc/homelab.html
This page describes the basic things, you need as a starter. In due time you can expand your lab.
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pHzero
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Quote: Originally posted by woelen  | If you have such a limited budget, then I first would limit yourself to plain experimenting and leave out the hotplate/stirrer. Buy yourself some test
tubes, simple glassware and a small propane torch.
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What's wrong with a bunsen? You can get them for shade under 4 quid here in the UK (http://www.rapidonline.com/Educational-Products/Science/Labo...). You can then hook that up to a calor gas (LPG) bottle with an 8mm regulator, and
it works a charm. Only annoying thing about it is if you use it outside (which I always do), the flame gets blown about quite a bit on windy days.
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woelen
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There's nothing wrong with a bunsen, but for most people, such a thing is not easy to obtain, or more expensive than a simple butane torch from a
hardware store. For this reason I mentioned the propane torch. Buy whatever is cheapest, or easiest to obtain.
[Edited on 8-6-09 by woelen]
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pHzero
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| Quote: Originally posted by woelen | There's nothing wrong with a bunsen, but for most people, such a thing is not easy to obtain, or more expensive than a simple butane torch from a
hardware store. For this reason I mentioned the propane torch. Buy whatever is cheapest, or easiest to obtain.
[Edited on 8-6-09 by woelen] |
Ah right, fair enough. Torches are pretty expensive here in the UK, so I think I'll stick with the bunsen I might even order a few of them and sell them on ebay - I can probably post them to the US for about a tenner each.
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Maja
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Maybe someone knows good supplier of used hotplate/stirrers in eastern europe or just Europe ?
[Edited on 8-6-2009 by Maja]
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1281371269
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Rich_Insane, take a look at this link:
It's a video I made of my spirit burner which took me a few minutes to make and can run on ethanol, methanol, iso-propyl, meths and more.
It works well for bending tubing or heating test tubes, for distillation and other long term heating an old butane gas stove does the job.
Edit: Forgot to actually include the link. Ooops. Here it is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m80i-3iq508&feature=chann...
[Edited on 8-6-2009 by Mossydie]
[Edited on 8-6-2009 by Mossydie]
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UnintentionalChaos
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Mossydie - do you know if anywhere near you sells those stupid backyard tiki torches? If so, look around there for replacement wicks. These are
bundled fiberglass with a woven fiberglass sheath over them. They are fireproof and have a high fuel draw rate that produces a large, hot flame. About
1000x better than toilet paper and they only cost a dollar or two.
Department of Redundancy Department - Now with paperwork!
'In organic synthesis, we call decomposition products "crap", however this is not a IUPAC approved nomenclature.' -Nicodem
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Rich_Insane
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Ok, thanks everyone.
I will most likely be buying my own bunsen burner. I have a test tube holder already, so pretty much all i need is expanded glassware, and a
condenser.
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1281371269
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I'll have a look for them - although using toilet paper really appeals to me because of the DIY / minimum requirements aspect. I'm bidding on an ebay
item at the moment which is a double mini inorganic chemistry set (old style, glass, mercury thermometers, mini bunsens) and if I win it I'll see if
anyone here who's into mini scale stuff might want to do a trade.
Oh and my spirit burner just melted a test tube along with the Zn inside it
[Edited on 9-6-2009 by Mossydie]
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Rich_Insane
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I was wondering i forgot something... I noticed I do not have a decent scale.
I see some for around $20 that are dental/jewelry/specimen scales, but are those worthy? I can see some 100 g - 0.1 g scales fro 19.99, for Dental
Scrap or jewelry.
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1281371269
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I bought a cheap one, about £5 and no issue with it yet. But I forsee I'll need a new one in time as it's hardly going to last long. $19.99 seems it
should get a decent one.
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Rich_Insane
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Alright, that's fine. So a jewelry scale should be fine?
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1281371269
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I think for $20 you can't go far wrong and it should at the very least last you until you can afford a better one. Was that lab auctions site of any
use? Lots of glassware joblots go as well as more expensive stuff.
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Rich_Insane
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Lab Auctions site? Some of those are really good. I do not know which one you speak of, however.
I'll see what I can get, but i doubt I'll need a milligram scale or anything.
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1281371269
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Just found this link:
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2006/09/how_to_make_a_magne...
OK, not as good as a proper one because it wont have speed control. On the other hand, if you're like me and have a load of old computer bits lying
around, it's at least £70 cheaper.
I'm making one atm
I also made a retort stand by screwing some Al pipe into a wooden base. Took me all of 5minutes. I don't understand how they can cost £16!
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Lambda-Eyde
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Look what came in the mail today:
Enjoy the nerd porn.
(Sorry, no ground glass)
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UnintentionalChaos
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For shame! I have all of two erlenmeyers and my ground glass stuff gets far more use. I actually like my fairly limited equipment sometimes. It forces
me to clean up after myself 
I'm in the market for a 1L erlenmeyer with a 24/40 joint though. It'll go nicely with my new fritted buchner with hose barb.
Department of Redundancy Department - Now with paperwork!
'In organic synthesis, we call decomposition products "crap", however this is not a IUPAC approved nomenclature.' -Nicodem
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1281371269
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By clearing out some of the clutter in my garage I have managed to win myself a very small lab area. It has a very long way to go, but it's better
than my windowsill and bedroom cupboards for sure.
The whole area:
Organics:
Inorganics:
Lockable Cupboard:
Equipment:
Weird and Wonderful effects on a piece of copper that was electrolysed in conc. Sulphuric acid then left by a sink for a few weeks:
I have ordered a retort and will buy a condenser, I think if I can fit these two together they will serve as a decent full glass distillation setup
for the time being.
What should be the next piece of equipment to get?
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