Suggestions for Equipment?

Dinwar · 11th July 2012, 11:44 AM

I figure I spend enough time here, I may as well use you guys for something important.

I'm currently looking for a few pieces of equipment that would be extremely useful for my job. Me being a corporate shill, it would be most useful for me to purchase these things myself and just happen to use them on occasion for work--to be blunt, in the consultant world if you can't bill someone else for the equipment your boss has the annoying tendency to take it away from you (that's why the really expensive books I have are MY really expensive books). If it's my equipment they can't take it from me without it being labeled as "theft".

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has this type of question, either--so anyone else, feel free to post your equipment needs! I'll do my best to help out!

Anyway, here are some of the things I'm on the lookout for:

1) A halfway decent dissecting microscope. Binocular for preference. Doesn't have to be enormously powerful (20x to 80x would be more than sufficient--any more powerful and we'll have to ship the samples out anyway). I've seen them from $50 to $3,000, and have no sense of which are good deals and which are a waste of money.

2) Various acids. Specifically I need HCl for my little field bottle (geologists use it to test whether a rock is a carbonate or not), and glacial acetic acid or another gentle acid for breaking up rocks. This one is more problematic--I can only find industrial suppliers, and I don't want a barrel of the stuff sitting around! I also don't need it very strong--0.1 m is sufficient for my squirt bottle, and weaker acetic acid merely means it takes more time to melt the rock (usually not an issue, and if it is I can figure out how to make it more concentrated).

3) Cheap glasswear. For several reasons. First, I need something to disolve the rocks IN, and my wife gets a tad upset when I use her baking pans (as do my mother, my grandmothers, HER mother.....It's actually a rather common complaint in my family for some reason...). Second, I just really like the idea of drinking whiskey from an Erlenmeyer flask.

Put a small piece of dry ice in, drink a dark whiskey, and enjoy the facial expressions.

I'm sure I'll think of more, but that's what I can think of off the top of my head. I'm not planning on buying anything just yet (waiting to pay off the flooded appartment first), but I do want to get a library of links put together.

Thanks in advance! And again, if anyone needs help I'll do what I can for you.

Beelzebuddy · 11th July 2012, 12:33 PM

For good second-hand microscopy equipment, ebay. Srsly.

HCl: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/LAB...-PERCENT-9NY07

Glasswares: http://www.carolina.com/category/equ...plasticware.do

Things are smaller in the bio world, but just as potent. I've never ordered chemicals to a home address before, I'm not sure how much cackle you'll need in your voice to convince them you're just a demented but harmless scientist.

leon_heller · 11th July 2012, 12:41 PM

I use one of these SM-20 dissecting microscopes for surface-mount electronic assembly:

http://www.lakeland-microscopes.co.uk/stereo_sm.html

The mechanical and optical quality is surprisingly good for something so cheap.

quarky · 11th July 2012, 04:26 PM

The HCl is available (in the U.S.) as muriatic acid. Its roughly 30% HCl, in aqueous solution, used for cleaning mortar smears from masonry. It comes in one gallon jugs.
It will eat limestone.

Glassware purchases, at least in the U.S., will set off certain alarms.

ben m · 11th July 2012, 05:31 PM

Take a look at American Science and Surplus for glassware and microscopes.

Dinwar · 11th July 2012, 05:46 PM

Thanks for the advice!

When I get bored at work tomorrow I'll check them out.

TheDoLittle · 11th July 2012, 08:13 PM

ben_m beat me to sciplus.com... I've ordered a variety of stuff from there. Great service!

jasonpatterson · 11th July 2012, 08:41 PM

+1 to quarky, you can find the HCl at any home improvement store for cleaning concrete and/or in the paint section.

BoogieWoogieWookie · 11th July 2012, 10:12 PM

Ditto for the Muriatic Acid. You can buy it by the quart or gallon in many places and it's pretty inexpensive. I think the strength varies slightly depending on manufacturer, but I'm not sure about that.

I bought a gallon a few years back and it is really pretty strong - fumes when you remove the cap and will burn you and eat your clothes up.

It isn't lab grade purity or anything. The stuff I bought had a yellowish tint to it.

I always loved dabbling in chemistry. When I was very young (10 or 11) I had an aunt that was a pharmacist and she got me some small bottles, about a pint, of concentrated HCL, H₂SO₄ and H₂NO₃. My family must have really trusted me!

11th July 2012, 11:44 AM	#1
Dinwar Philosopher Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 8,971	Suggestions for Equipment? I figure I spend enough time here, I may as well use you guys for something important. I'm currently looking for a few pieces of equipment that would be extremely useful for my job. Me being a corporate shill, it would be most useful for me to purchase these things myself and just happen to use them on occasion for work--to be blunt, in the consultant world if you can't bill someone else for the equipment your boss has the annoying tendency to take it away from you (that's why the really expensive books I have are MY really expensive books). If it's my equipment they can't take it from me without it being labeled as "theft". I'm sure I'm not the only one who has this type of question, either--so anyone else, feel free to post your equipment needs! I'll do my best to help out! Anyway, here are some of the things I'm on the lookout for: 1) A halfway decent dissecting microscope. Binocular for preference. Doesn't have to be enormously powerful (20x to 80x would be more than sufficient--any more powerful and we'll have to ship the samples out anyway). I've seen them from $50 to $3,000, and have no sense of which are good deals and which are a waste of money. 2) Various acids. Specifically I need HCl for my little field bottle (geologists use it to test whether a rock is a carbonate or not), and glacial acetic acid or another gentle acid for breaking up rocks. This one is more problematic--I can only find industrial suppliers, and I don't want a barrel of the stuff sitting around! I also don't need it very strong--0.1 m is sufficient for my squirt bottle, and weaker acetic acid merely means it takes more time to melt the rock (usually not an issue, and if it is I can figure out how to make it more concentrated). 3) Cheap glasswear. For several reasons. First, I need something to disolve the rocks IN, and my wife gets a tad upset when I use her baking pans (as do my mother, my grandmothers, HER mother.....It's actually a rather common complaint in my family for some reason...). Second, I just really like the idea of drinking whiskey from an Erlenmeyer flask. Put a small piece of dry ice in, drink a dark whiskey, and enjoy the facial expressions. I'm sure I'll think of more, but that's what I can think of off the top of my head. I'm not planning on buying anything just yet (waiting to pay off the flooded appartment first), but I do want to get a library of links put together. Thanks in advance! And again, if anyone needs help I'll do what I can for you.
Dinwar Philosopher Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 8,971	__________________ GENERATION 8: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social experiment. Ein krieg ohne feinde.

11th July 2012, 12:41 PM	#3
leon_heller Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: St. Leonards-on-Sea, E. Sussex, UK. Posts: 1,090	I use one of these SM-20 dissecting microscopes for surface-mount electronic assembly: http://www.lakeland-microscopes.co.uk/stereo_sm.html The mechanical and optical quality is surprisingly good for something so cheap.
	__________________ Leon Heller G1HSM

11th July 2012, 04:26 PM	#4
quarky Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 20,454	The HCl is available (in the U.S.) as muriatic acid. Its roughly 30% HCl, in aqueous solution, used for cleaning mortar smears from masonry. It comes in one gallon jugs. It will eat limestone. Glassware purchases, at least in the U.S., will set off certain alarms.
quarky Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 20,454

11th July 2012, 05:31 PM	#5
ben m Illuminator Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 4,658	Take a look at American Science and Surplus for glassware and microscopes.
ben m Illuminator Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 4,658

11th July 2012, 05:46 PM	#6
Dinwar Philosopher Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 8,971	Thanks for the advice! When I get bored at work tomorrow I'll check them out.
Dinwar Philosopher Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 8,971	__________________ GENERATION 8: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social experiment. Ein krieg ohne feinde.

11th July 2012, 12:33 PM	#2
Beelzebuddy Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,721	For good second-hand microscopy equipment, ebay. Srsly. HCl: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/LAB...-PERCENT-9NY07 Glasswares: http://www.carolina.com/category/equ...plasticware.do Things are smaller in the bio world, but just as potent. I've never ordered chemicals to a home address before, I'm not sure how much cackle you'll need in your voice to convince them you're just a demented but harmless scientist.

11th July 2012, 08:13 PM	#7
TheDoLittle Disco King Discombobulator Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 1,658	ben_m beat me to sciplus.com... I've ordered a variety of stuff from there. Great service!
	__________________ David O. Little -=The DoLittle 8-)=- America believes in education: the average professor earns more money in a year than a professional athlete earns in a whole week. - Evan Esar / No one can earn a million dollars honestly. - William Jennings Bryan (1860 - 1925) / If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you. - Don Marquis

11th July 2012, 08:41 PM	#8
jasonpatterson Philanthropic Misanthrope Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Space, The Final Frontier Posts: 2,185	+1 to quarky, you can find the HCl at any home improvement store for cleaning concrete and/or in the paint section.
	__________________ Sandra's seen a leprechaun, Eddie touched a troll, Laurie danced with witches once, Charlie found some goblins' gold. Donald heard a mermaid sing, Susie spied an elf, But all the magic I have known I've had to make myself. - Shel Silverstein

11th July 2012, 10:12 PM	#9
BoogieWoogieWookie Thinker Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: A galaxy far, far away...sometimes, but mostly the USA Posts: 225	Ditto for the Muriatic Acid. You can buy it by the quart or gallon in many places and it's pretty inexpensive. I think the strength varies slightly depending on manufacturer, but I'm not sure about that. I bought a gallon a few years back and it is really pretty strong - fumes when you remove the cap and will burn you and eat your clothes up. It isn't lab grade purity or anything. The stuff I bought had a yellowish tint to it. I always loved dabbling in chemistry. When I was very young (10 or 11) I had an aunt that was a pharmacist and she got me some small bottles, about a pint, of concentrated HCL, H₂SO₄ and H₂NO₃. My family must have really trusted me!
	__________________ When one forfeits one's ability to think critically, ties it all up in a neat little bundle with pretty ribbons and hands it to their pastor or priest, all that's left is an ability to mindlessly blather inanities taught at Sunday School, without a whit of understanding.