Here I build some very inexpensive lab equipment. Basically it was all free. You can't do any better than that.
In picture #7 I build flasks out of old light bulbs. Bend back the soft metal tip on the end of the bulb with a pair of pliers. Twist the metal piece so it breaks off. There is a small hole in the top of the bulb. Use a screwdriver to break the black substance away. Be careful to not break the bulb itself. If you have trouble breaking the black substance break it off with a pair of needle-nose pliers. Once the black substance is all broken away use a screwdriver to break the glass holding the filament. Shake out the bulb. Take some water and an old toothbrush and clean out the white film in the bulb. The metal screw top is sturdy enough to hold a cork or rubber stopper. And now we have a very inexpensive flask.
In picture #8 I build some wooden racks(again this is wood I found will walking around on garbage day). One is for test-tubes and the other lower profile one is used to hold many other items for easy access. The plastic dish soap bottles are thoroughly washed out and can hold regular water, distilled water or any other liquids you wish to dispense very easily. They have push down lids so if they are knocked over they will not spill.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Old Magazines
This past weekend I was cleaning the basement and found a couple of boxes full of old magazines. One box had old Astronomy magazines. The other one had old Scientific American magazines, I kept these for the Amateur Scientists column. Also in this box was Science Probe - The Amateur Scientist's Journal. I have 8 issues of Science Probe, I am not sure how many were released. I believe that a new journal for Amateur scientist's should be released again. There is Make magazine and it is a wonderful magazine, but it does not have enough science related articles. I have tried to search for Science Probe on the net but have found very little about it.
Also in this box is the CD of the Scientific American - The Amateur Scientist 2.0 - the complete collection. I can't remember what company this was purchased from. It has all the experiments from the Scientific American - The Amateur Scientist column. It is quite a treasure to find. Along with this I have the book "The Amateur Scientist" by C.L.Stong and "The Amateur Biologist" by Shawn Carlson. The CD contains old experiments with old information but a lot of the biology and chemistry experiments can still be done. The other experiments that include electronics and hardware that you may not find anymore may be hard to do or will require some tinkering to make happen. One thing I would like to do is create the electron microscope and attach it to a computer. I have always wanted to play with an electron microscope. I think you can still get the CD from the Society for Amateur Scientists. They can be found at sas.org.
I will be spending the next little while looking through this little piece of treasure that I found and dream of my next experiments.
Friday, March 20, 2009
My Lab
This is a picture of my lab right now. It is some what cluttered. I have small and large bins, parts drawers. They hold all kinds of things, such as rubber stoppers, corks, magnets, marbles, Y tubes, connecting tubes, lenses, etc. There is a couple of shelves that hold chemicals. The top shelve (not pictured) holds lab equipment.
In picture 9) on the right side you see I cut out the tops of juice and milk containers and used them as bins. They are placed in a metal shelving unit with the shelves about 1 foot apart. They hold all sorts of lab items. Test tubes, petri dishes, glass casters, cheese cloth, cotton balls and pads, electronics, plastic and glass jars, etc. The good thing about these is I can keep collecting filling them as I go along and they are free.
Monday, February 2, 2009
More Lab Equipment
By visiting second hand stores I have found a good collection of lab glassware and other lab equipment. It usually takes many trips before you might find something of use. I did find some great pieces of labware: 10 glass petri dishes that cost $1.00 each, 4 400 ml. beakers at $1.00 each and different flasks and test tubes.
In picture # 5 I found a box of glass furniture casters in the trash. These can be used as petri dishes, test dishes, animal dishes such as brine shrimp etc.
In picture # 4 I built some funnel stands from coat hangers and lab stands from 1/2 inch dowelling and 1 inch wood. They work great for supporting flasks, beakers and evaporating dishes while heating them.
In picture # 6 (not a very good picture) I show a laptop that was thrown out and some software and microphone that I put together as an oscilloscope. The software came from a book Electronic circuits for the evil genius : [57 lessons with projects] / Dave Cutcher. He even shows you how to create a test cable for the scope.
In picture # 5 I found a box of glass furniture casters in the trash. These can be used as petri dishes, test dishes, animal dishes such as brine shrimp etc.
In picture # 4 I built some funnel stands from coat hangers and lab stands from 1/2 inch dowelling and 1 inch wood. They work great for supporting flasks, beakers and evaporating dishes while heating them.
In picture # 6 (not a very good picture) I show a laptop that was thrown out and some software and microphone that I put together as an oscilloscope. The software came from a book Electronic circuits for the evil genius : [57 lessons with projects] / Dave Cutcher. He even shows you how to create a test cable for the scope.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
New Books
For Christmas this year I received 3 books about experimenting.
The first is 'Backyard Ballistics' by William Gurstelle, there are some 13 ballistic devices to create from household items. I have not had a real chance to look at this book, I will spend more time with it in the spring when the snow is gone.
The second book is 'Secret Science: 25 Science Experiments Your Teacher Doesn't Know About', By Steve Spangler. It has some interesting chemistry and physics experiments, from the new and exciting Mentos geyser to the Flying potatoes and exploding soda.
The final book is the most interesting and one of the most useful to the home experimenter. 'The Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments' by Robert Bruce Thompson. This book shows you how to set up home lab, the different lab equipment needed and the chemicals used. The experiments are a great for learning the basics of chemistry experimentation. The section on handling chemicals safely is a must to have. Using the colour codes to distinguish apart the different types of chemicals and their disposal. The only thing I found disappointing is he did not talk about building a lab from scratch, but to purchase all the equipment needed for the experiments. This can be costly and the idea behind this blog is to build a home lab cheaply and to recycle most anything to build it.
The first is 'Backyard Ballistics' by William Gurstelle, there are some 13 ballistic devices to create from household items. I have not had a real chance to look at this book, I will spend more time with it in the spring when the snow is gone.
The second book is 'Secret Science: 25 Science Experiments Your Teacher Doesn't Know About', By Steve Spangler. It has some interesting chemistry and physics experiments, from the new and exciting Mentos geyser to the Flying potatoes and exploding soda.
The final book is the most interesting and one of the most useful to the home experimenter. 'The Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments' by Robert Bruce Thompson. This book shows you how to set up home lab, the different lab equipment needed and the chemicals used. The experiments are a great for learning the basics of chemistry experimentation. The section on handling chemicals safely is a must to have. Using the colour codes to distinguish apart the different types of chemicals and their disposal. The only thing I found disappointing is he did not talk about building a lab from scratch, but to purchase all the equipment needed for the experiments. This can be costly and the idea behind this blog is to build a home lab cheaply and to recycle most anything to build it.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Some Inexpensive Equipment
Several different items that you can collect and then create items from. Here in photo 1) you see juice cartons. If you clean them out they can make great storage containers, they are strong and durable and later when I have enough I will make a box that will house these cartons so I can use them for drawers. As you can see I cut a hole all the way around leaving about a half inch lip. This allows other cartons to sit on top of each other. Inside this one I have some old blown light bulbs. I hope to use these to make some flasks and dishes. I will post how this works out. I have collected about 20 of these bulbs so far. Remember I am trying to create my lab inexpensively.
In photo 2) you can see I am using travel soap dishes. They sell 2 for a dollar at the Dollar stores. You can stack them one on top of the other. They can hold electronics, corks, stoppers, marbles, litmus paper, etc. These containers can be used to make an electrophoresis chamber and a host of other containers such as housing for animals such as snails, worms, etc.
In photo 3) I make a centrifuge from a blender(found on garbage day in my neighbourhood), 2 large fruit bowls(chamber and lid), 3 large paper clips(to keep lid closed), metal bowl(center spin), 2 toothbrush holders(holds the test tubes or centrifuge tubes while spinning), 2 angle bars(hold the tooth brush holders to the metal bowl), 4 screws and nuts and 2 wire ties(are used to hold the tooth brush holders in place). This cost me $5.00 to put together, most items are found at the dollar store or around the house. Now you have to be careful when drilling the center hole in the metal bowl, it must be in the center exactly or you will get a wobble and your centrifuge will fly off your bench. The tooth brush holders need to be mounted exactly opposite each other and all parts between the 2 must have the same weight to balance it off.
These 3 items are just the beginning, I hope to continue creating my lab from inexpensive items such as these.
In photo 2) you can see I am using travel soap dishes. They sell 2 for a dollar at the Dollar stores. You can stack them one on top of the other. They can hold electronics, corks, stoppers, marbles, litmus paper, etc. These containers can be used to make an electrophoresis chamber and a host of other containers such as housing for animals such as snails, worms, etc.
In photo 3) I make a centrifuge from a blender(found on garbage day in my neighbourhood), 2 large fruit bowls(chamber and lid), 3 large paper clips(to keep lid closed), metal bowl(center spin), 2 toothbrush holders(holds the test tubes or centrifuge tubes while spinning), 2 angle bars(hold the tooth brush holders to the metal bowl), 4 screws and nuts and 2 wire ties(are used to hold the tooth brush holders in place). This cost me $5.00 to put together, most items are found at the dollar store or around the house. Now you have to be careful when drilling the center hole in the metal bowl, it must be in the center exactly or you will get a wobble and your centrifuge will fly off your bench. The tooth brush holders need to be mounted exactly opposite each other and all parts between the 2 must have the same weight to balance it off.
These 3 items are just the beginning, I hope to continue creating my lab from inexpensive items such as these.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The Dollar Stores
I have found many items from the Dollar Stores. Here is a few of the items.
Chemicals:
1) Salt
2) Sugar
3) Epsom Salts
4) Baking soda
5) Baking powder
6) Vinegar
7) Acetone (fingernail polish remover)
8) Moth Balls
9) Lemon Juice
10) Alcohol 50%
11) Hydrogen Peroxide 3%
12) Batteries
13) Glow in the dark bracelets
14) Drain Cleaner
15) Different types of soap (detergent, shampoo, dish, etc.)
16) Fishing weights (might be lead)
17) Aluminum foil
Supplies:
1) Glass bowls
2) Custard cups with lids
3) Measuring cups (plastic)
4) Coffee filters
5) Spice jars
6) Digital timers
7) Butter knifes (Spatula for chemicals)
8) Metal spoons
9) Hard cover lab books
10) Cutting boards
11) Storage jars
12) Tiny plastic shot glasses
13) Plastic animal containers (fish tanks, etc.)
14) Magnifying glass and lenses
15) Glass plates (from picture frames)
16) Plastic plates (from picture frames)
17) Parts and supply holders (plastic bins)
18) Plastic funnels
19) Marbles
20) Tape (masking, scotch, etc.)
I will continue to add to the list in the future.
Chemicals:
1) Salt
2) Sugar
3) Epsom Salts
4) Baking soda
5) Baking powder
6) Vinegar
7) Acetone (fingernail polish remover)
8) Moth Balls
9) Lemon Juice
10) Alcohol 50%
11) Hydrogen Peroxide 3%
12) Batteries
13) Glow in the dark bracelets
14) Drain Cleaner
15) Different types of soap (detergent, shampoo, dish, etc.)
16) Fishing weights (might be lead)
17) Aluminum foil
Supplies:
1) Glass bowls
2) Custard cups with lids
3) Measuring cups (plastic)
4) Coffee filters
5) Spice jars
6) Digital timers
7) Butter knifes (Spatula for chemicals)
8) Metal spoons
9) Hard cover lab books
10) Cutting boards
11) Storage jars
12) Tiny plastic shot glasses
13) Plastic animal containers (fish tanks, etc.)
14) Magnifying glass and lenses
15) Glass plates (from picture frames)
16) Plastic plates (from picture frames)
17) Parts and supply holders (plastic bins)
18) Plastic funnels
19) Marbles
20) Tape (masking, scotch, etc.)
I will continue to add to the list in the future.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Putting It Together
By now I have picked up a lot of items. I have built a 5 ft. x 2ft. work bench. (I will show you a diagram of the bench so you can put one together too) Underneath it I have placed an old night stand someone threw out. With other wood I built a book case and put shelves above the bench (these are made from bi-fold doors). I found 4 broken metal shelving units and made them into 2 full units.
All this was found while walking around my neighbourhood. I also found a couple of blenders. I want to turn one into a centrifuge. I will show pictures of this as I put it together.
Other things to collect: Jars and bottles, plastic, toys, milk and juice cartons (used for storage filing boxes), cardboard boxes, jugs, light bulbs(the old kind, these can used to make flasks and round bottom dishes), coat hangers, toothpicks, plastic tubing, soda straws, plastic squeeze bottles (dish washing soap), clothespins, plasticine, paper clips, foam meat trays, scotch tape, masking tape, duct tape, glass (from picture frames) and batteries (source of carbon rods and zinc and manganese dioxide). A lot of this I was able to collect from family and friends, some I picked up at the dollar store, which by the way has many items you can use in the lab.
Chemicals you can find at the Dollar Store, grocery store, drug store or hardware stores are:
Aluminum (foil), Ammonia (ammonium hydroxide), Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate),Borax (sodium borate), Bleach (Sodium hypochlorite), Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate), Glycerin (glycerol), Iron filings, Moth balls (naphthalene), Hydrogen peroxide, Plaster of Paris (calcium sulfate), Table salt (sodium chloride), Sugar (sucrose), Starch, Vinegar (acetic acid), citric acid, ascorbic acid, TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) and plain chemical batteries (carbon rods and zinc and manganese dioxide).
I stored many of my chemicals in spice jars, they are a good size and cheap to come by. Well now I have some lab equipment, chemicals, work space, books and odds and ends. Time to do some experiments.
All this was found while walking around my neighbourhood. I also found a couple of blenders. I want to turn one into a centrifuge. I will show pictures of this as I put it together.
Other things to collect: Jars and bottles, plastic, toys, milk and juice cartons (used for storage filing boxes), cardboard boxes, jugs, light bulbs(the old kind, these can used to make flasks and round bottom dishes), coat hangers, toothpicks, plastic tubing, soda straws, plastic squeeze bottles (dish washing soap), clothespins, plasticine, paper clips, foam meat trays, scotch tape, masking tape, duct tape, glass (from picture frames) and batteries (source of carbon rods and zinc and manganese dioxide). A lot of this I was able to collect from family and friends, some I picked up at the dollar store, which by the way has many items you can use in the lab.
Chemicals you can find at the Dollar Store, grocery store, drug store or hardware stores are:
Aluminum (foil), Ammonia (ammonium hydroxide), Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate),Borax (sodium borate), Bleach (Sodium hypochlorite), Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate), Glycerin (glycerol), Iron filings, Moth balls (naphthalene), Hydrogen peroxide, Plaster of Paris (calcium sulfate), Table salt (sodium chloride), Sugar (sucrose), Starch, Vinegar (acetic acid), citric acid, ascorbic acid, TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) and plain chemical batteries (carbon rods and zinc and manganese dioxide).
I stored many of my chemicals in spice jars, they are a good size and cheap to come by. Well now I have some lab equipment, chemicals, work space, books and odds and ends. Time to do some experiments.
Starting To Put It Together
By now I have picked up a lot of items. I have built a 5 ft. x 2ft. work bench. (I will show you a diagram of the bench so you can put one together too) Underneath it I have placed an old night stand someone threw out. With other wood I built a book case and put shelves above the bench (these are made from bi-fold doors). I found 4 broken metal shelving units and made them into 2 full units.
All this was found while walking around my neighbourhood. I also found a couple of blenders. I want to turn one into a centrifuge. I will show pictures of this as I put it together.
Other things to collect: Jars and bottles, plastic, toys, milk and juice cartons (used for storage filing boxes), cardboard boxes, jugs, light bulbs(the old kind, these can used to make flasks and round bottom dishes), coat hangers, toothpicks, plastic tubing, soda straws, plastic squeeze bottles (dish washing soap), clothespins, plasticine, paper clips, foam meat trays, scotch tape, masking tape, duct tape, glass (from picture frames) and batteries (source of carbon rods and zinc and manganese dioxide). A lot of this I was able to collect from family and friends, some I picked up at the dollar store, which by the way has many items you can use in the lab.
Chemicals you can find at the Dollar Store, grocery store, drug store or hardware stores are:
Aluminum (foil), Ammonia (ammonium hydroxide), Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate),Borax (sodium borate), Bleach (Sodium hypochlorite), Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate), Glycerin (glycerol), Iron filings, Moth balls (naphthalene), Hydrogen peroxide, Plaster of Paris (calcium sulfate), Table salt (sodium chloride), Sugar (sucrose), Starch, Vinegar (acetic acid), citric acid, ascorbic acid, TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) and plain chemical batteries (carbon rods and zinc and manganese dioxide).
I stored many of my chemicals in spice jars, they are a good size and cheap to come by. Well now I have some lab equipment, chemicals, work space, books and odds and ends. Time to do some experiments.
All this was found while walking around my neighbourhood. I also found a couple of blenders. I want to turn one into a centrifuge. I will show pictures of this as I put it together.
Other things to collect: Jars and bottles, plastic, toys, milk and juice cartons (used for storage filing boxes), cardboard boxes, jugs, light bulbs(the old kind, these can used to make flasks and round bottom dishes), coat hangers, toothpicks, plastic tubing, soda straws, plastic squeeze bottles (dish washing soap), clothespins, plasticine, paper clips, foam meat trays, scotch tape, masking tape, duct tape, glass (from picture frames) and batteries (source of carbon rods and zinc and manganese dioxide). A lot of this I was able to collect from family and friends, some I picked up at the dollar store, which by the way has many items you can use in the lab.
Chemicals you can find at the Dollar Store, grocery store, drug store or hardware stores are:
Aluminum (foil), Ammonia (ammonium hydroxide), Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate),Borax (sodium borate), Bleach (Sodium hypochlorite), Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate), Glycerin (glycerol), Iron filings, Moth balls (naphthalene), Hydrogen peroxide, Plaster of Paris (calcium sulfate), Table salt (sodium chloride), Sugar (sucrose), Starch, Vinegar (acetic acid), citric acid, ascorbic acid, TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) and plain chemical batteries (carbon rods and zinc and manganese dioxide).
I stored many of my chemicals in spice jars, they are a good size and cheap to come by. Well now I have some lab equipment, chemicals, work space, books and odds and ends. Time to do some experiments.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Where To Begin
As you begin to create your lab there certain things you should try to have on hand. Get a computer, printer and a scanner. This will allow you to photocopy and print articles and papers you get from books and magazines from the library. The library should become your best friend. They will have many of the older and newer books on hand. You can order from one library to be sent to the library closest to you. Libraries also have yearly sales on books, you can pick up some great buys there. Two of the books on my list I found at a library sale, The Amateur Biologist and Biotechnology Projects for Young Scientists, They cost $2.00 each. You should try to have an Internet connection if possible. There is plenty of help on the Internet. Just reading this blog you have to have access to the Internet. Under my Useful Links category the Constructing Inexpensive Lab Equipment link takes you to a pile of PDF files that can help you with the construction of many pieces of lab equipment for Biology, Chemistry and Physics. I recommend you print them out or store the PDF files for later use, you never know when a site will go down. Therefore print out anything you find on the Internet.
Let family and friends know you are creating a new hobby, they will be a great help. When I told my parents that I was building a home lab again they told me they had some of my old books from before. They are The Amateur Scientist, which must be the bible for amateur scientists (it is old 1960, I would really like to attempt some of the projects, except using the materials found today), Explorations In Chemistry (which is a great book on learning chemistry), The Living Laboratory 200 Experiments for Amateur Biologists (wonderful experiments in animal biology) and Microbe Hunters (an excellent account of the beginning of microbiology). You can find more info about these books in the categories section of my blog.
One thing I do recommend is you start to walk around your neighbourhood on garbage days, you won't believe what you can find. I have found lots of wood to build shelves and tables, desks, chairs, wire, lots of computers, printers, VCR's, DVD players and many other electronics. Most computers are old but can be used for experiments to build scientific equipment such as sensors, etc(you won't have to worry about damaging these older machines). I found an old laptop and some software on the Internet and turned it into an oscilloscope, something I always wanted to play with but could not afford.
I am now well on my way to put together a pretty good start to my lab.
Let family and friends know you are creating a new hobby, they will be a great help. When I told my parents that I was building a home lab again they told me they had some of my old books from before. They are The Amateur Scientist, which must be the bible for amateur scientists (it is old 1960, I would really like to attempt some of the projects, except using the materials found today), Explorations In Chemistry (which is a great book on learning chemistry), The Living Laboratory 200 Experiments for Amateur Biologists (wonderful experiments in animal biology) and Microbe Hunters (an excellent account of the beginning of microbiology). You can find more info about these books in the categories section of my blog.
One thing I do recommend is you start to walk around your neighbourhood on garbage days, you won't believe what you can find. I have found lots of wood to build shelves and tables, desks, chairs, wire, lots of computers, printers, VCR's, DVD players and many other electronics. Most computers are old but can be used for experiments to build scientific equipment such as sensors, etc(you won't have to worry about damaging these older machines). I found an old laptop and some software on the Internet and turned it into an oscilloscope, something I always wanted to play with but could not afford.
I am now well on my way to put together a pretty good start to my lab.
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