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.