I’ve been wanting to upgrade the storage in ChemHacker central for a while – but I haven’t found a good, sturdy storage unit that is large, can handle holding a lot of weight, and is chemically resistant.
Until now.
I found this old Faygo-labeled shelving unit in a nearby alley:
After a (lot of) cleaning, here it is holding tools and a wide assortment of chemicals in the underground ChemHacker Lab:
Now that I have Faygo-themed shelving, perhaps I should look into teaching Juggalos some f’ing Science?
This is an old article, but it’s still very relevant. The June 2006 edition of Wired Magazine has this article detailing the rise and fall of the garage chemist: Don’t try This At Home (here it is all on one page, but without all the pretty pictures).
The reason you should read this:
Taking chemicals and lab equipment away from kids who love science is like taking crayons and paints away from a kid who may grow up to be an artist.
[Links and resources after the jump] Read the rest of this entry »
A followup on the post on 12 cheap chemicals from the Hardware Store:
The drug store isn’t just a place to grab a prescription or hang out with a soda jerk (are there any soda jerks left?), you can get a lot of decent chemicals and supplies there too! Heck, there’s a reason why the old term for “pharmacist” is “chemist.”
The list after the jump:
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Ahh, the friendly neighborhood hardware store, purveyor of bits and bobs, nuts and bolts, rat traps and… high quality chemicals for next to nothing?
While we certainly recommend online stores like United Nuclear or Make’s Science Room for obscure, specialty, or high-purity chemicals, your local hardware store is brimming with loads of industrial-grade chemicals for surprisingly low prices.
First, a few quick pro tips:
- We have noticed that the big box stores (Home Depot and Lowes) often don’t have many or all of these chemicals, while the smaller mom-and-pop (or Ace) stores generally do. So don’t be shy, go introduce yourself to your local hardware store.
- In general, we have found that the more expensive, mainstream, or consumer-oriented an item’s packaging is, the more likely that there are dyes and fragrances added. Look for store brands, plain packaging, or items intended for commercial or professional use.
12 Cheap Chemicals From Your Local Hardware Store:
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I know I can’t start a discussion about at-home chemistry without mentioning the (in)famous Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments. Some overly dramatic people have called it a banned book – it isn’t, but it is a bit out of date and presents some experiments that aren’t exactly safe for unattended kids (or even adults) to perform.
Published in 1960 and updated in 1962 and 1963, and now widely available in pdf form on the internet, this book was an inspiration to many a home chemical tinkerer.
There are several basic safety flaws with the book that prevent me from recommending it as an experimental handbook. I found these in a 10-minute review:
- pipetting by mouth – a seriously bad no-no
- teaches you to make ammonia gas?!?!
- teaches you to make chlorine gas ?!!? seriously? WTF!!
- has you taste a weak NaOH solution – I prefer reading books that don’t try to poison me…
- shaking test tubes by putting your thumb over the opening and shaking – another bad no-no
- people sticking their fingers into boiling milk? what?
Things I do like about it:
- It is a great, concise (only 114 pages) background on basic chemical theory and history
- The majority of the experiments are good (but I disagree with the methods the authors use)
Homework assignment:
So, for homework, I assign everyone out there to skim through the Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments and find the most awesome examples of terrible safety and the most inspiring and interesting experiments and theories it discusses. Discuss in the comments…
Low resolution image of the Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments courtesy of Wikipedia.org
Update:
Arrgh, I can’t believe I just noticed that NO ONE in this book wears any safety gear. There are no gloves, goggles, aprons. These kids are doing chemistry in their Sunday best!!! I don’t think the author mentions anything about real fire extinguishers either (but they do talk about how fire extinguishers work…).
