Favorite "Lab" Tool

[photonic]

Hello,

What is everybody's favorite "tool" in their lab/workshop ?
The things I use most often are hot melt glue and my jigsaw and cordless drill. Hot glue will fix most anything.
Anyway, what are some other useful things to have around?

[Crow]

A grinder, in case things don't fit like you would like them to. After that, a radio. I can't sit in silence for long periods of time.

[10fingers]

A big hammer. :D

[chemwarrior]

Jigsaw, metal lathe (sp?), grinder, hammer :) , assorted electronic pieces (not really a tool, but really useful.), soldering (sp?) iron, various screwdrivers.

Those are just to name a few.

But I can NEVER forget my favorite little companion- My Zippo :D

[Tuatara]

My Mill-Drill. 300kgs of metal munching madness ...

[megalomania]

For me it's a close call between my large heating mantle, my magnetic stirrer, and my digital thermometer. I suppose I use the mantle more...

[NightStalker]

Every pyro has to have a Dremel tool...practically mandatory, it is. :D

[0EZ0]

Hmm favourite lab tool...

This topic reminds me of an old thread about everyone's 'most prized posession'. Back then I said my most prized posession was a home crafted glass filter funnel. Guess what, I think it still is my favourite :D .

Apart from that I have access to quite an array of workshop equipment. Lathes, saws, welders etc. Quite handy if I ever happen to use them at all :p .

If I ever had it, a remote control blasting machine would be nice :) ...

[frogfot]

Silicone sealent is a useful thingy, as hotglue. Then couple of multimeters is a must in every lab.
My fat 22A 9V transformer is still making me shiver :rolleyes:

[xyz]

Epoxy resin, hot glue, superglue, various screwdrivers, rubber coated hammer (no sparks), clamps, hacksaw, small sharp knives, scissors, multimeter (with built in digital thermometer), soldering iron, dowels, cardboard/PVC/metal tubing, gas camping stove, wire, plastic spoons, aluminium foil, airtight plastic containers of all shapes and sizes, teflon tape, duct tape, masking tape, and all my glassware.

[Mr Cool]

My fractionating column (made from an air condenser full of shattered glass), just because it's so shiny and pretty :) . Other than that, my favourite stuff is just glassware in general. Glass is cool.

[zeocrash]

My most prized objects in my lab, my gas mask (does anyone know about how well israeli gas masks work), and my heater, because it gets bloody cold in there in winter

[Jhonbus]

Zeocrash, I have the same mask as you. If it's with the standard charcoal filter (what I have) Then it's pretty much OK for any chemicals. It wouldn't stop biological agents, but I hope you're not making those in your lab anyway!

My favourite tools are my hot glue gun, and my multimeter. Also the set of about a jillion "uncommon" screwdrivers like torx sets and various ones found on security devices.

[Guerilla]

My favorite pyro related tools are at least, ball mill, ramming tools (with rammers, spindles, deathblow hammer etc), mortar&pestle for small small test amounts, drills, glassware.

Electrolysis stuff including the power supply, multimeter, electrodes (soon Pt anode :) ) and the cell itself are also useful..

<small>[ March 12, 2003, 03:29 PM: Message edited by: Guerilla ]</small>

[NERV]

My 1 liter vacuum still, large heating mantel, blow torch, hammer, epoxy putty, soldering iron, MOT (Microwave oven transformer), neon sign transformer (7500 volts), needle noes pliers, random screw drivers, almost all my glassware, and my stereo (I'd go insane without music). If my paycheck arrives soon I may have to add the cat converter I might be getting for 30 bucks.

[megalomania]

Israeli gas masks are not made to high specifications, so they can be either hit or miss depending on luck. Read that as they can work, but usually suck. For the masks to work they have to be properly fitted, something most people may neglect to do, and can be difficult if you don't know what you are doing. What do you expect for $10 when the next cheapest gas masks start at $200?

I have one, and it works OK in a pinch, but it does not compare to my full face respirator, or even my half face ones simply because I do not know what the filter is rated to exclude. I got the half face ones free from a lab because it was illegal for them to be used. Why? Because they have to be fitted to a person individually by a certified expert in mask fitting to be used. I know this seems rather strange (choosing to completly neglect a safety option that is right there because of some stupid law), but true. Rather than risk the liability of someone getting hurt by an improperly fitted mask, they would rather that person get hurt period :evil:

A real gas mask or respirator will have multiple color coded cartriges designed for certain chemicals or groups of chemicals. I would not use the Israeli one except for emergencies, or low level not-so-toxic vapors. One can get a half-mask respirator for $40 and up (not including cartriges at $10+ each) or a full face for $100 and up. The full face will of course protect your eyes from gasses.

[irish]

Hmm, I think my favorite tool's are my dremel and chainsaw <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />
I like all labware so I don't have a favorite but I use my very old glass test tubes the most.

my favorite "things" are my sport (showjumping) and my horses :) .

[Arkangel]

Coffee grinder, home designed/professionally made rocketry tools (and those on the way), rubber mallet, ball mill, a mate's band saw for cutting rocket tubes, leather gauntlets, apron and sleeves, body armour, welding mask and my sexy little Prince pocket torch - the best pyro lighter ever :)

[Jhonbus]

As far as I know, the actual mask part of the Israeli mask is fine (ie it doesn't leak, what else is there to consider?)
The mask does take standard NATO threaded cartridges, so if you can get hold of these (I don't know where, or how much they cost) You can probably make this mask a lot better than "as is" with the standard filter.

[photonic]

I would like to list my hotplate/magnetic stirrer as one of my favorite tools but I can't get the stirring part to work. That really pissed me off. Anyway, I just got a Fluke 179 DMM and it has been pretty useful.

Edit:
I'm really racking up on the tools this week. I went to a trade show today and got a set of cobalt/tungsten carbide drill bits. They have a lifetime warranty against loss or failure and they will drill hardeneded steel, glass, porcelain, wood, anything..
So, i thought i'd add them. They weren't too expensive either. 80 USD for 13 bits.

<small>[ March 14, 2003, 04:30 PM: Message edited by: photonic ]</small>

[kingspaz]

my favourite labtool is a balsa stick/spatula. its useful for scooping, scraping and lighting things with :)

[Ghostcustom 24]

My favorite lab tool would be my homemade mixer and my charcoal making thing (for lack of a better description) - nothing makes real wood charcoal faster! :p

[Mr Cool]

Ooh yes, I forget to mention random sticks and poky/proddy/pointy things. They're invaluable when tinkering with anything sticky or mushy.

[Madog555]

i have a computer in my lab9running slackware 8.1), so i guess thats my faviorite, but other than that i really like my ballance

[darkdontay]

Originally posted by 10fingers
A big hammer. :D

Seconded to Duct tape. 101 million uses for the stuff, waiting for the Duct Tape Messiah to come... :p

[bubbling_beaker]

i would say: disposable latex gloves-not tools but i like them anyways,pliers,angle grinder, and best of all my distiller.:D

[10fingers]

Other than my hammer I have a lot of favorite pieces of equipment. I just got a magnetic stirrer/hotplate, it makes distillations go much smoother and faster. Theres my 2 liter distillation setup with ground glass joints, vacuum pump that can get down to 5mm Hg, oxygen/acetylene torch, ball mill, mini grinder and triple beam balance.

[Bitter]

Gas masks ? I've got a massive collection. Are you referring to the army or the civilian model ? They're better quality than the Russian ones. As for the filters, it depends on what you want to filter...if it's going to be used for NBC warfare then I have to insist you buy new ones. If it's just for messing around with HCl or pesticides then the ones supplied with the mask should do. The masks and filters that can be bought from surplus stores are usually past their 'use by' date but probably still work to some extent. Check the filter for age- they're usually about 10+ years old.

[zylion]

my favourite labtool is the Buchi Rotavapor with a 4 liter flask attached, spinning in a nice oil bath producing tons of nitric acid. :D

[IPN]

My favorite labtools are my 400ml beaker and a glass stirring rod.

[CommonScientist]

I would have to say my glassware, which consists of, due to my limited resources, 2 125mL erlenmyer flasks, a 50mL beaker, 5 test tubes, and some watch glasses. I know, im deprived, but it makes you think of ways to make the most of them. My second favorite tool right now is my little policeman(a glass rod the size of a pencil) that I use to remove hardened crystals from containers, and stir stuff. Its a very multi-use tool.

[Hang-Man]

I find my little 100 ml beakers usefull, by crucibles, evaporating dish, etc. The sort of things I can do small scale rxns in :). I also love latex gloves, great for removing wet paper filters and stuff you wouldn't want to get on your hands. But the thing I use most? Safety glasses.

[Skean Dhu]

I narrowed it down to threse items: my 200g/0.1g My weigh scale, Small butane pocket torch with its 1300* flame makes fuses ignite instantly. simple 5-function(+, - , / , * , ^1/2)pocket calculator, and my newly aquired full length neoprene gloves(anyone know how to get silicon sealant off them?) I would list glassware but all I have are lowly cooking measuring cups(pyrex of course)

[vulture]

- Magnetic stirrer/hotplate with ceramic covering (Very nice when spilling HNO3)
- Exsiccator
- Soxhlet extractor
- separatory funnel

[Baughb]

My favorite lab tool isn't really a lab tool, but it occasionally has a use there. It sure as hell does in the field. SOG's Powerlock (http://www.sogknives.com/pwrlck.htm). It gets used on a daily basis, and unless I'm asleep it is always on me.

[ossassin]

I really like my alcohol burners. I haven't finished wiring my dark little lab for electricity yet, so the cheapest way to light it is with the burners. They put out an eerie light.

I also love my glassware. I think that's because when I was little, I used to watch those mad scientist movies with the exotic glass. :)

[roux]

being an ameture blacksmith, my hammer

[Dead mAn Walkin]

I'd have to say the most useful equipment in my lab is all the saftey equipment.
-Differend kinds of rubber gloves. Latex painters gloves if i'm feelin lazy.
-AOSaftey half-face gas mask. I use R53He-P100 cartridges. (organic vapors, chlorine, hydrogen chloride, sulfur dioxide, chlorine dioxide, and hydrogen fluoride with a P100 particulate filter which is effective against all solid & liquid aerosols (99.97% filter efficiency level)
-Saftey glasses and goggles
-face sheild
-Thick welding gloves

I think almost every ameratuer and advanced chemist alike should list their saftey equipment as there most used and favorite "tool".
Without these things I sure wouldn't be around any of the hazardous chemicals we all use everytime we practice our hobby.

[Mumble]

I'd either have to go with my 200 x .01g scale or my vaccum distillation apparatus. I'm going with my scale for the moment. A vaccum distillation apparatus isn't much with a broken condenser. The male end was broken off. I can still use it to consense(the jacket is fine) but refluxing is extremely difficuly with ground glass joints and no male end. My scale gets more use anyway

I'm quite a fan of my gas mask as well. May have saved my life on more than one occasion. My shiny new beakers are beautiful, but they will soon be tarnished with chemicals and markings. It's just time consuming to get them back to their original flawless shinyness, expecially when I'll just yuck them up again.

[scarletmanuka]

I would have to say either my scales or my new hand held butane torch with peizo igniter, it may not be all that practical, but the novelty hasn't worn off yet. The indespensible bic is very practical for burn tests, lighting fuse etc.. The two hundred pack of wooden skewers can is the most poly purposed. Use it for prodding, stirring, igniting( dip the end in wax and use like match), burn tests (put two side by side, and scoop up compositions in the groove, sticks for rockets and impregnating with KNO3 for slowmatch. Mortar and pestle, the experimenters neccesity. Obviously there are the vitals like beakers and the such, but they have no real novelty value for me.

[T_Pyro]

Aah! For me, I think it would be my Lego Technic set, useful for making improvised instruments (centrifuge, scales, stirrer etc.) Next would be a handy set of magnetic screw-drivers, indispensable for taking things apart (and putting them together again!). Nothing else is special to me, because either they don't last long enough for me to get better acquainted with, or they're too common-place.

[tmp]

Glassware. I have 2 1000 ml retorts that were hard to find. But my main
focus is on condensers(currently I have 9 of them). I got outbid on eBay
by a sniper for a unusal Metroware condenser. I haven't got a clue as to
how the thing would be used but I thought it would make a nice chemisty
collection piece.

BTW, Vulture, what was the cost of your soxhlet extractor ?

[CommonScientist]

tmp -
Are you a glassware connesure(sp?). It seems as if you collect glasware for its rareity. Damn, you must be rich!

[tmp]

I wish the hell I was rich ! As it is, I work 2 jobs and, on occasion,
I'll have some extra money to increase the variety and quantity of
my glassware. BTW, my 1st purchase on eBay was the 2 retorts.
I limit their application to producing nitric acid. These things are
harder than hell to find at a reasonable price. The condensers are
still my favorites. I generally use only the liebigs or grahams for
actual lab work. I'm still looking for that Metroware condenser.
I lost twice to bidding snipers on eBay. BASTARDS ! My glassware
would easily go into thousands of dollars as I have accumulated
it over the years. Recently, I added a vacuum pump and 2 filtration
flasks(500 & 1000 ml respectively) for aluminum powder making.

[tom haggen]

I just got my israeli civilian gas mask, Its supposed to be effective against N.B.C. agents. So far thats my favorite lab tool but my lab is still small and it will soon be replaced by a new favorite.

[blindreeper]

Favorite tool? But there are so many? Probably duct tape :) Used for so many things, after that would be my 500x0.1g scale followed by 250ml beakers! 250ml is THE most useful size they come, I love them!

[CommonScientist]

tmp- want to share?lol.
I need some glassware like mad, so untill I can get my lasy bro to bid for me on e-bay, I just have to sit around and dream of my $3000 chemisrty set, complete with basics, including some extras.;)

I doubt that anyone on this forum is severly rich, like they make close to a million a year. Im certainly not:p

[Jackal919]

I'd say my Leatherman Wave is probably my most used and my favorite lab tool.

We need to have a "What's your favorite chemical thread?".

[vulture]

Tmp, my soxhlet extractor cost me 28€, shipping included.

It came with a 1L NS 29/32 round bottomed flask, the soxhlet extractor and a NS34 "intensive" (liebig & dimroth in one) reflux condensor which fits the extractor.

I'd also like to point out that a snake cooler should not be used for refluxing, as the destillate will be shot out of the top by hot gasses.

Ebay is a fairly good place to buy cheap glass, certainly if you know some sellers that have the good stuff and can be trusted. I was lucky to find 2 of them.

Commonscientist, how old are you?

[Chemiboy]

i find beakers and distillers pretty useful. they help me with most of my stuff. :cool:

[CommonScientist]

Vulture- Can I give you a PM?
I just bought a set of 7 beakers:
25ml
50ml
100ml
250ml
400ml
600ml
1000ml

All for $24.95 + $9.00 S&H =$33.95. From ebay.

[Jacks Complete]

For me, it has got to be my Swiss Army "Champ". Just 4 bits, excluding the lanyard, and really cool case, yet about a million uses. I always have a pen, and a knife, saw, awl, punch, pliers, magnifier, screwdrivers, even a thing for getting stones out horses hooves! I try not to use it as a centerpunch... Had my first one for years, and the replacement travels everywhere with me, in a smart new case with compass, etc. that I picked up in Switzerland last year. It is a great improvised toolkit for when you can't find or can't be bothered looking for the full sized one. Makes a great improvised 'duster, too.

As for the coolest thing recently, it has got to be the automatic turret reloading press. Three dies, a powder thrower, four tubes to feed brass in, bullet guide, primer feeder, everything! Just set it up, and crank the handle, and just watch as that .44 goodness pops off the chute at the other end! Switch die sets, and look, it's .38! As a thing of mechanical beauty, it is up there with my .44 and my car - but I don't count them as lab equipment!

[Acrolein]

This may sound wierd, but my favorite lab tool would have to be the mercury thermometer.

[Cobalt.45]

My "favorite" would be a small, hand etched beaker. Totally cool, totally useless.

"Most useful" is a toss-up between my Dremel (with that super handy flex shaft and 16 jillion bits for it), digital scale, ball mill, Hexacon soldering iron (totally puts an Ungar to shame) and my X-Acto knives.

Oh, and a Fisher "Spoonula". The shits for scooping, stirring and the like.:cool:

[JouMasep]

Love all of my stuff, but my fave must be the Mettler PC 440 precision balance 400g / 1mg –it’s old but works like new.

Picked it up for the equivalent of $70 at a 2nd hand store. It had a sticker from the calibration lab on it but I have never been able to fault it. So I reckon it was failed due to “being older than xyz years”.

Weirdest thing is that not long before that another Mettler (even older, less capacity) of mine did conk out on me for good.

I mourned heavily because I thought I’d never have such a fine instrument again. Then I saw the PC 440 with the ridiculous price tag in a shop window!

Also have one of those antique brass microbalances in a glass/mahogany case, but that became quite obsolete of course….