Most useful 'tool'?

[NoltaiR]

On a normal saturday, I would have spent my morning tinkering with my latest toy (which at the moment is a cannon that fires either one shot at a time or based on a roman candle style shot in which up to 15 shots fire about .5 seconds after each other) but an artic wind blew in a few days ago and us texas people usually aren't very friendly around the sudden change to cold wheather ;)

So anyways I spent my morning cleaning out my 'lab' which is actually just the large bottom drawer in my room that is supposed to be for clothes but I have emptied it out and put all my chems (except for my acids which I keep in an outside building and my bulk chems like my KNO3 and NH4NO3 which are in 50 pound bags) and tools that I use to mix, pulverize, melt, and everything else.

Although the main thought crossing my mind was 'I am in sore need to restock', the other thought was that although I have so many little 'tools' that I use (both things I have bought from stores, taken from my old high schools stockroom, and made myself) for my chems, almost all my work is focused around my coffee grinder--probably because of my latest toy that I spoke of earlier--. (And this is also assuming that containers such as test tubes and beakers don't count as tools)

I mean I could lose any of the other tools and I could probably do without for a while until I got another or had the time to make another, but the coffee grinder I use everyday.

So the point to this topic is, do the rest of you seem to focus all your work around one or two specific tools, or do you use them all about the same?

[PYRO500]

the most used tool depends on what you mainly do, I am assiming you mix/grind thigs to a powder mainly right?

[MacCleod]

I mainly tinker with smoke and pyrotechnic compositions,which I test in small batches,so I rely a lot on my morter and pestle.For bulk grinding jobs I use a household blender,then use the coffee grinder when I need a finer powder (saves wear and tear on the coffee grinder).

[Mr Cool]

This makes me sound really boring - the things I use most in my lab are a filter funnel, and a tray to dry things on. Oh, and a spatula or spoon.

[DBSP]

My four favourites are: 1) my knife since it can be used for an infinte number of things. 2) the plier allso has a large number of uses. 3) my mixer, relly speeds up the pulverisation of AN and such. 4)coffe filters. :D

[0EZ0]

I recently constructed a filtering funnel made of glass. It is very usefull indeed :D Already it is my most used tool! Although if i had a distilling aparatus then i'm quite certain that it would become my most used tool :D Anyone know where i could get one in Australia? Price at the moment is likely to be a problem though :(

[mongo blongo]

I would have thought weighing scales would be the most used equipment for us?
I always use my improvised buchner(sp?) filter for filtering stuff.
I use an inverted iron for a hot plate quite a lot.
I use lots of stuff, mainly improvised lab equipment.

[ALENGOSVIG1]

Yeah my distillation apparatus is my most usefull tool. second is my coffee grinder.

You can get a distillation apparatus here: http://www.unitedglasstech.com/

check, out there ebay auctions. they are almost always selling a full 24/40 setup for around 125 us.

[0EZ0]

Thanks ALENGOSVIG1 i will check it out :) Geez they have go some nice setups at united glass tech. 24/40 setup $350 US. Not too bad :D High price is to be expected for a new setup like that. :(

[ALENGOSVIG1]

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1710437407

135 US. they used to be 125 US on ebay but that was a year or two ago. They are alot more from other places and the quality of these are real good.

[0EZ0]

Thanx again ALENGOSVIG1!! Complete 24/40 kit for $135 US. Big help!
Cheers

[ 03 March 2002: Message edited by: 0EZ0 ]

[Demolition]

I would have to say it all depends on what you are doing.
A coffee grinder is great for powdering large amounts of AN in a few minutes,where as a mortar and pestle is good for grinding KMnO4 and the such for smaller compositions.
I believe good glassware would be the most useful tool in an improvised lab.

[CommonScientist]

"I believe good glassware would be the most useful tool in an improvised lab."
I agree very much so , but then, my lab, if you could call it that, has a whole the size of all the major glassware in it. :(

[Ropik]

Cofee grinder, beakers, cofee filters. First for LE, second and third for "moving up" :)

[senjoronie]

Heating mantles/variac. They make the distiller, soxhlet setup, and reflux setups much safer and easier to use.

[aikon]

The most useful tool in my little lab is the vacuum distillation setup.
The aspirator is homemade (thank's to frogfot for his incredible design) and the glassware cost about 25€ at a flea market.

[CommonScientist]

Well, that post I made in here was a while ago, my favorite tools in the lab are: scissors, knife, needlenose pliars, and my set of beakers - I do a hell of a lot with them. Well, I guess I should say, all of my glassware, its pretty handy.

I got a pic here somewhere, ill post it sometime soon.

[Bugger]

(cut)
So anyways I spent my morning cleaning out my 'lab' which is actually just the large bottom drawer in my room that is supposed to be for clothes but I have emptied it out and put all my chems (except for my acids which I keep in an outside building and my bulk chems like my KNO3 and NH4NO3 which are in 50 pound bags) and tools that I use to mix, pulverize, melt, and everything else.

Although the main thought crossing my mind was 'I am in sore need to restock', the other thought was that although I have so many little 'tools' that I use (both things I have bought from stores, taken from my old high schools stockroom, and made myself) for my chems, almost all my work is focused around my coffee grinder--probably because of my latest toy that I spoke of earlier--. (And this is also assuming that containers such as test tubes and beakers don't count as tools)
(cut)

What a hazardous existence! You had better be careful that sparks from electrical appliances in your bedroom do not set those chemicals off!

Bugger.

[Sci Researcher]

My latest most useful tool is my scientific scale. It helped me weigh out my chemicals so I can develop a variety of solutions and calculations. :)

[#1-N-B-killer]

In order my most useful tools are; glassware, scale, hot plate, thermometer and my coffee grinder. With these tools I’m able to make so many wonderful things, I cannot choose my most useful piece of equipment because without any of these tools I would be lost!

[Joeychemist]

The most usefull piece of equipment I use is my computer and the collected knowledge of the forum members I get from it.Without the knowledge of the hive I would be forced to learn about all this great stuff in a classroom,and I know for a fact I still wouldn't learn as much.(Been there done that).I am gratefull and apreciative for all the Mods,Admins and respected elder members who make it possable for me to learn from the best.Thanks. :)