Hints, Tips, and Equipment Experiences

[Bubbleplate]

Forget using Plastic Keck clips to hold glassware together! They warp, expand, fall off, and melt at high "boiling oil" temps. I've switched to the metal ones and will never use anything else. They're pricey ($6.00 each) but like a good gold watch, you'll have it forever.
I've found that the Black Hot Water hoses as used for washing machine hookups are the perfect size for attaching to the water inlets on condensers. Cut the fitting off one end, put clamp on condenser inlet, slide hose on, tighten clamp, done! Plus since the hose is for hot water, will stand up to the occasional brush against a hotplate. The Stainless steel hoses look even better, although have yet to try.
Pick up some "self fusing Silicon Rubber tape". This stuff is incredible. Great for wrapping around glass stoppers so they don't pop out and hit you in the eye. Wrap a layer or two around stopper or glass joint, and as glassware heats up, the stuff fuses together and forms a rubber-band like seal. Good to 300 C. and 700 PSI. Lookfor it in electrical supply shops and hardware stores.
Old Asbestos house shingles are great for putting under Hotplates and heating mantles. A neighbor was putting new aluminum siding on his house and tearing off the old shingles. Grabbed a bunch. Re-cycle!
If they drive God from the earth, we shall shelter Him underground - Dostoevsky

[epistemologicide]

re cycle  or else
hatred of ontological wastes, and the marathon!!!!
i cook to save the planet!!

[netdiablo]

Actually, I've found that hardware stores around by me sell rubber tubing, just like you would see it in any other lab, for a couple bucks per ten feet or something like that. No hacking necessary, as all your glassware (condensers, etc) is already designed to work with it.  It works pretty nicely. I've been careful to route it around my mantle or any hot glassware, but I can say that the end of my water outlet tube in the sink has stood up pretty well to all sorts of solvents, acids, and bases being dumped on it while in the process of washing out glass...

Speaking about black hoses and being on the topic of equipment hints, I've found that a laboratory sink can be concocted quite easily using a length of hose. Just go to the hardware store and get some hose that will more or less fit around the nozzle on your sink. While you're in the hardware aisle, they should sell little plastic hose barbs with screw threads on the other end to mate to a pipe. Grab one of these that matches the size of the rubber tubing I mentioned above (3/8 in OD? can't remember exactly) and some of those screw actuated compression fittings/tie wraps (the metal ones where the diameter gets smaller as you turn the screw more). Use one of the tie wraps to fasten the hose to the nozzle on your sink, and use another tie wrap to fasten the plastic hose barb to the hose. Presto! I've used a sink rigged like this to run my condenser for months, and I have never had it come apart or leak.

I've mostly been using stiff wire to hold on my stoppers while refluxing and so forth which generally works pretty well if one is careful to REALLY tether the stopper. The silicon tape sounds like a good idea -- is it difficult to remove from the glass when you are finished, or does it leave much residue?

[Bubbleplate]

The Silicon tape doesn't leave any residue whatsoever. It's stretchy like a rubber band (comes in Black and Red that I've seen) and when you want to secure say, a glass stopper, you cut a length, and stretch it as you wrap it on for a snug fit. I've used it on around my Thermometers to make sure they're gas-tight, and in place of Keck clips. Also to secure steam hose in place. And it really stands up to hot glass temps well - it will kinda "melt" to itself, but not to anything else (cause its Silicon!) The only downside is that its not re-useable if exposed to high temps; I've been able to "unwind" it carefully and re-use from low temp stuff, but if you let it fold on itself it will stick together and thats the end of it.
Keep a roll in my car if I ever get a hole in a hose or vacuum line!
If they drive God from the earth, we shall shelter Him underground - Dostoevsky

[Precursor2112]

where do you get it???

Also I use a Hi-Temp silicon based lube to seal my glass (or well swim does, I have no glass)  It works better than vaseline (what a joke vaseline is for a high temp distill)

Anything I can get sans-chem-supplier OTC?
Diversion?  What diversion?  To who?  To where?  What were we talking about again?

[raffike]

I've heard that teflon tape is very good for ground glass joints.
A friend with speed is a friend indeed

[Barium]

Yes. It´s superb for those instances where you for some reason cannot grease the joints.