My Pseudo Extraction Gadget

[ampdup]

Howdy Y'all, I have been diggin through these tombs of knowledge fer hours an hours, and although a NooBee by website standards, hear me now and listen to me later...I'm here to pump you up.

Ok enough horseshit.  I wanted my 1st post to be a meaningful one, and maybe help some other fellow old heads along in the war against the sandman.  I was sitting in my chair watchin my pirahna do laps after a terrified goldfish while my filters went drip drip drip beside me, and just then it hit me like a ton of lead.  Why am I wasting all this friggin time and energy?  My Gawd, the answer was there starin me in the face all this time.  All that time wasted when I could be chasin the bee! (got the bastard)  Quickly, I jumped into the old Ford and raced to my local Pet Shop.

There I purchased a Power Filter 10, like the one below:



Then I went to the hardware store and got me a gallon of denatured alcohol, then to the grocery store, and grabbed a pack of coffee filters and a package of cheesecloth.  Many many stops later, I had enough pills for a batch, so back to the batcave!

crunch crunch crunch went the pills, and into a clean jar with about a pint or so of the Alcohol. Shaken everytime I walked by the fridge for between 1-2 hours.  Pour off the top layer (dont worry about getting it all) and refill with alcohol (I do it 4 times)

When I had enough liquid (usually after the 2nd pour)I took the power filter and removed all the sections of inlet pipe, and got a high sided pyrex baking dish. (5X9 quart or liter dish to be exact) and hooked the filter on the side. I put the dish on a couple books so the whole contraption sat level. Then I filled the holding tank of the power filter (to prime the pump) with the pseudo fluid and poured the rest into the dish, I got it balanced just right, so the inlet pipe was almost, but not quite, touching the bottom of the dish.  Then I took the plastic frame (that the actual filter was supposed to go on), and wrapped it a few times with the cheesecloth. This I inserted it into the filter's holding tank and I plugged in the cord. Away it went. 
   
When the liquid was flowing nicely, I sat back and chased the bee for about 10 minutes. Then, I unplugged the gadget and pulled up the filter.  It was nearly clogged with pill garbage. I wrapped the holder again, this time with a bit more cloth, and so on, for a total of about 30 mins. (or 3 times). Then I switched to the coffee filters. These had to be changed more often at first, but by the end of the 2nd 1/2 hour, the liquid was flowing effortlessly through them.

I noticed as I was changing the filters, that a bit of pill sediment was gathering at the bottom of the holding tank, and in one corner of the dish.  Carefully, so not to disturb that nasty junk, I poured off all of the squeaky clean liquid.

I cleaned up the gizmo with distilled water and wiped it all down.  The remaining liquid from the pill jar was ready by now, so I poured it off and put it into the filtering doo-hickey, just like the 1st time.  Rinse and repete.

While the filter thingamajig was working on the 2nd half, I put the clean pseudo-liquid into a large, shallow pryex dish. (The bigger the better). I propped one end of the dish up so it sat about 1/2 inch higher than the other and the liquid gathered in one end.  I whipped up a tripod for a hair dryer, which I pointed at the lower end where the liquid was pooled.  When I turned on the dryer, it kinda forced the liquid up and away, until gravity took back over and it ran back down into the pool. I never use the micro wave or stove to reduce my pseudo.  I always heat it too long and end up burning a little, plus I think it gives it a funny taste,(maybe psycological), but this way doesnt take much longer and it's idiot proof. Just let it go to town until all the alcohol has evaporated and there is nothing left but crystals.

And thats it.  No other washes or filtering needed. When it is all said and doneyou have some nice, dry, white, CLEAN, pseudo crystals to work with in one step (well, two), AND with only minimum supervision.

Not too shab-bee for a NooBee.  Maybe I'll break out photoshop and make some plans later, if anyone is interested.  It's not as hard  or complicated as I probably have made it sound.

(edited to correct the spelling and grammar, AND change the never ending marathon sentences)

[geezmeister]

This is an interesting approach to ghetto filtration. I am not particularly interested in pursuing it, since I tend to favor a/b extraction rather than alcohol extraction, (and I suspect you find out why soon enough as it is.) For the ghetto enthusiast who loves to tinker, this might be fun for awhile.

I do think you would find yourself better served by spending the money for a buchner funnel and some filter paper, a filter flask, and a rudimentary vacuum pump. The latter could be the hand held, auto parts store type, as it comes with solvent resistant valves. I think you will find vacuum filtration hard to beat for the types of filtering you are interested in. The chemists who have been tinkering with stuff like this for years pretty much have the better methods scoped out, and while it is fun to reinvent the wheel and tinker with your new hobby, I think it will pay you in the long run to invest in some honest filtration equipment and some real lab glass.

I learned over time to pay attention to what people already knew, and I profited from the realization that I did not need to reinvent anything. I don't mean to downplay your idea; I just want to encourage you to try some tried and true equipment now rather than months from now. It sure prevents you from banging your head against the wall the way I did when I realized how well some easily acquired equipment worked.

[ampdup]

Oh believe me, I would LOVE to have one of the set ups that I have been reading about and droolin over the pictures.  My trouble isn't money and I'm sure that sooner or later I'll be able to grasp the chemistry end, I'm not a total moron.  The main issue I have is where to keep the stuff once I get it. I mean, lab glass and actual filtration systems are what they are, and I'm not sure how I would explain some of the chemicals and why I need them. The one thing my ghetto setup has going for it, is that when I'm done with the stuff, I can toss the powerfilter and the hoses into a box with the rest of my aquarium stuff, stick the alcohol and acetone in with all my furniture restoring stuff, refined powders and product stuffed away in bottles and tucked into the medicine cabnet and spice rack, pillboxes, the trash and such either never enters the house or is easily disposed of,....you know the drill.  The beauty of my system is that it's invisible.  Each part is neatly camoflauged in amoungst my day to day activities, so it looks like it belongs there. 

No, I don't live with my Mom, but I do have some traffic in my small house that definately wouldn't be cool with it, and others still that might be O.K. with it, but could possibly pose a security risk.  We ARE talking about my freedom here.  There ain't no amount of stuff that's worth 10 years in the Pen. 

I do make beautiful product, however, with the skills that were shown to me. And although I am having to use "ghetto" techniques (for now), I take my time and make sure EVERYTHING is just right.  I don't cut corners and never begin a task unless I know I will have enough time alone to accomplish it without having to rush and hurry. (and of course...time for breaks to chase the bee)Seriously, there is nothing left to chance.  Loose ends will hang you if you aren't careful.

So for now, I wait. I read. And I learn.  I take the cotton out of my ears and stick it in my mouth and soak in all the info that you and the others that have so much more experience are generously making available to me. I incorperate everything that I can into my method, and store away the things that I can't use yet, but will try to use ASAP. 

I will, one day, be in the situation to be able to stretch out a bit and use all of what I am learning.  But NOT one minute before I can do it with confidence and SAFELY. 

I was a Marine Corps sniper back in the 80s and still maintain a high level of discipline and respect when it comes to matters as important as this.  And of course....I am very patient.  So I read.  And learn.  This is important and definately has my attention and RESPECT.

That, and I'm a tweaker.

Would it be considered out of line to post my method for critique?

[SHORTY]

A buchner funnel looks just like many funnels found in the kitchen.  But with all that patience why do you need a powerhead filter.  What about mechanical losses.

Actually, it doesn't really matter because for most bees a alcohol extraction is a thing of the past due to the latest additives in most pills.

[amalgum]

Just ten easy payments of 99.95, and get your patented meth lab with ephedrine extractor*.

*sold separately

By spunco

[ampdup]