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You should definitely do a workshop on glassware! That would be great. And also workshops on other aspects of chemistry of interest to you. I think there are a bunch of people who would show up for learning chemistry.<BR>
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Mitch.<BR>
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> Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:51:08 -0700<BR>> From: mlp@thesmartpolitenerd.com<BR>> CC: noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net<BR>> Subject: Re: [Noisebridge-discuss] Re: Draft Finance Policy<BR>> <BR>> Mitch Altman wrote:<BR>> > Though, the general feeling from discussions thus far (where I've been <BR>> > around) has been: if you bring something to Noisebridge, you should be <BR>> > OK with it breaking, or getting stolen, or otherwise becoming unusable. <BR>> > I'm not sure how we could handle it in other ways, unless the equipment <BR>> > in question is extremely valuable, in which case our insurance may be <BR>> > able to cover loss.<BR>> <BR>> Honestly, my concern is not so much "OMG that was my $150 Liebig <BR>> condenser!" as it is "oh shit, the condenser's broken and now nobody can <BR>> do a distillation or a reflux reaction."<BR>> <BR>> I won't be bringing anything of real sentimental value (eg the glassware <BR>> my dad bought for himself in college and then gave to me). I do expect <BR>> anything I bring in to get used and treated well (i.e., cleaned and put <BR>> back dry so that the next guy's reaction doesn't get contaminated), but <BR>> realistically, glass does break (or stuff gets charred onto the bottom <BR>> of it and can't be gotten off, &c). The situation I'm worried about is <BR>> where some expensive and key piece of glass gets broken and whoever <BR>> broke it can't afford to replace it, thus rendering the entire <BR>> collection mostly useless for everyone else. I have a mostly-complete <BR>> setup for one person, and don't have backups for a lot of my gear.<BR>> <BR>> I dunno, could we perhaps set aside $250 or so in an "emergency glass <BR>> breakage fund" to cover accidents, with people paying back into the fund <BR>> if they can't immediately replace a broken item? I also like Shannon's <BR>> idea of putting up a "cost to replace if broken" list, perhaps on the <BR>> glassware cabinet -- this can serve as an inventory as well.<BR>> <BR>> I could also give a little workshop on "lab glassware, how to use it, <BR>> and how to treat it and your lab-mates with respect". From experience, <BR>> when personal stress erupts in labs, it's usually due to people treading <BR>> on one another's toes with respect to equipment and reagents. You'd <BR>> think "don't take equipment from someone's reaction *while it's in <BR>> progress*" would be pretty obvious, but in practice ... it isn't.<BR>> <BR>> Oh, another thought -- a full set of microscale glassware can be had on <BR>> ebay for about $220. Some guy also has five very nice microscale kits in <BR>> his ebay store for $995 right now. Most of my kit is either 24/40 <BR>> standard taper (the size you probably worked with in high school) or <BR>> stuff that I've hacked to be 24/40-compatible with stoppers and tubing. <BR>> Microscale glassware is 14/10 standard taper, which is much smaller, but <BR>> it's just as easy to work with (in some ways easier -- you can do <BR>> reactions under inert atmosphere using nothing but a party balloon), is <BR>> *much* easier to store (a set comes in a sturdy plastic box with <BR>> protective foam inserts), and is cheaper to replace when things break. I <BR>> also have an organic chem lab manual which shows how to do do workups <BR>> for 24/40 scale, miniscale (19/22), and microscale equipment, and would <BR>> be happy to bring that in too.<BR>> <BR>> --mlp<BR>> _______________________________________________<BR>> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list<BR>> Noisebridge-discuss@lists.noisebridge.net<BR>> https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss<BR><BR></body>
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