B
MATERIALS
I purchased all the lab supplies from Avogadro’s
Lab Supply ( avogadroslabsupply.com).
CAUTION: Use only brand-new lab equipment.
Used glass can contain seriously scary things
that can kill you.
1000ml Florence flask, Pyrex or Kimax brands only
aka round bottom flask or boiling flask
Rubber stopper sized for Florence flask
Mine was a #8.
1000ml Griffin beaker
4mm O.D. glass tubing, 12" length
Glycerin
Latex connection tubing, 2" length
Thistle tube with 4mm tube O.D., 1½" funnel mouth
Cloth filter I used a Yama vacuum pot filter from sweetmarias.com/ prod.brewers.vacuum.shtml.
Rod stands ( 2)
4-fingered clamp for Florence flask
Tube clamps ( 2)
Butane burner
Stopwatch or other timer
Grease pencil or crayon
Optional: Flask tongs, cork flask stand, pouring funnel
TOOLS
Drill or stopper borer to create a 4mm hole
Thick leather gloves for heating and bending glass
Safety goggles
C
Build It
1. Wash the glassware with a small amount of dish
soap and warm water.
2. Assemble your stands and clamps as shown
in Figure A on page 63. Put the burner, Florence
flask, and Griffin beaker in place. To connect the
2 vessels, you’ll need to put two 90° bends in the
glass tubing. Measure the height of your Florence
flask, then add 3". This is the length from one end
of your glass tubing to the first bend. Place a mark
there with a grease pencil or crayon. Measure the
distance between your tubing clamps. This will be
the distance between the two 90° bends. Mark this
distance from the first bend on the tubing.
3. Turn your butane burner on high heat, don your
gloves (or optional mad scientist gauntlets), then
place the glass rod at the first bend mark. Roll the
tube in the flame, putting gentle pressure on it so
you can tell when it begins to soften. When it’s soft
enough, gently bend it to 90°. I’d never done this
before this project, and it sure is fun!
CAUTION: Wear thick leather gloves and long
sleeves when bending or inserting glass tubing.
Make: 65
