PDA

View Full Version : You DO NOT get extra credit for blowing up the lab - Chem resources for Homeschoolers




tangent4ronpaul
01-27-2011, 09:44 PM
Homeschoolers, parents of scientifically inclined kids or just people that like to mess with this stuff, should find these resources helpful.

Makers Shed sale: This sale should end Midnight on the 31th, 2011 You don't see that kind of discount often - it turns $300 orders into a $65 order. (75% off)

http://www.makershed.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=135&Click=74648&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Maker+Shed+Jan+19+2011&utm_content=Maker+Shed+Jan+19+2011+Version+B+CID_5 3ddb0134383cc21723c7cde8928bff5&utm_source=Email+Campaign&utm_term=Science+Products

Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture (DIY Science) [Paperback]
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0596514921/ref=asc_df_05965149211408901/?tag=nextagus0054815-20&creative=395021&creativeASIN=0596514921&linkCode=asn

Here's Robert Thompson giving a talk on the demise of the chemistry set:

http://blip.tv/file/1040283

His book is the standard right now and he has a web site to support it:

http://homechemlab.com/

See the things at the bottom - first he has a newsletter that I don't think he's writing any more of, but it has a good series of making chemicals from chemicals via cross conversion.

Next is a page on equipment and supplies - some places have put together kits of labware and chemicals to go along with the book. One was Makers Shed, and their lack of listing and his starting his own supply co may be a liquidation sale on Makers Shed's part - hence the really good prices. It also lists sources I didn't.

Lastly, he has a message forum to go along with the book.

Another good book is the Golden Guide of Chemistry Experiments - hopelessly out of print and going for about $200 used, it can be found on BitTorrent for free.

Mountain Home Biological
http://www.pelletlab.com/

http://www.elementalscientific.net/ (Slow shipper, HUGE selection! - decent prices)

American Science and Surplus www.sciplus.com

Forest City Surplus - www.fcsurplus.com/science/labtools.htm

Home Training Tools - www.hometrainingtools.com/

Fantastic resource for locating places that sell chemicals:
http://www.hyperdeath.co.uk/ Click on "Readily Available Chemicals"

http://www.unitednuclear.com/supplies.htm

This next one sells the closest thing to a 1960's era chem set still available:
http://www.thamesandkosmos.com/products/chem/chem2.html
about:
"One of the few companies still selling chemistry sets worthy of the name is a German-American venture called Thames & Kosmos, run by former Adobe software engineer Ted McGuire. The company’s top-of-the-line kit, the C3000, is equipped with a full complement of test tubes, beakers, pipettes, litmus paper, and more than two dozen useful compounds. But even the C3000, which retails for $200, comes with a shopping list of chemicals that must be purchased elsewhere to perform certain experiments. “A lot of retailers are scared to carry a real chemistry set now because of liability concerns,” McGuire explains. “The stuff under your kitchen sink is far more dangerous than the things in our kits, but put the word chemistry on something and people become terrified.”

http://www.nitrogenorder.org/news.shtml
see in particular this page:
http://www.nitrogenorder.org/lessons/household.shtml

This organization serves as a virtual co-op to allow it's members to buy small quantities of chemicals and glassware. Their store is currently being rebuilt and may be down through maybe AUgust 2006.
http://www.sas.org/

http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/

http://www.sciencemadness.org/

http://www.makezine.com/

http://dorkbot.org/

http://www.scifair.org/

most of those should work...

Do compare prices - they vary a lot!

hope that helps,

-t

Roxi
01-28-2011, 01:41 AM
Thanks!! Most helpful considering my daughter has a science fair coming up in March!!