Test tubes for DIY

[Lisa B]

I don't know if you have ever heard of anyone doing this, I did not read it anywhere but I got an idea when researching what I would need to diy. I ordered a peg type test tube rack and plastic test tubes with caps off ebay. The test tubes hold 5 ml, I use them for making 3 ml batches. They can't fall over when filling and when I am done mixing I put the caps on and shake them to mix them well before using the funnel to fill the bottle. I didn't want to write this down anywhere til I tried it a couple times. Then the bonus of the peg rack is I use it to dry my washed test tubes, caps, funnels and bottles. It works great for me, thought I would share it with you and see what you thought.

 

[banjo]

It sounds like a good idea to me, but I think that I would use glass tubes rather than plastic since they are easier to clean.

 

[NCC]

Looks to me like there are two glass tube with caps on the rack, and four inverted tubes at the back. She said plastic though. I'm guessing they're polycarbonate. That would clean pretty easily too.


EDIT: I've been using 50ml glass beakers for mixing. I rarely do more than a single mix in a sitting. For anyone interested in various lab hardware, ScienceLab is one good source.

 

[CJ in VA]

nice! i'm looking for a vintage test tube set right now. they are very expensive though. i definitely need to donate some more space to my hobby. Right now, I am using a hanging jewerly organizer in a closet. It works great, but would be better with a corner desk somewhere set up for this. I picture myself turning into an alchemist!
I like what you have!

 

[Lisa B]

I am using the glass tubes for now because of the cost of the investment when I wasn't sure how it would work. However I am not having any trouble cleaning them, I keep a container of soapy water close by, when I empty the test tube I soak it in the water right away. I leave the tubes and caps in the water for about half an hour then rinse them in hot water then invert them on the rack to dry. I may upgrade to glass in the future but for now this works really well.

I forgot to mention, I set the rack in a cake pan that is dedicated only to my diy so if anything spills it is contained. There is enough room to keep the rack and my bottle of nic juice, vg and flavorings. So I use my kitchen counter to do my mixing. I bought a new tackle box to keep my diy supplies.