I remember going to Corregidor Island as a kid in the 60's, we also drove a portion of the death march route - small white crosses everywhere.
It was very solemn.
It was very solemn.
Random Jabber Jibber thread
- Thread starter mr sunshine
- Start date
Fadedawg
Well-Known Member
Alas, they provide no tech sheets or brand name, so I will be speaking in generalities about the differences between cheap and top of the line rotovapes.
First is glass wear. The expensive stuff is typically thicker and has been fully solution annealed after forming, to eliminate residual stresses. The thin residual stressed stuff works, it is just more fragile. Are replacement parts readily available?
Fit and finish of the tapered seals may not be as precise on cheaper units but not typically a major problem. Make sure they use standard tapers.
The rotary union seal is a high wear item and the principle limitation on the vacuum level you are able to obtain. Are those parts available?
The motor and gears rotating the flask are the next wear item.
Check the voltage and make sure it is 120VAC, vis a vis the 220VAC currently used in China.
The better rotovapes use PID heat controllers vis a vis simple thermostat.
I suggest contacting the seller and getting more information about the specifications.
manfredo
Well-Known Member
Thanks, I have contacted a few. I'm guessing the rotary union seal is not available.
The brand is Taishi but can't find anything about They are 110 volt though, decent glass from what i have read.
Thing is a USED or reconditioned Bucci is like $2600 for a comparable model, with a 30 day warranty.
We'll see if I get any response from my inquiries with the Ebayers!!
manfredo
Well-Known Member
@Fadedawg @cannabineer @Aeroknow
So I'm gonna get one. If it lasts a year I'll be happy, and if it's a POS I'll return it within 30 days. Quite a few have been sold with positive reviews, and I didn't find any negative reviews. Many commented they were surprised at the quality of the glass.
I have some free time the next 6 weeks then I get busy for June so I'd like to experiment.
I'm wondering what other equipment I might need for making cart oil / dewaxing? ( I need to get back to reading my lab book)
I'm wondering if i should also get a basic distillation set like I was looking at before...and if I'll need a heated magnetic stirrer setup?
Again, this is for personal use so I can't spend a ton of money getting started...Plus there's the major factor that I have zero lab experience and it could be a total failure.
So I'm gonna get one. If it lasts a year I'll be happy, and if it's a POS I'll return it within 30 days. Quite a few have been sold with positive reviews, and I didn't find any negative reviews. Many commented they were surprised at the quality of the glass.
I have some free time the next 6 weeks then I get busy for June so I'd like to experiment.
I'm wondering what other equipment I might need for making cart oil / dewaxing? ( I need to get back to reading my lab book)
I'm wondering if i should also get a basic distillation set like I was looking at before...and if I'll need a heated magnetic stirrer setup?
Again, this is for personal use so I can't spend a ton of money getting started...Plus there's the major factor that I have zero lab experience and it could be a total failure.
Chunky Stool
Well-Known Member
Did you know that there are different types of powdery mildew? Some like high RH and some like it dry.
Personally, I think the dry type of PM is worse. Spreads like wildfire in the wind...
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
Keep a dozen seals on hand.@Fadedawg @cannabineer @Aeroknow
So I'm gonna get one. If it lasts a year I'll be happy, and if it's a POS I'll return it within 30 days. Quite a few have been sold with positive reviews, and I didn't find any negative reviews. Many commented they were surprised at the quality of the glass.
I have some free time the next 6 weeks then I get busy for June so I'd like to experiment.
I'm wondering what other equipment I might need for making cart oil / dewaxing? ( I need to get back to reading my lab book)
I'm wondering if i should also get a basic distillation set like I was looking at before...and if I'll need a heated magnetic stirrer setup?
Again, this is for personal use so I can't spend a ton of money getting started...Plus there's the major factor that I have zero lab experience and it could be a total failure.
As for dewaxing, there are two basic techniques that I know.
One uses hydrocarbon solvent and cold (dry-ice cold) to crash the wax out on the sides of a glass column. I imagine that a cold box could be improvised from styrofoam and scrap lumber.
I do it using alcohol solvents, which dissolve the wax poorly when cool. For that I use a fritted filter (medium porosity) and Erlenmeyers with ground glass joints. I wash the alcohol away with water in a separatory funnel; the goodies stay in the hexane layer.
The Rotavap will probably serve as a better basic distillation setup than the kits you showed me some time back, if we’re talking volatile solvent recovery.
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manfredo
Well-Known Member
I think I need to rent to a stoner chem major...this sounds complicated as hell...but it's
Metasynth
Well-Known Member
Okay, I’ve been seeing you guys talk about this rotovap for a while. Is it just a fancy device to reclaim solvent? Please, enlighten me.
From what I gather, you put your solvent solution in the flask that goes into the water bath, and the solvent evaporates off and is reclaimed down the line by way of refrigeration or cooling it some other method.
yes? Or do I have it completely wrong...
From what I gather, you put your solvent solution in the flask that goes into the water bath, and the solvent evaporates off and is reclaimed down the line by way of refrigeration or cooling it some other method.
yes? Or do I have it completely wrong...
manfredo
Well-Known Member
You have it right! The benefits are it recliams your alcohol, or most of it, and it does it quickly and efficiently when operating correctly. There are companies that make other devices like this popular one https://www.extractcraft.com/shop/source-turbo but it didn't impress me and I believe a rotovap is a better tool....
manfredo
Well-Known Member
I'm learning a lot about weed from squishing it on a press too, for sure. Last night I pressed some Mass Medical Putang...Which I hate but it smells good so I figured, why not. Well after squishing it I see why I hate it. It has very little oil in it. Out of 7 grams I got about 3 dabs, instead of the gram plus I do from "good" strains. Shows what marketing can do...Never have I paid more for seeds than I did for those Putang seeds...pure trash IMHO!
The 818 Headband strain that comes back so nice...I assume is loaded with waxes, just from the way it looks / comes back. Another one, RunAwayBride, was so sticky I wanted to throw it away as it was impossible to collect! But it is super fun seeing the differences, and I'm about ready to try experimenting with decarbing some and trying it in a CCell cart.
All in the quest for decent non poisonous carts, lol. I guess everyone needs a hobby, right?
The 818 Headband strain that comes back so nice...I assume is loaded with waxes, just from the way it looks / comes back. Another one, RunAwayBride, was so sticky I wanted to throw it away as it was impossible to collect! But it is super fun seeing the differences, and I'm about ready to try experimenting with decarbing some and trying it in a CCell cart.
All in the quest for decent non poisonous carts, lol. I guess everyone needs a hobby, right?
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
Spinning the flask considerably speeds up solvent evaporation. Being able to condense the solvent for possible reuse is a bonus.
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
If the rotary union seal is not readily available, that is something I’d consider a dealbreaker. A rotavap with a bad seal is near useless.
manfredo
Well-Known Member
I guess the way I am looking at it, for the price if I get a year out if it I am happy. It has a 1 year warranty. Plus I take care of things, and can probably match up a seal if need be.
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
We used to buy the Büchi seals a dozen at a time. (At $40 a seal.) Two or three of that dozen were good. The only way to find out was to mount and run a seal. The bad ones lasted a day or two, sometimes a week. A good one would wear in and then go for maybe half a year.
I never figured out why the seals were like that.
Unless things have changed a lot (and that’s plausible) I’d say you have a 2:3 chance of having a seal that would last a handful of runs. That’s why I’m emphasizing seal availability.