Test tube rack

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A test tube in a rack

A test tube rack or test tube stand is a laboratory equipment that is used to hold upright multiple test tubes at the same time.

General

Test tube racks consist of two connected plates with the top plate having a number of holes where test tubes are to be added. Other models may have both plates perforated, while other models have three plates, with only the upper two having holes. More advanced models consist of a single S-shaped plate, like this one.

Test tube racks are often made of plastic (PE or PP), metal (stainless steel or zinc-plated steel) or wood (usually chemically treated or coated in paint).

Availability

Test tube racks can be bought from lab suppliers. They can also be found online.

Alcoholic drink brands will sometimes sell racks for shot tubes, which can be bought online. Discarded shot tube racks may sometimes be found in pubs. Unfortunately many are made of foam or acrylic plastic, which do not have good chemical resistance against most solvents, so get only the wooden ones.

DIY test tube rack

It's quite easy to make a test tube rack. You can make one from discarded pieces of plastic, metal or wood, using nothing but a few tools.

References

Relevant Sciencemadness threads