Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Lab Stands + Questions

Lab Stands + Questions

Yttrium2 - 25-11-2019 at 12:20

How is this for a lab stand?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lab-Laboratory-Retort-Stands-Suppor...

It seems pretty inexpensive, I get tired of buying them...

Would this work to hold up a distillation apparatus?

I see online how certain distillation apparatus's are held up with only 1 stand, but 2 clamps -- would this work? If not, what else would I need to setup a distillation apparatus?

I'm really wanting to save money

Also, what diameter ring goes with what separatory funnel?

Hmm...

[Edited on 11/25/2019 by Yttrium2]

Ubya - 25-11-2019 at 13:54

15*8.5cm base and 30cm height, in my opinion it would be ok for microscale distillation, surely not for a 24/40 set and 500ml flasks.
how is $13 cheap?
buy 3 feet (1m) of 1cm (1/2") steel rod or tube, as a base you can use a wide wooden base, or a smaller steel/iron/concrete/lead base.
with 13 dollars you should be able to build at least 5 of those stands...

i built mines with a 1cm diameter steel rod 60cm high, and one has a wooden base, like 20cm*30cm and the other has a marble base 15*20 (found discarded cuts a build site)

Yttrium2 - 25-11-2019 at 15:50

[Edited on 11/26/2019 by Yttrium2]

j_sum1 - 25-11-2019 at 16:58

I have always noted retort stands online are unreasonably expensive. It is true that you can easily make something yourself at a fraction of the cost.
I built a rack made from nickel-plated drawer handles.
If I didn't have that, then I would be off to the industrial end of town with a sketch on a piece of paper and a sixpack in hand and asking someone what they could knock up using scrap from the bin, a couple of tacks of a welding stick and a few minutes of their lunch break.

draculic acid69 - 26-11-2019 at 00:17

Quote: Originally posted by Yttrium2

How is this for a lab stand?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lab-Laboratory-Retort-Stands-Suppor...

It seems pretty inexpensive, I get tired of buying them...

Would this work to hold up a distillation apparatus?

I see online how certain distillation apparatus's are held up with only 1 stand, but 2 clamps -- would this work? If not, what else would I need to setup a distillation apparatus?

I'm really wanting to save money

Also, what diameter ring goes with what separatory funnel?

Hmm...

[Edited on 11/25/2019 by Yttrium2]

I literally just got one of these but it's so much smaller than I thought it would be and one of the clamps wouldn't lock tightly and slid up and down the steel pole and no matter how tight I turn it it just won't lock to it.also the steel loop isn't big enough even for a 250ml SEP funnel to sit in. Spend a few dollars more and get a bigger one with bigger clamps.

draculic acid69 - 26-11-2019 at 00:20

No it's not big enough to hold up a distillation setup unless you're talking microdistillation with 50ml flasks.

draculic acid69 - 26-11-2019 at 00:31

Quote: Originally posted by j_sum1

I have always noted retort stands online are unreasonably expensive. It is true that you can easily make something yourself at a fraction of the cost.
I built a rack made from nickel-plated drawer handles.
If I didn't have that, then I would be off to the industrial end of town with a sketch on a piece of paper and a sixpack in hand and asking someone what they could knock up using scrap from the bin, a couple of tacks of a welding stick and a few minutes of their lunch break.

Literally done that and got 4x 60cm high stands made up for $20. Only thing is i found out that mild steel rod bends when trying to support a 3 ltd half full flask.so if doing this the rods need to be ss.the base plates can be mild steel though.

Ubya - 26-11-2019 at 05:56

Quote: Originally posted by draculic acid69

Quote: Originally posted by j_sum1

what's the diameter of your rods? mine are 1cm in diameter and made of mild steel, i could bend them maybe with my weight, surely not with a half full 3L flask

Yttrium2 - 26-11-2019 at 07:33

I saw Dr.Bob posted in a thread like this saying he uses the 2x8 (iirc) and drills a 7/16 hole for a 1/2 rod and presses it in somehow. I'm wondering if it'd be best to have the hole go all the ways through the block? I'll probably do the same thing.

Walmart has 3/8 wooden dowels and other goodies in the arts and crafts diy section

Would a wooden dowels work for a rod or do I need it to be metal? I could glue the would into the hole but it might snap when I press it in. Also, I'm not sure how I'm going to press it into the hole?

G-Coupled - 26-11-2019 at 08:46

Quote: Originally posted by Yttrium2

How is this for a lab stand?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lab-Laboratory-Retort-Stands-Suppor...

They look pretty cheap and nasty to my eyes - probably well worth springing up to around 2x the price to get something better, or get some threaded metal rods and make some nice solid heavy bases to drill the mounting holes into. Then couple your DIY stands with some quality mounts and rings etc.

I particularly like the idea of using marble offcuts for the bases - nice and heavy, looks good and will take spills etc. like a champ. :cool:

[Edited on 26-11-2019 by G-Coupled]

Yttrium2 - 26-11-2019 at 09:00

I'm not sure how the rod would connect to the marble, I have very limited construction skills. -- would I want to take a carpentry class to learn about screws, tabs, and DIY or some sort of construction gig?

draculic acid69 - 26-11-2019 at 19:18

Quote: Originally posted by Ubya

Quote: Originally posted by draculic acid69

Quote: Originally posted by j_sum1

what's the diameter of your rods? mine are 1cm in diameter and made of mild steel, i could bend them maybe with my weight, surely not with a half full 3L flask

Yeah 1cm. They were not the threaded stuff you get from the hardware store.just normal smooth 1cm 60-90cm tall mild steel rod.they just have too much flex in them
whereas ss won't flex at all.if you keep the flask size under a litre I suppose it wouldn't bend too much if kept low as long as your not distilling mercury.

[Edited on 27-11-2019 by draculic acid69]

draculic acid69 - 26-11-2019 at 19:32

Quote: Originally posted by Yttrium2

I'm not sure how the rod would connect to the marble, I have very limited construction skills. -- would I want to take a carpentry class to learn about screws, tabs, and DIY or some sort of construction gig?

That would be overkill.just watch a few you tube videos on the subject.
But the idea of using marble is a nice idea.

[Edited on 27-11-2019 by draculic acid69]

XeonTheMGPony - 27-11-2019 at 03:16

I made my rack out of type L copper and black iron flanges.

Ubya - 27-11-2019 at 06:45

Quote: Originally posted by Yttrium2

i only have a hand drill, so i drilled a 9mm hole ( a drill press does the job fast and easy) in the marble slab, drilling by hand the hole got a bit wider than 9mm but still less than a cm in a few places. a light touch with a file and the rod is press fitted in the hole. i drilled an oblique hole though... so my stand has a 10° inclination to one side

Yttrium2 - 27-11-2019 at 08:27

I'll probably go with one of these, I wasn't sure what they were called

Also am posting this in case no one else knows of these flange things

[Edited on 11/27/2019 by Yttrium2]

Now, is there any additional special hardware one needs to mount these besides some screws and the poles?

Is there a screw recommendation ?

I may go with what Dr.Bob said in another thread, to press the 1cm rod into a 7/16 hole-- this may be the cheaper route, actually I'll probably do this.

Any suggestions for what rod is the cheapest/ where can I acquire one? Links?

And how do I still a hole that is centered???

[Edited on 11/27/2019 by Yttrium2]

[Edited on 11/27/2019 by Yttrium2]

[Edited on 11/27/2019 by Yttrium2]

unionised - 27-11-2019 at 09:42

Placing a RB flask on one of those metal rings and then heating it with a bunsen flame is a great way to break glassware.

morganbw - 27-11-2019 at 09:58

Quote: Originally posted by unionised

Placing a RB flask on one of those metal rings and then heating it with a bunsen flame is a great way to break glassware.

Much truth in this statement.

Yttrium2 - 27-11-2019 at 10:07

Hey no one asked that, what about my questions?

Ubya - 27-11-2019 at 12:17

in a modern country every hardware store has steel rods, they are not expensive at all.

to drill a straight hole you need a drill press, or a very firm hand, two things i don't have

G-Coupled - 27-11-2019 at 14:24

I know that they're different things, but I can't help thinking that anyone who's of a mind to (attempt to) perform semi-serious home chemistry shouldn't have much of a problem figuring enough simple DIY to make a ghetto but functional lab stand out of bits of scrap.

In suppose let's just thank god we're not in the Before Times of Amateur (& Professional) Natural Science where you had to be half decent at making and hacking your own glassware if you wanted to actually do anything. :cool:

[Edited on 27-11-2019 by G-Coupled]

[Edited on 27-11-2019 by G-Coupled]

Abromination - 27-11-2019 at 15:08

Doesn’t look like something I would ever trust with my glass. Spend a couple extra dollars to buy a decent stands.
This is a solid one that I use for everything.

https://www.amazon.com/American-Educational-7-G15-Support-Re...

draculic acid69 - 27-11-2019 at 17:25

Quote: Originally posted by Yttrium2

I'll probably go with one of these, I wasn't sure what they were called

Also am posting this in case no one else knows of these flange things

[Edited on 11/27/2019 by Yttrium2]

Now, is there any additional special hardware one needs to mount these besides some screws and the poles?

Is there a screw recommendation ?

I may go with what Dr.Bob said in another thread, to press the 1cm rod into a 7/16 hole-- this may be the cheaper route, actually I'll probably do this.

Any suggestions for what rod is the cheapest/ where can I acquire one? Links?

And how do I still a hole that is centered???

[Edited on 11/27/2019 by Yttrium2]

[Edited on 11/27/2019 by Yttrium2]

[Edited on 11/27/2019 by Yttrium2]

I think It's a thing that is used on boats or display stands.i know a boating supply would have them in 316ss and I've seen some in hardware stores too.wherever chrome plated mild steel tube is available.ahhhhhh wait a sec curtain rods.there curtain rod mounts.no wait there for the rods you hang your clothes on in the cupboard.i use a floordrobe despite having an empty wardrobe so i forget what you call them .on boats there used for mounting the ss
railings around the boat.

[Edited on 28-11-2019 by draculic acid69]

G-Coupled - 27-11-2019 at 17:41

Quote: Originally posted by Abromination

Doesn’t look like something I would ever trust with my glass. Spend a couple extra dollars to buy a decent stands.
This is a solid one that I use for everything.

https://www.amazon.com/American-Educational-7-G15-Support-Re...

18 bucks isn't a bad price to pay to protect your precious glassware, reagents and health from some avoidable mishaps if you can't be bothered to DIY one IMO. Especially if it's easy to add extra weight to the base with them.

[Edited on 28-11-2019 by G-Coupled]

[Edited on 28-11-2019 by G-Coupled]

[Edited on 28-11-2019 by G-Coupled]

61yZihISEwL._SY879_-182x352.jpg - 11kB

Yttrium2 - 28-11-2019 at 08:14

Could I use 1 stand to hold up a distillation apparatus?

G-Coupled - 28-11-2019 at 08:16

Quote: Originally posted by Yttrium2

Could I use 1 stand to hold up a distillation apparatus?

Unless it's one of the beefiest, heavy and sturdy stands ever with similar quality clamps etc., I'm gonna say - no, it's not worth the risk.

Yttrium2 - 29-11-2019 at 11:25

Is the best way to setup the stands is having 1 clamp above the boiling flask and 1 clamp above the reviewing flask?

I see some pictures showing the condenser being supported by a special clamp and the reviewing flask hanging or touching the bottom.

What is this condenser clamp called? A condenser clamp?

How do you support your distillation apparatus?

Yttrium2 - 29-11-2019 at 14:53

Because I don't know where to clamp, I'm also confused on what type of clamps I'll need. It's been a while since I've had a distillation setup, and I'm wanting to get everything planned in advance.

Can someone help me with a good cheap type of clamp I'll need to support my distillation unit?

j_sum1 - 29-11-2019 at 15:49

It is good practice to clamp the flask at the neck and have the heat source on a lab jack (or brick). That way you can drop the heat in an instant if required.
I also clamp tall items: columns and addition funnels. I also clamp the condenser at the middle for stability. So, typically 2-3 clamps per distillation and I use 2 of the rods on my rack.

Of course you can use fewer clamps and stands. But it comes at a cost to flexability, safety and the ability to make quick changes. I have used a short path straight from a rbf in a mantle with no clamps. But stability is a feature that is always desirable.

draculic acid69 - 29-11-2019 at 18:46

On eBay there's plenty of bossclamps,ring clamps,etc,etc you just happened to pick the smallest cheapest one that isn't big enough for anything but test tubes.spend a bit more and get bigger better ones.

Yttrium2 - 30-11-2019 at 12:07

Quote: Originally posted by draculic acid69

On eBay there's plenty of bossclamps,ring clamps,etc,etc you just happened to pick the smallest cheapest one that isn't big enough for anything but test tubes.spend a bit more and get bigger better ones.

I didn't purchase it.

I know of 1 clamp that will work for holding a condenser, but I'm unsure about the other ones.

Any recommendations for an inexpensive clamp that can hold a liebig

draculic acid69 - 30-11-2019 at 21:55

Type "laboratory clamps eBay" into Google.

Sulaiman - 1-12-2019 at 04:37

I have tried a few types of clamp;

small three prong, cheap, good for holding thermometer in beaker etc.

cheap large clamp, ok for columns and condensers

large three prong, good for flasks, columns and condensers

large four finger, my favourite, good for flasks, columns and condensers
sometimes not as convenient for holding flasks as the three prong above

none of the above are perfect, but all are usable.

G-Coupled - 1-12-2019 at 06:46

Quote: Originally posted by Sulaiman

I have tried a few types of clamp...

Now they look more the part IMO - sturdy enough to comfortably use, but cheap enough to afford - where are they from? They the kind of thing one can find on the 'bay etc.?

Sulaiman - 1-12-2019 at 07:10

The four photo's above are copied from current eBay uk listings as I have no usable photo's of my own equipment.

wg48temp9 - 1-12-2019 at 15:41

Quote: Originally posted by Sulaiman

I have tried a few types of clamp;

small three prong, cheap, good for holding thermometer in beaker etc.

cheap large clamp, ok for columns and condensers

large three prong, good for flasks, columns and condensers

large four finger, my favourite, good for flasks, columns and condensers
sometimes not as convenient for holding flasks as the three prong above
.

Below is more detail to the above comments:

The first clamp: the one I purchased broke at the base of the single finger with mild tightening of the clamp wing nut, probably due to the weak and brittle (not tough) diecast material and the stress raising point at the base of the finger caused by the abrupt change in dimensions (not smoothly evolving in to the base). Yes it probably can clamp a thermometer but sooner or later you will use too much clamping force and the finger will snap off.

The second clamp: the one I purchase, the clamp on either side was made of sheet steel certainly tough enough to resist the force I could apply with my fingers to the wing nut. There is no bushing between the clamping screw and the fingers so the threads tend to jam on the punched hole in finger and play at both ends can cause the clamping force to suddenly relax. The parallel clamp make it unreliable for for clamping anything other than parallel sided equipment. The plastic covering the clamps is low friction so useless unless the equipment has rim to stop it sliding out. Its a cheap option and if your careful usable. You may need to bend the fingers to get them to more uniformly clamp and a rim is needed on anything heavy to stop it sliding out.

The last two clamps are designed well. Both have good fitting bushings on the clamping screws and smooth transition to the bases. The rubber and cork are excellent clamping friction and the cork will not melt. The three pronged unit is excellent for clamping none parallel sided items such as the tapered outer surface of females joints. The four pronged unit is ideal for parallel sided items but with additional packed anything can be clamped.
Both are excellent but tend to be several times the price of the first two.

For the low cost option buy the second item and adjust the sheet metal finger for better clamping and add extra packing if needed.

[Edited on 12/1/2019 by wg48temp9]

draculic acid69 - 1-12-2019 at 21:51

I bought a few of the first kind of clamps and they're barely big enough for anything bigger than a test tube.even a 24/29 joint is it's absolute maximum size it can open to.
When it comes to lab clamps and stands cheap means tiny.

Yttrium2 - 11-12-2019 at 17:20

I was thinking of going with this deal, it seems to be phenomenal for the price. But it's getting aot of bad rap for some reason in the reviews

https://www.amazon.com/Support-Stand-Coated-Base-Size/dp/B07...

What are some thoughts on this one ^

Also, I have seen distillation apparatuses commonly held up with 1 clamp on the condenser, can anyone comment on setting up like this?

I'm still having difficulties figuring out which stands to buy and what clamps, I really hate having to reorder them

[Edited on 12/12/2019 by Yttrium2]

B(a)P - 11-12-2019 at 17:56

The reviews indicate the base does not sit flat and is light weight. Seems very unstable. This is backed up by it being 1.5 kg total weight, which is on the light side. I would steer clear.
Have you looked for second hand ones on eBay?

[Edited on 12-12-2019 by B(a)P]

wg48temp9 - 11-12-2019 at 19:01

The base of the stand in the above discussion looks like sheet metal. Essentially a rectangular box with no bottom so its weight must be small compared to a solid cast base. However it could be filled in with cement easily or even better if you have a cheap source of lead fill it with that.

The plastic feet look like they are a push fit on the sheet metal of the box sides which means the height could be easily adjusted by filing down the box edge to make each foot sit on a flat surface. Yes that's moding something just purchased but a stand with a solid cast iron base is likely to cost much more.

Sulaiman - 11-12-2019 at 19:29

Quote: Originally posted by Yttrium2

What are some thoughts on this one ^

Also, I have seen distillation apparatuses commonly held up with 1 clamp on the condenser, can anyone comment on setting up like this?

I'm still having difficulties figuring out which stands to buy and what clamps, I really hate having to reorder them

My thoughts on that one are : do not buy it, even if on a tight budget.

I would not set up a distillation kit by just clamping the condenser.
I clamp the boiling pot, the condenser and the receiving pot,
this requires two stands and three clamps,
this is because ;
. I do not want to stress the glassware
. I do not trust Keck clips 100%, even though I have both plastic and stainless steel to choose from.

Even moderately solid/heavy stand bases sometimes need additional weight (brick, old transformer etc.) to be stable,
I bought two reasonable quality stands,
but if I was starting again I would consider making my own stands
using cement/concrete for the bases and a 10mm to 16mm dia. steel rod of at least 500mm height.
(I have a bunch of 14mm dia. x 1.2m long copper clad steel earthing rods that I got very cheaply via eBay, that will be my 'lattice' when I'm reunited with my chemistry stuff)
Stands and clamps are obviously useful for chemistry glassware setups,
they are also useful for holding glassware to dry,
and you will find many other uses once you have them.

These are the best boss head clamps that I've bought so far
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8x-LAB-STAND-BOSS-HEAD-Clamp-Hold...
but they were 1/2 the price when I bought them.

wg48temp9 - 12-12-2019 at 14:12

If you are making your own bases the bricks from storage heaters are usually very dense and weigh about 7kg. You could also use small paving blocks.
Sets of weight discs can be bought for about £10 or for much less at a charity shop.

storbricks-300x225.jpg - 15kB

Both make solids bases particularly needed for over head stirrers that wobble around.

[Edited on 12/12/2019 by wg48temp9]

draculic acid69 - 14-12-2019 at 04:48

I found a new use for the labstand mentioned at the start of the thread.its too small for my glass really but I am now using this as a labjack substitute for holding up receiving flasks which it does well.but it's too small for anything else really.

IMG_20191214_222957.jpg - 550kB

Yttrium2 - 3-7-2020 at 11:22

I am at my wits end looking at stands guys.

Were talking a glassware purchase of $ 45 USD, and were looking at around or above $ 60 USD for the stands.

Where can I find a good stand / clamp combination? All the stands that I see come with the rings and those are useless.

To the above poster, @ draculic acid69, how does that act as a lab jack? You cannot lower or raise that receiving flask without having to raise/lower the rest of your setup.
(Edit nevermind I see it now)

If anyone can provide links to what will hold up a distillation apparatus I'd greatly appreciate it.

I'm thinking of going with united nuclear, or the local science store in town, that way I don't have to pay shipping prices. Pretty sure they are like $ 17 USD for some eisco lab stands/clamps.

I dont need the rings, just the finger clamps, bossheads, plate, and rod.

It is so frustrating that these stands are so costly, it is more for the stands than it is for the actual labware.

[Edited on 7/4/2020 by Yttrium2]

Yttrium2 - 3-7-2020 at 13:52

not sure how to fix a rod to the metal weights

Dr.Bob - 3-7-2020 at 17:29

I still have a few 3 prong clamps, bossheads, and maybe a lab stand left, plus lots of hardware that needs work, due to corrosion, frozen screws, or broken parts, which could be repairs or the good parts combined. If you want to make a lab stand from stone, use granite or quartzstone, not marble, it will dissolve in acid. You just need a heavy base and a simple 1/2" rod of some sort.

Bob

Yttrium2 - 3-7-2020 at 17:57

Quote: Originally posted by Dr.Bob

I still have a few 3 prong clamps, bossheads, and maybe a lab stand left, plus lots of hardware that needs work, due to corrosion, frozen screws, or broken parts, which could be repairs or the good parts combined. If you want to make a lab stand from stone, use granite or quartzstone, not marble, it will dissolve in acid. You just need a heavy base and a simple 1/2" rod of some sort.

Bob

perhaps granite and JB weld, I'm not sure how else to affix the rod to the granite. Not sure how I'm going to get it drilled either, I'll probably figure that part out though

Yttrium2 - 3-7-2020 at 19:58

where can I find an inexpensive jig for drilling 1/2" holes in granite?

Yttrium2 - 4-7-2020 at 09:25

this wont work will it?

delete.jpg - 2kB

wg48temp9 - 4-7-2020 at 09:37

Quote: Originally posted by Yttrium2

Quote: Originally posted by Dr.Bob

perhaps granite and JB weld, I'm not sure how else to affix the rod to the granite. Not sure how I'm going to get it drilled either, I'll probably figure that part out though

Glue it in after you have filed several notches in the part of the rod that will be glued.
glue.JPG - 18kB

Yttrium2 - 4-7-2020 at 09:46

probldem is how do I drill a centered hole, I need a 1/2" jig of some sort, like the one I posted, but the one I posted only goes to 12mm.

Yttrium2 - 4-7-2020 at 11:12

Is it called a flat bottomed hole, that needs to be drilled into granite, for the rod to sit into? If the rod is .5" do I need a .5" drill bit??

Can someone please help me, what is an inexpensive jig that I can use? What kind of hole do I need to make? Flat bottomed?

what do I need to drill 3/4 of the way into the granite, and have the drill bit stop?

research has shown tape or zip ties on the drill bit

[Edited on 7/4/2020 by Yttrium2]

but what drill bit do I need for granite that doesn't make a penetrating hole?

[Edited on 7/4/2020 by Yttrium2]

Yttrium2 - 4-7-2020 at 11:33

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9EvrFWwegI

Yttrium2 - 4-7-2020 at 13:50

what are some thoughts on this one, it seems to be the best deal in laboratory stands/ clamps

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Retort-Stand-Support-Ring-Stand-24-...

Steve s - 4-7-2020 at 16:13

Quote: Originally posted by Yttrium2

what are some thoughts on this one, it seems to be the best deal in laboratory stands/ clamps

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Retort-Stand-Support-Ring-Stand-24-...

Personally i'd say the pressed steel base would be a bit too light with too small of a footprint and consequently unstable. I prefer decent sized cast cast iron bases but the rest of it looks ok, 13mm rods tend to be better than 10mm ones, far less chance of ya boss clamp screw bending round it.

Pity ya not in the UK, I have some really good ones that i'm selling..

Try doing an Ebay search for old/used retort stands, they tend to be a bit more solid and often come with a couple of accessories.

[Edited on 5-7-2020 by Steve s]

Yttrium2 - 4-7-2020 at 16:31

they are too pricey, I'm concerned about price.

Can I get a second opinion on the weight of the base plate of the lab stand as being an issue? I think it was said somewhere, by someone, and has henceforth become a regurgitation by the masses. It doesn't seem to me like the stand would tip over unless stuff was mounted at the tippy top, and it was knocked over. I think what determines stability is the center of gravity of the apparatus/i.e. where it is mounted too.

if I mounted 100kg on the top of the stand, that would be prone to getting knocked over because of its center of gravity, not the weight of the base plate, correct? -- I mean to say it seems to be more so the footprint of the stand that contributes to it not getting knocked over vs its weight.

[Edited on 7/5/2020 by Yttrium2]

Yttrium2 - 4-7-2020 at 19:03

bump, - Going for a walk, I would like to get some responses, -- do these seem like they would tip over to ya'll based on the lower than average base plate weight?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Retort-Stand-Support-Ring-Stand-24-...

[Edited on 7/5/2020 by Yttrium2]

karlos³ - 4-7-2020 at 19:16

You really don't want to get the cheapest stand.
Consider always, that the stand bears the responsibility of everything you're going to entrust it with...
And that can easily become a few times the price of the stand, especially with such a cheaper one.
In turn, if the stand fails, then it will not only be the cost of the stand itself that can be written off, but of course everything else too...
Maybe overthink if this is really a piece of equipment you want to buy the most cheapest version of?

Yttrium2 - 4-7-2020 at 20:02

Can anyone else comment on these stands? -- I'm really really on a budget.

If weight is the only issue, I can place a weight onto the stand..

Abromination - 4-7-2020 at 20:20

It really isn’t ideal, but i suppose that ebay one would work alright, you may have to weigh it down. A large part of knowing what will and wont work comes from experience and figuring out what works for you.

Eddie Current - 4-7-2020 at 22:24

Quote: Originally posted by Yttrium2

Can anyone else comment on these stands? -- I'm really really on a budget.

If weight is the only issue, I can place a weight onto the stand..

A piece of threaded rod, some washers, nuts and anything you can thread them through that can act as a base plate/surface, would work just as well as any retort stand for the hobby chemist. You could even screw them in to your "lab" bench as permanent fixtures if needed.

You could even put together a lab frame on a fixed back board if you like (see images). All it requires is some imagination.

[Edited on 5-7-2020 by Eddie Current]

Refinery - 5-7-2020 at 09:42

If you don't find ready made parts as depicted above, get a steel tube and a threaded rod that fits within, and tighten it with nuts and washers to a wooden baseplate. Even threaded rod itself serves quite well, being not very aesthetic, but especially the 8.8 ones are very rigid.

If you have access or have a friend who has to tools, you can easily make much more simpler setups. I made half a dozen of stands from flat bar where I drilled and welded round bars. Baseplates are 100x200mm and the rod is 600mm long by 10mm D, and it holds stuff well. The baseplates are very lightweight so only very small items should be attached to them, otherwise I always use either added weight plates or even clamp them to the table.

Yttrium2 - 5-7-2020 at 09:52

thanks for the input Refinery

arkoma - 5-7-2020 at 12:39

still trolling I see........

Yttrium2 - 5-7-2020 at 12:59

$25 USD

OldNubbins - 7-7-2020 at 08:27

I used threaded rod and some nuts brazed at right angles. Cost about $10-15 in total. The support bushings and brackets I had lying around.