Hello there!
I've decided to undertake a project on basic nig-rigging of your own lab out of off the shelf components, or at least cheap stuff, even without the reliable ability to shop on the internet for components….. well, for most things. After this will be a buyer's guide to getting chemicals from common store buyable items, and I'll end it with a lab procedure I used to make ETN out of readily available things using the stuff I've listed off prior to this. I chose ETN SPECIFICALLY because it's non-toxic, stable, and a bretty gud explosive all by itself, as well as the fact that I'm doing some research on it personally. I'm not experienced enough to tell you what your first nitration should be (most people say guncotton) but ETN is probably up there in the second or maybe 3rd slot. So without further ado, I will begin writing.
Part 1.
So, first things first, tools you'll want.
-Tools-
Kitchen scale:
Pretty self explanatory. Not too bad to get a hold of.
Mortar and pestle:
Sometimes a bit obnoxious to find it in stores, but very very useful tool for just about everything. Finely dividing powders is obnoxious as hell otherwise.
Eye droppers:
Buy a few. You can use them to help you save slightly more crystals in various synths by squirting (cautiously!) solvent from one container into another during filtering or recrystallization into another to get out any sticky or persistent accumulations.
They also make ok stirring rods.
Usually cost around 3-4 dollars for a package of two, one with a straight tip, one with a bent tip. I recommend getting two packages for two straight tipped ones. These are just the ones I've seen in local stores. (and used.)
Stainless steel knitting needles:
Make pretty good cheap stir rods for ETN synths.
Goggles:
an ABSOLUTE must. I recommend something with a full eye seal and a shrapnel rating.
I personally use: http://www.esseyepro.com/Tactical-XT_19_detail.html
But you can go as simple as something like this: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/2-used-german-military-surplus-rubberized-goggles?a=1781365
I recommend full seal (not vented) to help protect your eyes against fumes from sulfuric acid.
Gas mask:
Fumes are a bitch. Repeated exposure to fumes of the solvents you WILL be using can cause permanent lung damage, cancer, reproductive harm and other FUN things. Do not skimp on fume protection! You will get sick and fucking die if you make the wrong thing without proper protection!
If you get a full face gas mask (which you can get on the cheap surplus) Eye protection becomes somewhat less of a worry. You can find these either online or at a local surplus place, usually at least. Not always so cheap if bought from US surplus.
I use a half face mask with replaceable filters made by 3M, rated for organic vapors and acidic gases. The filters run about 20 bucks a pop, and last for around six hours IIRC (might be more), but the mask is fairly comfy and not too bad to wear for a longer period of time.
I'm considering getting a plastic "faceplate" type gasmask, also by 3M. They have a full face seal and are all plastic/glass up front, for better visibility and comfort IMO. Not sure how they'd hold up against shrapnel, but they are better than going naked.
If you can't shop on the internet, most home depot stores will have the masks and filters available.
-Glassware-
Measuring glass shot cups:
These can be found in most walmarts and are handy for measuring liquids or use as small beakers. You can also hold solid powders while you weigh them. I'd say you'll want about 4 for general use.
Measuring cups:
Pyrex 10/10 all the way.
Useful for measuring out liquids and pouring between containers. Probably going to want two small ones and one medium one, maybe two medium ones.
Jars:
Salsa or sauce jars with the "flat" neck. Think cartridge type shoulder, because those are easier to handle, IMO at least. raised lettering is acceptable and may help provide a better grip. Newman's own jars are ok for this.
Glass dishes/bowls:
Pyrex storage tubs, essentially. other brands are acceptable. These are useful for mixing things in in-situ nitrations or for storing filters with crystals on them. You won't need the lids around. This is referring to flat bottoms. You'll want two to three small ones, and then at least one two sizes up. This is to allow you to make an ice bath.
Bottles:
Specifically sauce bottles, NOT soda profile bottles. You're looking for something almost jar like with a thinner neck, and food grade glass. That stuff has to stand up to pasteurization, and that makes it at least slightly safer.
Bowls:
These can, in a pinch, replace flat bottomed dishes. I can't say I recommend, but they may be cheaper or easier to get ahold of. Kind of a pain in the ass to make ice baths with, however, and pouring is a bit tricker.
LARGE jars:
Handy for holding large amounts of a specific chemical or mixing two sizable but not huge amounts. I have personally used a large Kalamata olive jar to good effect both to pour ETN into for the slurry into water step, and also to store my used, diluted, flat out nasty mixed acids when I was done.
-Disposable supplies-
Coffee filters:
Wonderful stuff.
Not great compared to lab grade filters, but yes, they will work in a pinch.
Wax paper: Make a pretty good drying surface.
Gloves: You will want these. Toulene, Acetone, and other fun such things all give you nasty problems through skin contact, as do things like TNT or many primary explosives. Save your skin and your liver the trouble. also nitro headache is god awful
I'd say just get a bulk box of 100, preferably nitrile rubber.
Paper towels: You will have spills. You will NOT want to keep a towel that has had sulfuric acid on it. Get paper towels.
-Plastic and metal tooling-
This is a bit less clear cut. In a pinch common plastic or metal containers can have a few uses, and one or two I actually explicitly recommend using plastic or metal for. That said, most require some simple modification to work with. Anyway, continuing on.
Filter column:
Get a large juice bottle, and wash it thoroughly. preferably one with a sloped neck. I again recommend specifically a newman's own grape juice bottle of large size. This one has a few handy features for our purposes. For starters, the ridges on the inside of the bottle will help capture ETN crystals if you choose to speed up your process by pouring excess liquid at any time into another filter. more on that later
It also has a good dip in the middle for grabbing and moving a filled or otherwise heavy filter column. If you experience the annoyance of having any crystals getting stuck in the ridges of your bottle, then that's where the eye dropper comes in.
Once you've picked out your bottle, the rest is pretty simple.
You cut the very bottom off. Start by cutting into the side slightly above/below the very bottom of the bottle with a knife or a half of a pair of scissors, then use scissors the cut the rest off. It is possible to do with a knife but I would not recommend attempting this. good way to cut yourself.
If you cut the specific bottle I've mentioned, you may notice that one side of the bottle has an indent near the base. If possible, cut this so it leaves a faint "step" shaped lip at the top of your column, with a faint slant along the edge. This should make pouring MUCH easier.
How do you use this tool?
If you have a large batch, place a filter (or two, I actually recommend two) against the
Drain cans:
This one is fairly self explanatory. Essentially, you'll need a can opener, a soda can, and some kind of spike or punch to poke holes in the bottom of the can. Use the can opener to remove the top of the can, by placing the blade side against the inside lip of the top of the can and cutting like normal. it should eventually pop right off. poke holes all across the bottom of the can.
Actually I guess this isn't super self explanatory but at least the name will make sense soon.
What's the point of this tool? Well, you place a filter across the top, and place the can directly over a drain. You can now filter directly into the drain if you feel the need to do so.
Large metal pot:
What's this for again?
It's your garbage can. Any paper towels you wipe up with, any gloves you use and then take off, anything lab related you handle and then dispose of goes in this bucket. When you're done, either pour everything down at least once with water or neutralize it with a solution of water and 5% baking soda. Then bin it like regular. The metal should help protect against accidental contamination of other garbage or your floor. In a pinch it can also be used as part of a double boiler.
-Relevant techniques-
Solvent trap technique:
No, this is not related to those pesky "solvent traps". Most /k/ users should know what that means but it's not exactly important for this context.
Basically, what you do is take a jar, bottle, or other container (even plastic should work for most case) and then you put a filter over the neck, and pour in. It's pesky, but you can have as many going as you want at once, and sometimes it can help you save solvents of questionable purity and usability, but still. It's also handy if you don't have reliable access to someplace to just dump your used solvents or chemicals. You can just store them instead. I personally used this technique sometimes rather than drain cans, just because it's more convenient and can be sped up. It's faster than using the average household sink, as the curvature of these often prohibits the fitting of a filter column or more than one drain can. This technique can save you time, but takes some practice and you may have to stop to empty or change bottles. Depending on the synth this technique can also cut back drying times slightly by spreading out crystals.
Pouring:
It's actually harder than it looks to pour into a filter, stop and the right time, then continue again. It's a constant stop start process and it sucks without practice.
De-gloving: There IS A SPECIFIC WAY TO DO THIS. And yes, it's important, hence the caps. Grab one glove with your other gloved hand, and pull from the finger tips till the glove starts sliding off. then pinch at the wrist and fold, pulling the glove off inside out. Use the now inside out glove to pinch the wrist of the other glove and pull it off inside out.
Alternately, slide a finger under the wrist and pull it off inside out. Be careful not to touch what began as the outside of the gloves if at all possible, even indirectly. This is a good habit to teach yourself. I recommend degloving and re-gloving between breaks in a synth. It's good practice and will help you properly deglove faster in a hurry if you need to.
Anyway, that's it for Part 1. Pic unrelated is a cool methlab.
Also, please note; this REALLY is for informational purposes only. While you CAN make ETN or other explosives using this grade of equipment and I did, if only to prove that it can be done and because I'm lazy about waiting for my order because this place is rural as hell and shipping is a nightmare I really couldn't condone that. This is the stuff you do when you are desperate for equipment or really have no budget at all. I highly reccomend you use a reputable website (see unitednuclear.com) to order professional grade glassware and equipment if you can afford it.