Seeking weighing scale and chem bottle recommendations

Ashfaque · Jan 10, 2015

Hello APUGers,

Could you please suggest a reliable, and cheap measuring scale for raw chemicals. It needs to be able to measure as low as 0.05 gram. The upper limit can be 200-500 grams or above (so long it doesn't cost more than 15-20 Quids). I saw a few kitchen ones, but I thought I should ask here for recommendation. Having different measurement units (g, ml, & lb) would be a good feature, but that's optional.

Speaking of chemicals, please suggest some glass or other material bottles with caps (, along with links,) I should use for the following chemicals. NA online retailers are ok.

Sodium sulfite, anhydrous
Sodium bisulfite
Metol
Hydroquinone
Phenidone
Pyrocatechin (aka, Catechol)
Glycin
Triethanolamine (aka, TEA)
Pyrogallol
Potassium bromide (KBr)
Borax
Potassium metabisulfite, anhydrous
Sodium metabisulfite
Sodium Metaborate (aka, Kodalk)
Potassium carbonate, anhydrous
Propylene glycol
Ascorbic acid

I am not buying all of these now. Just asking so that I can get the ones that are usable for all of them, if possible (, after a thorough wash ofc).

Bests,

Ashfaque

paul_c5x4 · Jan 10, 2015

Cheap scales can be found on ebay easy enough - Some of the small ones will read to 0.01g, but have a maximum capacity of 50-100g.

Bottles, brown glass, up to 500ml can be obtained from most chemists - I purchased some from Boots for around 60p each.

Chemicals - Most of the ones on your list can be obtained from Silverprint or ProcessSupplies. Just two or three will be difficult to find in the UK. I have not seen anyone stocking Propylene Glycol, but then I've not had any real need to track some down. T.E.A. is available from http://www.bonnymans.co.uk/ as long as you don't mind buying a litre at a time and paying the high shipping charges. As for Glycin, IF you do find a UK supplier that has some in stock at a reasonable price (including shipping), please let me know.

mgb74 · Jan 10, 2015

The most accurate and cheap scales I know are those for metallic cartridge reloading (rifle and pistol). They'll be calibrated in "grains" (7000 grains per US lb)

pdeeh · Jan 10, 2015

paul_c5x4 said:
Bottles, brown glass, up to 500ml can be obtained from most chemists - I purchased some from Boots for around 60p each.

.

I always find it rather amazing when people suggest this - whenever I've asked in a Boot's or indeed any pharmacy in the UK, I get looked at like I'm some kind of escapee from a psychiatric unit.

(It's doubly annoying because I am actually some kind of escapee from a psychiatric unit, of course)

MartinP · Jan 10, 2015

mgb74 said:
The most accurate and cheap scales I know are those for metallic cartridge reloading (rifle and pistol). They'll be calibrated in "grains" (7000 grains per US lb)

Surprisingly, there is not a huge ammunition market in UK.

It is a perfectly useful answer for Apug-ers in USA though.

pdeeh · Jan 10, 2015

Not if they have to spend all their time converting gramme measures in formulas to grains

pentaxuser · Jan 10, 2015

Ashfaque, if you are in the U.K. at the moment Maplin appears to have scales that fit your bill at £9.99. This seems very cheap to me for such accuracy but that's Maplin's claim which I would have thought they can be held to.

Worth a look

pentaxuser

Ashfaque · Jan 10, 2015

Paul: Thanks for the advice. I'm not planning to buy those chemicals from outside atm (as most can be bought in Dhaka)- rather posted those names to know what type of bottles I should use.

As for weighing scale, could you or anyone else recommend me any specific model?

(Regarding bottles colour: my knowledge is quite rusty on this. So bear with me on this) Is it ok/safe to use clear bottles? I'm asking because I won't be able to see any future colour change of the raw chemicals if I were to use brown bottles. My understanding from a post of PE is that so long one keep them away from direct sunlight and in cup board of something, the chemical won't be affecetd by light. IIRC, he was responding in a thread about about liquid chemical though.

Re Glycin: I definitely will, Paul. I saw it in the local s. supply store. Unlike other chemicals, the price quite higher than in the US - 25 grams for 1500 taka (=~ 13.64 Pounds =~$20). With $18.95, you can get 100 grams from Formulary! Silly! I'll ask him again, just in case he missed a zero on the right! If I find it cheaper here, I'll send them to you free (, provided I can find someone traveling from Dhaka to a UK city).

Bests,

Ashfaque

Ashfaque · Jan 10, 2015

mgb74: Thanks for the tips. I noticed those whilst browsing through Amazon. But the total weighing is too low. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Martin: I'm almost certain if I were to ask for that in a UK shop, they'll give me a weird look - got a beard, name and all.

Pentaxuser: Thanks. I'll visit their website shortly.

Bests,

Ashfaque

mgb74 · Jan 10, 2015

MartinP said:
Surprisingly, there is not a huge ammunition market in UK.

It is a perfectly useful answer for Apug-ers in USA though.

Actually, there's a long tradition of competitive target shooting in the UK. And where there's competitive shooting, there's reloading. And where there's reloading, they need to measure powder.

mgb74 · Jan 10, 2015

Ashfaque said:
mgb74: Thanks for the tips. I noticed those whilst browsing through Amazon. But the total weighing is too low. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Martin: I'm almost certain if I were to ask for that in a UK shop, they'll give me a weird look - got a beard, name and all.

Pentaxuser: Thanks. I'll visit their website shortly.

Bests,

Ashfaque

I've seen upper ranges on various scales from 100 to 500 grains, so up to 4 ounces. I use mine for fairly small amounts; most recently benzotriazole.

Many people have switch to electronic scales for reloading. They have many advantages, but cost isn't one of them. Personally I'm leery of the accuracy over time for cheap electronic scales, but maybe that's unwarranted.

Sirius Glass · Jan 10, 2015

paul_c5x4 said:
Cheap scales can be found on ebay easy enough - Some of the small ones will read to 0.01g, but have a maximum capacity of 50-100g.

Many have a TARE setting which lets one put the weighing dish on the scale and set that weight to zero so that only the reagent weight is measured.

Seeking weighing scale and chem bottle recommendations

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency