I forgot to mention that I do this with the probe inside the flask, touching the bottom of the flask, and the bottom of the flask directly meeting the mantle. I do this so the heat still transfers to the flask, probe, and oil instead of being dampened by the rope. The gaps that are above the point where the glass and probe meet the mantle are ok to fill in with rope and should help to maintain the heat generated.
I usually have my probe suspended just enough to give stirr bar clearence? Think it’ll still be ok? Thank you for the nice tips
You can get a 1 L mantle for under a hundred bucks. Seems to me like you spending more time and resources trying to figure out solutions for a problem that is easily solved by using the correct mantle in the first place… But hey if it’s just a hypothetical question then I get it. I may want to add that if you use sand to fill up the empty voids it is difficult to control not overshooting the temperature you are looking for.
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Yeah but it’s non digital… maybe I’m being to picky. I was even wondering if I could convert the non digi 1l to digi. Be worth it for the savings?
1l digi stirr mantles that can go 450c are not available anywhere currently for reasonable prices.
What size fiberglass rope do you use?
jeeze… yeah apoun further inspection trying to convert a non digital system to digital maybe a bit more of a hassle then I originally imagined in my head. Think I’m just go 2l digital and use the stove rope to fill in the gaps best i can ;p
Not terrible, just not worth the extra cost and time really if the digital option is available for a bigger size mantle for like 3 extra bucks
Okay you got me curious now… Why do you need a mantle that can go to 450°c???
Also by the way did you consider getting a 2 L flask? I’m pretty sure they’re pretty cheap.
…all my stuff is mostly 1l but i guess with such a predicament sometimes the most obvious solution is the best lol. i’ll have to look at some 2l flasks XP
Just to not be limited in my chemistry, like say if I wanted to distill some sulfuric acid or something? ;p
GD nvm just checked prices on 2l RBF, those MF ain’t cheap lol
Go to eBay, Labx.com or equivalent website. Type 2 L round bottom flask. If you can’t find something in your price range there then there’s something else you’re not telling us.
…Not telling you?
…I’m a dirty poor person? XP
Here are just a few but if you look a bit better at eBay and other website which sell used laboratory equipment I’m sure you will find quite a bit at fairly cheap prices.
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The amount of monkey business in this thread is astonishing. Neither of you guys should be giving anyone advice. You should never use a smaller flask in a mantle. This is a absolute hazard, glass failure hazard, injury hazard and generally asking for a dangerous accident. You never ever want to fill up a mantle with sand or any temp ballast. The flask should fit the mantle snug and comfortably.
Boiling flasks that arent genuine boro, or china glass or dirt cheap crap glass should be avoided unless you expect to have a glass implosion or failure with piping hot fluid inside to injure yourself.
I’d love to know how using fiberglass rope as described earlier would be a hazard. You didn’t bring that up in your message, so perhaps you don’t consider that monkey business. Also, to be fair, plenty of people in here have simply suggested the OP either get a 1l mantle or a 2l flask, in order to get the right fit. Sand in the mantle sounds idiotic to me no matter how well it’s supposed to work.
Curious if you’ve ever used a mismatched setup and if things went horribly wrong for you? Maybe you’ve experienced it happen to someone else? Or is this just textbook fear? Not apprehending you, just trying to learn.
Insulation rope is common on the top of that glass to insulate it from discharging heat into the room. Putting fiber rope like that in the bowl to use a smaller flask is inherently dangerous. It’s a serious electrical failure issue and a fire hazard as well. Not only is this part of lab 101 in school but it’s also possible to create run away reactions this way.
The heating system is supposed to generate some ambient or specific wattages of heat, this transfer to the glassware and then to solution into a sensor of sorts. This is supposed to create a simple hysteresis and management of heat. That allows the build of of heat on the bowl to slowly and efficiently transfer to the glassware in it. When using a smaller flask and packing the gap with materials you are eliminating this safer method of opperation and the whole system and components begin to rapidly overheat and cause electrical hazard. Not to mention the bowl itself will become excessively hotter than it needs to be to transfer heat to the smaller flask. Anything in the bowl like that will become a heat insulator and prevent the mantle from operating properly.
And to comment on any moronic persons who will claim to do this and claim it’s safe - it’s not. It’s absolutely crazy and if you can’t just buy the correct hardware you should not be doing this or giving anyone advice.
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There seems to be a good mix of people whom claim exactly as you do now and others that say they have run things like this all the time with no issues. I appreciate you concern but not everyone can afford nice stuff and chemistry should not be restricted to only the rich and privileged who can afford these things.
The very spirit of human nature is to adapt and overcome.
I wish everyone could get grants or everyone be paid thriving wages so they could safely pursue our passions and interests. But that’s not the way this evil world works. And if chemistry is the only thing in this shitty and dark world that brings any light to it I’ma do what I can with what I can. Funds or not.
I can see your attitude comes from a place of concern and care tho and I do appreciate hearing both sides.
There is a tonne of mixed information on this topic why I was trying to find a material someone like you would approve of. There has to be something high temp resistant that’s conductive that can easily be fit into mantles to accommodate different sizes.
Maybe if we stopped with the “poor ppl shouldn’t do chemistry” mind set and got on the “how can we with all of our power enable everyone who’s heart desires to do chemistry” we’ll get to some cool places together? Much love mate and I am heavily weighing your advice why this has been such a back and forth and why it seems widely discussed on the web with no real definitive answers. Just mixed informations. Just people like you saying poors screw off and or be perfect to the book safe or don’t do it. And scores saying they run rigs all the time jerryed up and have no issues.
I dunno. Thank you tho. I’m sure when my mantle prematurely fails or my cheap 90/dollar distillation set off Amazon cracks and breaks I’ll be remembering your words through my furious cussing. But hey. At least I will have tried and either verified or disproved the plethora of mixed infos out there. XP
With no risk, there can be no reward.
Listen, a lot of what we do in the cannabis industry specifically is going to be highly anecdotal information. A lot of us who have become professionals in the industry actually didn’t have a chance to go to school for chemistry, but we still picked up the key information we need to know.
With that said; would I use a mismatched setup for distillation? No absolutely not. Would I use a mismatched setup for reheating a flask of distillate or cleaning a flask with some alcohol? Sure.
If you’re going to be doing short path distillation with your setup, you should just get a matching set. Lightbulb is right to be cautious.
Although, I do think it’s a bit rude to flaunt his education like that and call everyone else a moron. I’d love to have been able to afford or have the opportunity to go to school. Instead I had to work, work, work all for nothing in the end 
(Definitely feel like a moron)