# Oh, Dear! Supplies for the Budding Mad Scientist! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 17, 2007, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804 "2007-11-17T03:48:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/1 "2007-11-17T03:48:21Z")
_Why wasn’t [this place](http://www.kelvin.com/) around when I was a kid?_ The coolness factor this place is just incredible! They’ve got [robots](http://www.kelvin.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=K&Category_Code=RO), [gears](http://www.kelvin.com/lrppge_toc.html), [vacuum formers](http://www.kelvin.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=K&Product_Code=841970), [Rube Goldberg supplies](http://www.kelvin.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=K&Category_Code=ENDERG), and more! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/2 "2007-11-17T03:54:16Z")
Maybe they weren’t, but I’ll bet Edmund Scientific was. Not to mention surplus places like JerryCo. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/3 "2007-11-17T06:09:16Z")
I would have been constantly begging my parents for money to order stuff from that site. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/4 "2007-11-17T14:43:34Z")
Sadly, the days of interesting chemistry sets is gone. ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/5 "2007-11-17T14:57:59Z")
[QUOTE=Christopher] Sadly, the days of interesting chemistry sets is gone. [/QUOTE] I can remember a well-to-do schoolchum buying _magnesium wire_ at the local toy shop. Can’t even buy that as an adult now… ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/6 "2007-11-17T15:53:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Quote: > Originally Posted by Christopher > Sadly, the days of interesting chemistry sets is gone. > I can remember a well-to-do schoolchum buying magnesium wire at the local toy shop. Can’t even buy that as an adult now… Heck, _I_ did that. They sold hobby chemicals at our local _auto parts_ store. I bought magnesium wire, sodium silicate solution, cobalt chloride, and all the biggies. You could, if you wished, make small amounts of all kinds of explosives from what was on hand, but you were more likely to make Prussian Blue and Weather Indicators and the like. ---
**Author:** ![SpectBrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@SpectBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpectBrain)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/7 "2007-11-17T22:12:04Z")
[The Black Hole Surplus Sales of Los Alamos](http://members.aol.com/blkholela/home/) > [@](#): > > The Black Hole of Los Alamos, a recycler of “nuclear waste,” has the world’s most diverse stock of used scientific equipment, electronics, lab supplies, nuclear by-products, surplus items and manterials. We have over 17,000 square feet of pre-owned test equipment and laboratory supplies. I wonder if this is where Blofeld shops. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/8 "2007-11-17T22:40:36Z")
[QUOTE=SpectBrain] [The Black Hole Surplus Sales of Los Alamos](http://members.aol.com/blkholela/home/) I wonder if this is where Blofeld shops. [/QUOTE] Oh! My! Gawd! That place just _screams_, “_ **Road trip!!!** _” ---
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/9 "2007-11-17T22:46:15Z")
I love [United Nuclear](http://www.unitednuclear.com/supplies.htm) It is hard for me not to spend all my money there. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/10 "2007-11-17T23:02:06Z")
That’s pretty impressive **fifty-six**. Some of that stuff should just not be sold to the public I think. To bad they don’t sell magnesium powder. I’ve got something I’d like to try. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/11 "2007-11-17T23:29:46Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] Oh! My! Gawd! That place just _screams_, “_ **Road trip!!!** _” [/QUOTE] Road Trip? Piker! DOPE FEST!!! Gosh, I hope they have a PRM-5 with a SPA-3 detector. I’d get arrested pointed it at bananas at the supermarket, but dammit, I want one!!! ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/12 "2007-11-17T23:34:10Z")
[QUOTE=Christopher] That’s pretty impressive **fifty-six**. Some of that stuff should just not be sold to the public I think. To bad they don’t sell magnesium powder. I’ve got something I’d like to try. [/QUOTE] Radiation. They say it’s bad for you. Pernicious nonsense! You can survive 100 chest X-rays a year! ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/13 "2007-11-17T23:46:21Z")
Meh, I have no use for that uranium. I suppose it’s density could be useful, but I’m guessing thats depleted uranium. Some of the chemicals they sell though are … :dubious: On the otherhand, long before you get to the public threat level, they will notice the guy ordering 50 kilos of potassium. So really, only hazerdous to the entrepenour. ---
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2007, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/14 "2007-11-17T23:56:07Z")
[QUOTE=Christopher] That’s pretty impressive **fifty-six**. Some of that stuff should just not be sold to the public I think. To bad they don’t sell magnesium powder. I’ve got something I’d like to try. [/QUOTE] Take a closer look at the sight. [Chemicals And Metals](http://www.unitednuclear.com/chem.htm) Scroll down though all the other interesting stuff and you will find Magnesium Metal - Powder. Their shipping is a tad bit slow. Otherwise I love the company. I have bought the Phosphorescent Powder, Mag Ribbons, Uranium Marbles, UV LEDs, Uranium Ore and several other Items for fun. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/15 "2007-11-18T00:00:55Z")
I’m less worried about the esoteric chemical supplies than some of those magnets they sell. They’ve got a report on their site that the child of one of their customers had its hand obliterated by the collision between two of their supermagnets. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/16 "2007-11-18T01:41:17Z")
Okay, so what’s the big deal with buying magnesium? _They sell aerogels!!!_ :: want :: want :: ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/17 "2007-11-18T02:09:14Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] Okay, so what’s the big deal with buying magnesium? _They sell aerogels!!!_ :: want :: want :: [/QUOTE] Magnesium, specially in powder or small chips (or wire) is relatively easy to set on fire, and boy does it burn! Very, very hot and violent. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/18 "2007-11-18T02:23:37Z")
[QUOTE=sunspace] They sell aerogels!!! :: want :: want :: [/QUOTE] I agree, really cool, but I can’t imagine a use for them. [QUOTE=Ale] Magnesium, specially in powder or small chips (or wire) is relatively easy to set on fire, and boy does it burn! Very, very hot and violent. [/QUOTE] You have no idea. You seriously have no idea. Light it on fire? That’s childs play. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/19 "2007-11-18T02:57:01Z")
Bugger that - you use the magnesium to provide the necessary activation energy for really hot reactions - like thermite. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2007, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804/20 "2007-11-18T03:08:38Z")
Your close. Your really close. But they sell thermite, and the thermite igniter so not quite. But your real close. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-supplies-for-the-budding-mad-scientist/426804.md?page=2)