Post: #1

A confluence of circumstances got me thinking about this. I used to do a fair bit of this, making smoke bombs, rockets, basic types of metal precipitates, object platings, one attempt at bio-diesel, hydrogen balloons, and generally just geeky stuff like that in my parents basement/backyard. Repeating or expanding what we did in high school, and being the late 90s, you could find various chems on the net pretty easy, as well as interesting things to do with them. I was curious if anyone else here did, or does do this still?

The reason I thought of it is that my parents are getting ready to sell the house and came across a box of my old stuff and wanted to know which if any chemicals were dangerous. That, combined with this recent story from here where a guy was held for 5 months during trial because he had some scary sounding chemicals. Of course the whole situation started when his wife called the police, showed them a private email he made to a friend where he made a joke about throwing it at people, because she was scared her children might find this chemical.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scoti...-1.3125493

I looked into it once, and I guess sales of many chemicals are now severely restricted, and if you do have a hobby lab you run a very real risk of being accused/arrested as a terrorist or drug maker but nosy scared neighbors (or in this case wife). Or at the very least having your home raided and gear seized.

It got me thinking how much times have changed in even ~15 years. It made me think that I'd almost be foolish to do some of the things I did now, and then that that is really a shame. That if you have an eccentric interest atypical for your age you're automatically suspicious, and run a real risk of life ruin.

Post: #2

I was a real, graduate, then industrial chemist for 19 years. Before that, yes, in the 70's I made rockets and did all sorts of fun chemistry. Even made small gunpowder bombs capable of taking chunks out of concrete paths.

Sadly, health and safety, terrorism paranoia and environmentalism has taken all the fun out of hobby chemistry. No wonder little of significance has been discovered in the last 20 years....

Post: #3

This reminds me of when United Nuclear got dinged by the Feds for the relatively mundane chemical reagents they were selling, but the Feds had no issue with them selling radiation sources at all.

Post: #4

I was an industrial chemist for 25 years. I recommend getting rid of that stuff as quickly and as safely as possible.

Post: #5

I suspect these days former chemists outnumber chemists. Sad.

Post: #6

Why are there so many former chemists? Lack of job opportunities? Government persecution?

Post: #7

Lack of job opportunities. In twenty-five years I worked for eight different chemical companies. All but two have disappeared off the face of the earth.
These days if you work as an industrial chemist you're a glorified cook. Nobody wants to deal with cleaning up the mess left over from older labs.
There was an old chemist in West Virginia who used to have a plant out there who made things the bigger companies didn't want to make. The EPA ended up shutting his ass down. They even had to blow-up a tank of hydrogen cyanide because it was leaking and too dangerous to transport. The numb nuts never could figure out what he did wrong. Why? Because the people he'd worked for back in the 50's and 60's used to routinely dump crap everywhere. I have a friend who used to do environmental clean-up for the state of New Jersey and the stories he had to tell would freak you out.
What really pisses me off is that the shitheads who ran these companies got to cash their chips in and run to Florida while the employees got the door and the taxpayers the bill for the clean-up.

Post: #8

I plan on making own shampoo product soon, but I'm not sure if I will need a chemist or not. What do you guys think? I want to make a natural, chemical free shampoo.

The reason I want my own product is because I have a website where I sell shampoo and other products as an amazon affiliate. I make a commission but having my own brand would be much more lucrative.

If it turns out that I do need a chemist then I would be open to partnership opportunities.