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sa1chavez

Posted Sunday, January 20, 2008 12:12 AM

Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Thursday, May 28, 2009 5:43 PM
Posts: 15, Visits: 1

HELP!!!! I need some ideas on adapting my lab equipment. if any one has ideas on how to turn the knobs on a manifold or the stopcock of a sepratory funnel please let me know. I AM NOT giving up 7years of grad school because my finger keeps dislocating evertime i turn on my nitrogen line

Thanks a mill

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pacheco

Posted Friday, February 01, 2008 9:45 PM

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Last Login: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 5:42 PM
Posts: 12, Visits: 3

Hellooo! I totally hear you-I do research and sometimes its really rough with the pippetters and whatnot... Anyways-I went to a PT on my campus and she told me that there was a department on my campus I could call...a person would come out to the lab and evaluate my bench and then give me suggestions on things to change (ways to arrange things so that I wouldn't have to reach so much, or new equipment). She said a lot of labs are hesitant to allow these types of people in because they think they are going to require the lab to buy more expensive equipment, but she assured me that this is not the case... Everything is a suggestion and a lot of things they tell you are just minor changes made to your setup that really end up helping over time...So if you are at a university lab, you should check into that, Im sure your campus would have one too...If not, there are probably independent organizations that do the same thing. As far as the stopcock on the separatory funnel, try putting your pointer finger on the same side as your thumb and then turning it. It might just give you more leverage and make you use less strength from your hands. Hopefully that makes sense.

Let me know how it goes!

Post #4122957

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sa1chavez

Posted Wednesday, February 13, 2008 6:57 PM

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Last Login: Thursday, May 28, 2009 5:43 PM
Posts: 15, Visits: 1

Thanks for the reply. My university's disability center here is useless. since im not in a wheelchair oh well. (not that that the building is ADA compliant anyway) BUT, I have found even more wonders of duck tape and popsicule sticks, and elmers glue and my departments spectacular machineshop. I designed the coolest stopcock turner and our machine shop is making it out of teflon as we speak. you dont have to use your fingers at all you can turn it with the palm of your hand. and because it can flip over you dont have to take it off to close the valve. And i designed miniversions that work on my columns and the valves for my rotovap.
Im also having covers made for the gas line and water knobs. a star shape just make it easear to dislocate my finger
if you shoot me an email ill send you some pics of the adaptations i made to my hood (chavez@chem.utah.edu) when the machine shop is done making everthing.

may the chemistry gods be with you
sherry

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