The Chemistry Clamp Tierlist

[@That_Chemist]

Now is the best time to buy the FlexiSpot Ergonomic Chair. 30 days free return, try it with confidence! Use code "C730" for $30 off! FlexiSpot C7 Premium Ergonomic Chair US: tinyurl.com/y8mp3tkv CA: tinyurl.com/bdhn8a7z

[@nicazer]

I do a lot of woodworking and one of the things I learned in my chemistry education is to accept that clamps at work are a thousand times harder to use than clamps at home. I can clamp wood together tightly and securely with one hand in a tight space while holding something else with my other. Then I go to work and get angry at them all day.

[@himynameisben95]

This is so chaotic. It feels like an impromptu video made out of frustration, yet man has tier buckets

[@That_Chemist]

the next tierlist has tier cups

[@LolaliciousSmiley]

"Hopefully, this is water." When you're at home, you're your own EHS manager.

[@Exotria]

I love highly specific complaint videos.

[@gamingmarcus]

The real S-tier are four-finger clamps with cork on the inside.

[@preworkoutcoffee2604]

Bonus points when the cork starts to fall off the clamp.

[@jimsvideos7201]

Live-action shitposting, I love it.

[@tylerswanson6358]

The ones that frustrate me to no end are the smaller ChemGlass 3-fingers (and likely other companies as well) that the fingers are plastic but have a silver paint to look metal. They break so easily if you over-tighten them, you better hope your water-sensitive reaction is tightly sealed when it inevitably falls in the ice bath

[@gamingmarcus]

But the alternative would be to overtighten the clamp and break your flask. Doesn't that lead to pretty much the same result?

[@adamantris2]

i for sure didnt expect a lengthy rant video from that chemist but am delighted nonetheless

[@That_Chemist]

hopefully the first of many delightful surprises :)

[@DrHenry1987]

Those are your great-great-grandfather's clamps. Invented alongside the Bunsen burner.

[@The_carrot_man]

Wait, lab clamps are supposed to be good?

[@That_Chemist]

they are now >:)

[@PedanticBiochemistStarg]

Haha, we where so excited when we got those terrible 3-finger ones you started with because they were so much better than our old two finger ones that were bare metal and too wide to get the keck clamps on the glassware after using.

[@masarapk9500]

Lesson learned, the best clamp is your hand

[@crabcrab2024]

IKA makes very decent, but ridiculously expensive lab stands and clamps.

[@jort93z]

150€ clamp on 800€ stand, nice.

[@dylanpalmer8344]

Found a standard universal clamp from ika, $450

[@crabcrab2024]

@@dylanpalmer8344 Nice! Sounds like a new record. 🙃😂 Could you give us the link, please?

[@Grak70]

“Hey what’s up it’s your homeboy NileGreen. Today I’ll be reviewing lab clamps.”

[@phobos1963]

That's true for the most part, well except the part where you use plastic clamps, Idk what do you work with usually, but I can assure you that If i used polymer clamps in the lab It wouldn't be a great idea

[@blueredbrick]

Ah. you were blessed to put up with modern versions of mechanical attaching and adjusting tools, Dont't gt me started abour the POLYMER bases clamps that are supposed to keep your ground glass joints firmly connected. Let me tell you that I went to collect all not brand new ones and made them dissapear, I aleady found a bucket full antique stalnless steel ones that last forever. Also the claps vary wildy in quality. And when the clamps are indeed well made and have bare metal or hammerite etc coatiing take care of the treads with a tad of silicone grease. Also the end gripping parts should not be made from meltable crud. Just glassfire sleeve or make sure no burs or sharps edges are contacting the glas and work with fingerspitzegeful. Thinking and working out the syth is only a part of the total; get the lab well equipped and get rid of not well made stuff and again I repeat : do maintaince on the gear. acid or caustic of other enviroments are harsh on even the best of tools. And don't shy away from building it youself when stuff is not available. Cemistry is a all hands on journey. Well fitting glasses are also a life changer, as is getting proper nuce fitting gloves (nitrile usually, but depends on what your're doing. Secretly chuck away all latex gloves, they have no place in 2024 in an actual research setting. Cheers.

[@Teukka72]

Potential tweak of the rod + tree-finger clamp may be to do countersinks (triangular indentation) at an appropriate distance from the end, at clamp vertical, clamp horizontal, and two for clamp diagonal. You might need to rechrome the rod for chromed rods, but with the right countersink bit (possibly a hole just a couple of mm's in in the middle), the clamp will stay rotationally put.

[@y33t23]

I've got the same ones that came with one of those sucky stands you showed, and it's so terrible to work with them. I swear I wish I had a massive fume hood with a large, fixed grid of metal rods and high quality clamps just like I do at work 😭

[@DeathMetalDerf]

As an IT professional I have many questions about the data security with Temu. I have not, nor will I buy anything from them or Alibaba for data security reasons.

[@That_Chemist]

everyone stands out to the internet immediately when we connect anywhere - we are always identifiable to a competent (valid) algorithm

[@PaulSteMarie]

Squeeze the clamp with your fingers and spin the nut with your finger tip. You could get a split nut like Starrett offers on some of their dividers and calipers, but i find those to be more trouble than they're worth. Be careful with the loc-line stuff. Bend them a little too far and the segments will pop apart.

[@aqdrobert]

When you hear a chemist say, "OOPS." run.

[@elitearbor]

I dabble in relatively simple home chemistry, and I found the exact same thing regarding commercially available clamps and stands, regardless of price or brand. Since I'm a machinist as well, I went ahead and made better clamps. Chemists put up with a lot of awful "solutions" to ordinary problems. Edit: You wish the arms of the Jobi (spelling?) were longer? Well, good news! Those arms appear to be standard Loc-Line.

[@chemistryofquestionablequa6252]

More often than not I use hair elastics to augment lab clamps. Most corrode so quickly they’re borderline unusable unless you strip the rust every week or so. Why use tiny threads that become useless at the first sign of corrosion in an environment that’s very often corrosive?!?

[@That_Chemist]

yeah honestly the imperial clamps make more sense than metric ones if they are gonna be rusted and crappy

[@chemistryofquestionablequa6252]

@@That_Chemist I distill a lot of HNO3, my clamps are always rusty, lol.

[@crimsonhalo13]

If you connect two Clampy McFlopClamps together, you get clampchaku.

[@Mertl.]

Centuries of engineering advancements and literature working toward removing metal-to-metal contact, and clamps have remained garbage through it all

[@chemistrycapital]

The video every chemist needed

[@hoggif]

I think I have only F-tier gear, including my glasswear. But they are so versatile: When the clamping stand is not truly vertical, why not just use the condenser with internal 5 degree tilt in joint :) Photography arms are so clever. I never thought of using those even if I have a lot of them already! This was a game changer!

[@afeathereddinosaur]

What was the event that led to the creation of this video? There must've been a mishap somewhere that got you wanting to thrash all these crappy clamps

[@richardblair3021]

Having a heat resistant arm is important for me as well. A standard synthesis in my lab requires 400 C. Issues with three finger clamps can be mitigated and redeemed. Hold the clamp closed on the flask neck while tightening - you are not fighting the spring. Replace damage or removed finger coating with self-sealing silicone tape. It’s heat resistant to 250 C and once it sets overnight is permanently stuck to itself. Silicone tubing also works. For my 400 C work I use woven glass fiber tubing used to insulate wires in furnaces. It’s low cost albeit a bit slippery.

[@johndeaux8815]

13:25 was a great callout 😂 I instantly remember all the times I've seen those guys doing that the slow way

[@jimsvideos7201]

That bendy tube stuff is called locline if you want more.

[@hoagieland3716]

What makes the 3-prong clamp even worse is when you’re using one that’s been very worn down from use because college labs don’t ever restock them, the rubber part of one or more of the prongs may be deteriorating if not completely absent. Not only is this bad for potentially breaking the flask because there’s no more padding, but they also are nearly impossible to get a good grip on the flask because they’re completely uneven and now you’re forced to slightly tilt the whole clamp to make the flask upright. I despise those clamps with a passion because of how terrible they are

[@MySuperhappyfuntime]

Stainless steel (which the threads in clamps etc. are made from) tends to gall badly. When using stainless steel fasteners you really need to have some sort of lubricant on the threads. Try add a little grease and the friction problem should go away at least.

[@geordonworley5618]

You didn't cover it, but you can get some pretty nice clamps that have curved interiors made out of both vinyl and cork. The Vinyl ones suck, just like you mentioned, but cork might be a tad better. Optionally, you can get metal ones with curved interiors and then use PTFE tape on them if you need more grip. Overall, I prefer the ones with curved interiors because they get a better grab.

[@Mulmgott]

My OChem lab instructors would get an aneurism seeing the clamp upside down (at 15:22). Whenever they saw this at my fume hood (during my first few experiments) they told me to fix it immediately.

[@Wheezs]

I love the small rig clamps I use them with 3/8 rod for filming as well

[@florianbeck4283]

I’ve actually had a lab accident before because of a bad clamp. It got stuck when I fastened it and seemed like it was fine, but a few seconds later as I had just left it came crashing down and broke a flask, spilling its contents over the lab bench. Also, I’m with you, all these clamps loosening up all the time is so fucking annoying. And then when you have these standalone stands, the screws in the bottom come loose as well.

[@supersmashsam]

I've never had problems with the conventional lab clams, but I do agree that sometime they can be quite archaic and low quality. I'm tempted to try one of those camera and see how well they suit my daily uses in the lab.

[@lightnslim]

i dont do chemistry but i do find it interesting.. anway it seems to me with a few modifcations the regular finger clamps seem to be the best. you could even just use a drill to screw them in quickly if you wanted.

[@alexxiv14]

so the takeaway that i got was that the film industry has the best clamps, alos I would recommend you get like a film/video c stand and some sand bags to anchor it to try out, there really handy for all kinds of support out in the middle of space, i usual keep one next to my work bench (granted i do more electronics then chem) but its still handy for things

[@klondikesaloon7026]

I wish some company would release a lab lattice that didn't have intersections in the frame itself. They're always at exactly the wrong height for where I need to clamp. Maybe there's an H or I-beam style solution or something out there.

[@c0rr4nh0rn]

This clamp does not spark joy.

[@IlusysSystems]

I've got an idea, how about making desks with steel top coated with resistant epoxy/ceramic. That way you can use stands with magnetic base and position them wherever. I often do find my condenser at weird angles and since I am lazy, I just support it by clamp rather than clamp it actually.

[@chemistryscience4320]

Hmm ..I have to disagree on this one joe, i dont think the S tier clamps are better, in fact i would never use a set of those to assemble a big apparatus, like distillations, dean stark, fractional, Soxhlet, where there's going to be heat, vibrations, and change in center of mass. The F tier clamps may be annoying, but the do the job very well, i dont think everything needs to be quick and "easy", it needs to work, and in the case of a glassware set, it needs to be strong, hard to move and temperature resistant. Also 50 bucks per piece ? it almost makes me think that is just like a rich boys toy with the same functionality of the poor boys toy, maeby even worse. Obviously i'm willing to wait for joe in the future to talk about his experience and if they work as god tier, i can change my opinion of course. But for now i just dont see this as better. PD: A little note on the clamp holder, it goes upside down ^.^

[@DangerousLab]

Photography clamps are more often than not better than most laboratory clamps, they are much more well-designed and versatile.

[@idfk1837]

im still a student study science at 17 years old but damn i feel your pain we are trying to attach a boiling tube + thermometer to a clamp for swiloboff and damn it did NOT stay still

[@jjdro]

I really thought you were just gonna throw all clamps in the f tier bucket 😂

[@bato6640]

I was waiting for this video !!! Thx That Chemist

[@andrews.4780]

W ring clamps. I love the filtration idea, makes me feel silly that I was only using them for my separatory funnel!

[@christineg8151]

My favorite is when I have a three-fingered clamp on a vertical pole, tug on it repeatedly to make sure it's in place, and then watch the (supposedly secure) clamp just *slide* down when I get a flask in place, to hit the bottom of my water bath...

[@DrHenry1987]

Where are your shoes??? You get a yellow card.

[@kaboom4679]

How about a colab with another YTer that does engineering / machining / fabrication ? I enjoy a good rant but appreciate a good solution even more .

[@lilmatt1914]

i wanted a phone holder for my year made 2007 car that didn't block my air vents(vent style), fall off all the sudden (suction cup) and i needed it to survive being in the vibrating death machine that is a fucking car (large heavyish base style). the biggest challenge i faced after realizing theres a diverse market of object arms for shit like photography was finding a mounting point within the cabin that i would have to comit to, as using mechanical fasteners will always be the most secure option. next, fabricated out of steel is really the only unique part that would become a piece of my car as with the support of another part i fabricated as a backing plate both having a largish surface area to spread the load... it would use the luxurious plastic trim within my car as the foundation to a female thread that would fit a magic arm and other adapter thing i made to hold a phone. might sound a bit confusing but i achieved my goal and dont give a single fuck about the aesthetic risk that is drilling a few holes in my cars trim.

[@scottmiller2591]

I've never struggled with 3 finger clamps - you pinch the fingers to tighten or loosen the clamp, and slide the pole clamp off the top - requires a little planning, but you should be planning anyway. Are you saying the 3 finger clamps made now all suck? Because this definitely didn't used to be the case. Also, rings for separator funnels, not just filtering. I enjoyed the video anyway.

[@el7440]

*smells* this is..not water -that chemist 2024

[@PsychChemistryEase]

I like ring clamps for my sep funnel - a big one at the top, a small at the bottom!

[@contomo5710]

i actually stopped using normal clamps for RBFs, i feel like im better off just placing them onto a ring clamp lol

[@custos3249]

Finally, the lab equipment video NurdRage promised yeeeeeeeaaaaarrrrrssss ago.

[@tudor2051]

What model air quality meter is that?

[@jort93z]

You need G and H tier bins at this point.

[@johndeaux8815]

A-Z, but this clamp is so bad it's going in bucket #17 (had to start numbering buckets as I ran out of letters)

[@welporajackwelp4899]

At least your ring stand is steel and not some stupid aluminum.

[@vevenaneathna]

"no matter what the news telling you, you can just try things for yourself, which i would encourage you to do as a good citizen" its weird how much i agree with the context in which these words were said but generally would disagree strongly with the words by themselves ... lol

[@Sanutep]

all the kinds of things a university lab would never invest in. lol

[@twocvbloke]

Could be worse, could be clothes pegs that just explode for no reason when you go to use them on the washing line... :P

[@safrimmons2956]

TIL that even chemists collect sick kicks

[@ligmabaldrich485]

Would be cool to see more lab life hack videos!

[@helddermolekule5503]

Those clamps etc. with the blue nobs are of course the cheapest ones available, you should give Bochem a try.

[@kaboom4679]

Look on the bright side . You get many more opportunities to polish your bench top extraction skills .

[@telotawa]

this is great pls do more

[@whatevernamegoeshere3644]

14:28 naaah man finding my orientation was way more difficult

[@7hunderstorm242]

Haha round clamp for funnel is good for sure :3

[@mikko-pekkaleppanen3761]

Yeah, clamps are frustrating. I have an idea, how about a video ranking parafilm hacks

[@That_Chemist]

I want a cheap alternative to parafilm

[@ASCENDANTGAMERSAGE]

These are all awful. Why aren't these over center mechanisms? It'd make things so much quicker to set up and remove. Also, i feel like the flasks should have some kind of tilt protection?!!?!?!?!? why are labs using any clamps like this?!!?!?

[@PsychChemistryEase]

Haha you are brilliant…I heard you on Hamilton podcast and came here to see why he said you are funny and you are ha

[@ZoetropeSC]

very cool

[@rishithegray9559]

The real F-tier bucket is a trash can

[@user-yw9mw9hv8o]

holy rant

[@ivanryzhov2836]

That was good

[@danmosenzon1477]

Just rent a little gnome to hold things for you.

[@theschmedaparadox1018]

I use duct tape and a Zollstock

[@raymonprins559]

why would you want a 5L flatbodem flask?!?! and then... AND THEN.... YOU DARE, HAVE IT BE THREE NECK!??! i can now forsee why god has forsakken humanity. (8.22 for visuals)

[@mohsen4465]

if something tightened very fast there is risk for it to mistakenly be loss very fast. also a flask full of liquid can't turn upside down because it's heavier on bottom. if you are a hasty person you can't work in laboratory at least with dangerous chemicals.

[@scriptorpaulina]

Spoken like someone who’s never set foot in a physics laboratory. I’ve seen multiple people brain themselves on telescope counterweights and actually caused us to have to realign the instrument at one point.

[@fightocondria]

I do love me some clamps

[@GabrielHodge]

Its because most of them arent "new" anyways lets reinvent the clamp

[@michaelbrodsky]

F-Tier is what I got 😂 🎉🎉

[@jorgeharoo]

My brother in christ I use a bent coat hanger, duct tape and a drying rack to hold my flasks

[@jorgeharoo]

@EducatedBrute not yet, invested it all on the drying rack

[@LtLolcopter]

Fr why are lab clamps so shit?

[@27.minhquangvo76]

I want to apologize early for something I have done in Discord, but I do not think there is sufficient time between this video and a possible Chempilation for my mistakes that will come up. I was the person removed from your Discord for the absolute blunder that I admitted to and showing its consequences to That Chemist’ Chempub. As I have mentioned in the Discord, I was relatively new to doing practical chemistry, and I feel that experiments at school are sometimes “not enough” for my love of it. Because of that, I’d try to find any time available, and recently, buy chemicals home (but due to a ridiculous lapse of judgement, not buying enough proper PPE). This, combined with my lack of care, has led me to multiple accidents, with the most recent one being having my hands in contact with nitric acid and a barrage of other chemicals (as I have admitted to,) causing multiple injuries on my hand, most recently with the skin discolored and seizing up from a recent practical session, and an additional four round scars on my right hand from sodium hydroxide burns from making soap at home earlier. I feel somewhat afraid but also somewhat fortunate to admitting that my skills of judgement and my level of care was beyond terrible. The former was because I’d not be able to directly perform procedures with another at a lab and multiple concerns, especially of serious bodily harm and death; in addition to getting removed from your Discord (which happened, and I only felt it when a mod named NotArgon started to trial me after a glance of multiple rather serious accidents), and having a bad reputation within the chemistry community as a whole (as I was not able to really do practical with a lot of care, so one might ignore or question help from me in other chemistry problems.) However, I feel somewhat fortunate about my on-Chempub trial and removal from your Discord, which has shocked me into this realization, and with that, I had really cleaned up my lab and glassware, put away my chemicals, and now trying to take a break from practical chem to realize how careless and lapsing in judgement I was, and left thinking how much I underestimate the danger of reagents I could meet in the future (some could obviously put an end to my life.) In the end, I think it was rightful for me to take a break from your Discord and reflect on my past actions, driven by my fervent love of chemistry, combined with my absolutely comical disrespect of and failure to apply learned lab safety protocols (notably the lack of PPE), poor judgement, and lack of care. I do feel somewhat of an urge to return, but knowing what I have done, I rightfully deserve and accept the punishment.

[@DJMANDY467]

only 1 view wtf

[@klonekingF18]

Single digit veiwcount squad

[@PyroRob69]

Put those socks in F tier too

[@Plexippuspetersi92]

Yeah, but even the S-tier ones are too large for nipples.

[@firekingextreme7207]

that's why you gotta make your own lab equipment, stuff is overly priced because of niche market that lab equip has, id rather learn how to make the lab equipment from scratch with the money that i would have wasted buying some online while also learning a new craft or two like glass blowing and welding, rise above.

[@Misslayer99]

I like those striped socks tho