Ok so I have run out of buffer. Now the problem comes up, do I just buy a whole new kit even though I still have so much left of everything else, or is there some way to buy more Buffer? Or something which will work in it's place, chemical or liquid.
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RT&DC Moderators: Senior Staff
Need more buffer?
- Thread starter KandyJill
- Start date
RavenousBlonde
Bluelight Crew
According to the paper I have, here is the instructions on making Simon's & the buffer:
Simon’s Reagent
Solution A: Dissolve 1 g of sodium nitroprusside in 50 mL of distilled water and add
2 mL of acetaldehyde to the solution with thorough mixing.
Solution B: 2 percent sodium carbonate in distilled water.
So like Volcano said, it's basically baking soda & water. But make sure to use distilled water like the instructions say.
Simon’s Reagent
Solution A: Dissolve 1 g of sodium nitroprusside in 50 mL of distilled water and add
2 mL of acetaldehyde to the solution with thorough mixing.
Solution B: 2 percent sodium carbonate in distilled water.
So like Volcano said, it's basically baking soda & water. But make sure to use distilled water like the instructions say.
Ekstasis-//7
Bluelighter
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- Feb 23, 2005
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^^Negative. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. You could try fiddling around with baking soda to get it into sodium carbonate but why bother when sodium carbonate is cheap and readily available?
Sodium Carbonate is sold in the laundry section of most supermarkets here as washing soda. It looks like fairly big clear/translucent crystals that look wet. It's fairly cheap. I've also seen distilled water, cheap at the supermarket also. Now from memory this is anhydrous sodium carbonate and needs more than straight sodium carbonate as the anhydrous stuff has water molecules attached making it's weight more. Someone like Phase_Dancer could give precise amounts needed with the washing soda stuff.
A few years ago I ran out of buffer for Simons and Robadobe becuase they each use the same tiny bottle. Each guide recommends 4-6 drops of buffer for this one and 2-4 drops of Simons or Robadope ect. Before you know it your out. Now I usually only use one drop of buffer to one drop of Simons or Robadope and would recommend this to save buffer . It still works and I think the guide for using more drops is just if you have a very large scraping.
In past years when I needed to refill my buffer bottle I went the ultra cheap option (actually the free option). I had no scales. A friend had a big bag of washing soda laying around for laundry and gave me some. I totally guessed the amount of sodium carbonate and mixed it up with (I can't remember) either some distilled/boiled/or reverse osmosis filtered water. I tried out some tests and the Simons and Robadope both worked. So I'm guessing the ammount of sodium carbonate in the buffer doesn't need to be too precise.
Sodium Carbonate is sold in the laundry section of most supermarkets here as washing soda. It looks like fairly big clear/translucent crystals that look wet. It's fairly cheap. I've also seen distilled water, cheap at the supermarket also. Now from memory this is anhydrous sodium carbonate and needs more than straight sodium carbonate as the anhydrous stuff has water molecules attached making it's weight more. Someone like Phase_Dancer could give precise amounts needed with the washing soda stuff.
A few years ago I ran out of buffer for Simons and Robadobe becuase they each use the same tiny bottle. Each guide recommends 4-6 drops of buffer for this one and 2-4 drops of Simons or Robadope ect. Before you know it your out. Now I usually only use one drop of buffer to one drop of Simons or Robadope and would recommend this to save buffer . It still works and I think the guide for using more drops is just if you have a very large scraping.
In past years when I needed to refill my buffer bottle I went the ultra cheap option (actually the free option). I had no scales. A friend had a big bag of washing soda laying around for laundry and gave me some. I totally guessed the amount of sodium carbonate and mixed it up with (I can't remember) either some distilled/boiled/or reverse osmosis filtered water. I tried out some tests and the Simons and Robadope both worked. So I'm guessing the ammount of sodium carbonate in the buffer doesn't need to be too precise.
RavenousBlonde
Bluelight Crew
KJ, if you are not chemically inclined like myself, maybe you could contact DanceSafe or EZ and see if they would just sell you a bottle of buffer? Never hurts to ask. Chemicals scare me & I am very ignorant in that area, so I don't take chances. lol
Hm, that seems like a better idea. I will do that first.
RavenousBlonde
Bluelight Crew
Let us know what they say. :D
I should have taken chemistry in high school like my parents said. lol
I should have taken chemistry in high school like my parents said. lol
phase_dancer
Bluelight Crew
Sodium bicarbonate can be used in place of sodium carbonate for the buffer. Simply use ~1.6 grams of bicarbonate to 100mL of water
RavenousBlonde
Bluelight Crew
Thank you very much, phase_dancer! :D
Thank you.
I will try this since I have not recieved a response from EZ Test yet.
Ekstasis-//7
Bluelighter
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- Feb 23, 2005
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Important Update
Hey folks I've recently tested the baking soda method for making new reagent buffer:
Unfortunately in my testing (using Simons reagent) this baking soda method produced much weaker and slower reactions when compared to using the original buffer. I tried making the baking soda solution stronger and weaker but there was no improvement. Also note, I did not foul up the test using tap water. I used proper distilled water.
The good news is that I found making my own buffer with sodium carbonate (as described elsewhere in scientific literature in proportion of 2gm sodium carbonate to 100ml distilled water) produced very nice reactions with Simons just like the original buffer.
I would strongly advise using sodium carbonate and distilled water to make new buffer over the baking soda (sodium bi-carbonate) method. Not only are the results much better in my testing but it is also very cheap and easy to make.
Sodium carbonate is available in the laundry aisle (washing soda) and so is distilled water. All up it set me back around 5bux. I've found sodium carbonate sold for a bit more expensive as foot wash along side other medicines and also distilled water sold for a a bit more expensive in larger containers under certain brand name drinking water (clearly marked as distilled). Lastly I found that measurements did not need to be too accurate. A shot glass (approx 30ml) of distilled water then a rough guess at around half a gram of sodium carbonate (could have been even 1gm) mixed in and the buffer worked very well indeed.
I like to test the new made buffer before re-filling the bottle. In my experience when the original reagent buffer bottle runs out there is always a couple of drops left inside from the spout. Remove the spout, use the last few drops to test a sample (or something that reacts) with Simons or Robadope along side your new buffer to be sure you are getting similar results.
Hey folks I've recently tested the baking soda method for making new reagent buffer:
Unfortunately in my testing (using Simons reagent) this baking soda method produced much weaker and slower reactions when compared to using the original buffer. I tried making the baking soda solution stronger and weaker but there was no improvement. Also note, I did not foul up the test using tap water. I used proper distilled water.
The good news is that I found making my own buffer with sodium carbonate (as described elsewhere in scientific literature in proportion of 2gm sodium carbonate to 100ml distilled water) produced very nice reactions with Simons just like the original buffer.
I would strongly advise using sodium carbonate and distilled water to make new buffer over the baking soda (sodium bi-carbonate) method. Not only are the results much better in my testing but it is also very cheap and easy to make.
Sodium carbonate is available in the laundry aisle (washing soda) and so is distilled water. All up it set me back around 5bux. I've found sodium carbonate sold for a bit more expensive as foot wash along side other medicines and also distilled water sold for a a bit more expensive in larger containers under certain brand name drinking water (clearly marked as distilled). Lastly I found that measurements did not need to be too accurate. A shot glass (approx 30ml) of distilled water then a rough guess at around half a gram of sodium carbonate (could have been even 1gm) mixed in and the buffer worked very well indeed.
I like to test the new made buffer before re-filling the bottle. In my experience when the original reagent buffer bottle runs out there is always a couple of drops left inside from the spout. Remove the spout, use the last few drops to test a sample (or something that reacts) with Simons or Robadope along side your new buffer to be sure you are getting similar results.
Last edited:
Mrfeelgood
Bluelighter
I can just make this instead of buying it???
Ekstasis-//7
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2005
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^^ The short answer is yes.
Last I checked EZ Test didn't sell the bottles of buffer separately. I find it's the first bottle from the EZ Test Extreme or EZ Test Complete kit to run out as both Simons & Robadope need buffer. You'd be wise to make your own buffer when it runs out rather that having to buy a whole new EZ Test Extreme kit.
Last I checked EZ Test didn't sell the bottles of buffer separately. I find it's the first bottle from the EZ Test Extreme or EZ Test Complete kit to run out as both Simons & Robadope need buffer. You'd be wise to make your own buffer when it runs out rather that having to buy a whole new EZ Test Extreme kit.
Mrfeelgood
Bluelighter
^^ Damn Thats good to know! Is it useless to make if all I have is the Marquis reagent????
Seith
Bluelighter
The buffer is only needed for the Simons and Robadope reagent.