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Re: Experimenters, theory vs. practice (fwd)



Subject:  Re: Experimenters, theory vs. practice (fwd)
  Date:   Wed, 21 May 1997 21:39:30 -0400 (EDT)
  From:  <hvlist-at-Anchorage.ab.umd.edu>
    To:  hvdlist-at-Anchorage.ab.umd.edu



---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 21 May 1997 17:31:15 +0500
From: "Alfred A. Skrocki" <alfred.skrocki-at-cybernetworking-dot-com>
To: hvlist-at-Anchorage.ab.umd.edu
Subject: Re: Experimenters, theory vs. practice (fwd)

On Wed, 21 May 1997 09:07:59 -0700 Richard Hull
<hullr-at-whitlock-dot-com> wrote;

> You are right Ed!  It has, or is being taken to extremes.  I have had to 
> fight to get 4 gallons of Benzene recently as the safety freaks 
> admonished me that they could order it, but I had to pick it up the day 
> it was delivered as they did not want it on site!!!  When I picked it up 
> I was given a virtual file cabinet of safety data sheets.  A quick read 
> and you realize that Benzene is undoubtedly the main cause of all 
> the world health problems.
> 
> I use the stuff as a common solvent and cleaner (when nothing else seems 
> to work) and have no fear of small infrequent exposure to a number of 
> superb chemicals I have around like carbon and silicon tetrachloride, 
> MEK, Toluene, Acetone, etc.
> 
> This stuff is now treated like nitroglycerine by most safety nerds who 
> pull the "tilt" lanyard at the mere mention of the names.

The thing that gets me is all the B.S. reasons given to people as to 
why they can't buy Toluene, Xylene, Carbon tetrachloride, Ether, 
ect. is just that pure B.S.! I say this because you can buy all 
these chemicals in proprietary mixes like epoxy solvent, carburetor 
cleaner, starter fluid, ect. it's not really that they want to protect
your health and safety it's that they want to force you to pay 
outrageous prices for proprietary mixes that usually don't even work!
I'm lucky in a sense since I not only have a degree in Electrical 
Engineering but I also have a masters in chemistry and a B.S. in 
medical technology and I'm licensed as a medical technologist so
I can order and get any chemicals I want, but I really think the
restrictions imposed on the "public" are outrageous and unnecessary!

> [It wasn't that long ago, back in HS, that I used to go through all the
> "Science" mags, and what have you, fill in all the bingo cards, and get
> all sorts of neato info in the mail.  That got me onto the "Chemicals for
> Product Improvement" mailing list, and that was the mother lode!  I filled
> out some more bingo cards, and at different times, received a pint bottle
> of Picric acid, a bottle of acetonitrile, and all sorts of other
> wonderously dangerous stuff...all compliments of companies eager to sell
> their wares to "Delta Chemical Corporation".  I still get the occasional
> CPI mailing, 20+ years after the fact...  SRR]

That is the advice I give all my friends! Create a business name and 
use a laser printer to make business letter heads and business cards
then you can order all the chemicals you want so long as you don't go 
to a medical supply house, they require license numbers! Sometimes 
you have to fake tax numbers too!




                               Sincerely

                                \\\|///
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                           Alfred A. Skrocki
                   alfred.skrocki-at-cybernetworking-dot-com
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