Safety Tips

SAFETY TIPS are designed to be used for the safe insertion of glass tubing through holes drilled in rubber stoppers. By using SAFETY TIPS you and your students can produce various pieces of of laboratory equipment, each of which is both gas tight and liquid tight. Glass tubing that is considerably wider in diameter than the hole in the rubber stopper can be inserted SAFELY and without too much effort through the hole in the rubber stopper. Neither you or your students should ever again suffer from painful cuts that are caused by inserting glass rod or tubing in rubber stoppers in an inappropriate and dangerous fashion. Full and thorough instructions with pictures, are included with the SAFETY TIPS. You will have to provide both some glycerine, and the rubber stopper (cork) borers that are necessary for the proper use of the SAFETY TIPS. When used properly the SAFETY TIPS never have to be replaced. They will last forever. The SAFETY TIPS are sold in sets of eight. The numbers 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11 and 15 are imprinted on the tips. These are the same numbers that are imprinted on the respective rubber stopper borers. The SAFETY TIPS can be purchased either in complete sets, or in individual sizes. The number 4 SAFETY TIP, for example, is the one you would use for inserting most thermometers through the holes in rubber stoppers. You may want to have multiple copies of the #4 SAFETY TIP.

STEPS FOR USING SAFETY TIPS

Step 1: Choose a rubber stopper borer and SAFETY TIP that is slightly larger than the diameter of the glass tubing (thermometer) that you are inserting into the stopper
Insert the SAFETY TIP into the rubber stopper borer. Wipe a bit of glycerine over the SAFETY TIP. Hold on to the rubber stopper and push the SAFETY TIP through the hole of the rubber stopper until it comes out the other side. The SAFETY TIP enables the rubber stopper borer to slip easily through the hole without cutting the hole. You may find that rotating the rubber stopper borer as you push also helps.
With the rubber stopper borer still in the hole of the rubber stopper remove the SAFETY TIP and carefully slide the glass tubing (thermometer) through the rubber stopper borer, adjust the position of the tubing (thermometer) appropriately.
Hold on to the ruber stopper and carefully remove the rubber stopper borer. You may find that rotating the rubber stopper borer as you pull also helps.