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Please direct all comments, correctionsand suggestions to:

Jack B. Nimblec/o Loompanics Unlimited

PO Box 1197Port Townsend, WA 98368

THECONSTRUCTTON

AND OPERATION OFCLANDESTINE DRUG

LABORATORIES

by Jack B. Nimble

There is no calamitY greater

than lavish desires,ena there is no greater desire

than greed...

The more laws and order are

made Prominent, the more

thieuei and robbers there

will be-..

He who knours others is tr'rise'.'i""lui"o k;;; himself is enlishtened"'

Peoole are dit'ficult to gouern'-AZro"t" theY have too much

knowledge...

THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONOF CLANDESTINE DRUGLABORATORIESo1986 by Loompanics UnlimitedAll Rishts ReservedPrinted in the USA

Publiehed by:Loompanics UnlimitedPO Box 1197Port Townsend, WA 98368

Cover and lllustrations by Jack B. Nimble

ISBN O-9r5U9-40-7Library of Congrees

Card Catalog Numbcr 86-080534

- I-ao Tzu (from The WaY of Lifel

TABTE OF CONTENTS

Operation

Foreward and Warning .. .......1Security .. .. . ..5Safety .........8Location and Facilities.. .......10When to Stop and How ........lZ

Equipment

Glassware . .. 13

Procurement of Suspicious Items ...tTHeating, Stirring and Mixing .... ....2OFume Hoods .......30Miscellaneous Equipment .....39Tablets, Capsules and 0ther

Packaging Methods ...46

FOREWARD AND WARNING

This book is not for the technically inept. Much of theequipment described herein can be extremely dangerous

even to the professional chemist. A basicunderstanding of chemistry is essential. Laboratorycourses in Organic Chemistry are offered at virtually anycommunity college. The cost and time required for such acourse is well worth it.

I grew up in a world that once imprisoned people forpossession of small qtnntities of a plant native to ourcountry - in many cases for periods exceeding thesentences of rape, aggravated assault, even murder. I seemany people with a cigarette in one hand and a cup ofcoffee in the other complaining that people take drugs.Many of these same people feel that alcohol should beenough, and people have no right to use other drugs. Thisassumption that alcohol is safer than other drugs ispreposterous. Alcohol is one of the most dangerous,harmful and addictive agents known. It accounts fornearly half the fatalities on the nation's highways,promotes an often violent stupor, and ruins many goodrelationships.

I'm amazed that nothing was learned from theProhibition years. When a desired psychoactive material

rs made illegal, then it is often crime itself that has beenc*eated by this action. Sure, drug abuse is a problem; so iswasting food. Politicians like society to think they've"solved" a particular drug problem by the enactment ofnew laws. Before they enact the new laws, they try toIui.e the drug(s) appear extremely dangerous by creatingbad publicity towards it. To convey bad pub[icity, oneneed only term a drug "psychedelic." For many, this wordreverberates horror from the late 1960's LSD propaganda:leaping in front of cars, flying off buildings and frying yourbrain with "acid." Many of these so called "psychedelics"are not hallucinogenic at all, especially themethylenedioxy compounds: MDA, MDMA, etc. Manyspices are hallucinogenic in high doses. Even caffeineinduces white flashes of light in moderate doses. yet theseitems escape bad publicity from the media by having awfulside effects (at the hallucinogenic dosage) that loweis their"abuse potential."

After new laws are enacted, the problem becomes oneof enforcement, so of course more tax monies are needed.Agents need more guns, more wiretaps, better cars andhigher salaries. The media tells the public that thegovernment is at least fighting the problem. This leads tothe false assumption that everyone is happy, and theproblem has been partially resolved. But now theproduction and distribution of such a substance is placedin the hands of the underworld. More money is injectedinto organized crime.

When publicity develops again, more attention (money)is given to the enforcement agencies. Subsequently, the"risk" of manufacturing and distributing the substance isincreased. The illicit chemists want more money, thesmugglers want more, dealers want more, etc. The cashflow through the entire system is increased. What changesis the price paid by the consumer, and the quality of thesubstance usually decreases because dLaleri seekadulterants to stretch their supply as far as possible.

This pattern is typical of nearly all substances thegovernment has attempted to regulate. It is especially6vident in the recent "war" on marijuana being flownacross the Mexican border. The "emergency" schedulingof MDMA on July 1, 1985 accomplished nothing, otherthan an increase in the number of persons breaking thelaw. Some studies have even suggested that MDMA has avery low abuse potential.

I am not suggesting that I have an answer to theproblem of drug abuse. I only wish to illustrate how thepresent system often worsens the problem, in spite ofgood intentions. Illicit drugs are usually produced in rat-iidden clandestine laboratories where quality control andpurity give way to greed and profit. The very largest ofthese enjoy sanctions from prosecution. This isaccomplished via tremendous pressure thrust upon lawenforcement officials. This pressure is usually fromorganized crime, but is also from pure greed. Society hasdeveloped many gross misconceptions about drugs.Many persons believe it is wrong to ingest a substancethat changes their mood or makes them temporarily feelbetter. This is especially true if this substance is not"required" for the treatment of some illness a physicianhas verified that you have.

Soft drinks, coffee, cheesecake, and chocolate are alllegal substances and promote much more physiologicaldeteriorations than responsible use of drugs, especiallywhen used chronically, which the advertising mediapromotes. Many in fact are quite harmful (to your teeth,heart, etc.).

It is a shame we have eliminated most nativeAmericans, for they were truly a free-thinking culture. It'sappalling to recall our ancestors (after taking their landand forcing Christianity on their minds) attempting tooutlaw their responsible use of Peyote, and introduceinstead our use of alcohol, opiates and junk food.

_=----E:

It is my sincere hope that the information I present hereis used with good intent. Clandestine chemistry can begrossly profitable. It is unfortunate that good ideals areoften lost in the midst of huge profits. This book is forthose wonderful people who value the human soulabovemoney and power. And to those who, like myself, do notaccept the hypocrisy in our drug legislation. Perhaps ifthese people begin to voice their opinions, the day ofresponsible drug use, manufacture, and control willbecome a reality.

The clandestine laboratories described in this bookdon't have to be used to make illegaldrugs. They could beused to manufacture medicines and useful chemicals in awar or survival situation. This book contains what I knowabout setting up and operating clandestine laboratories. Itis sold for informational purposes only.

SECURITY

One of the finest skills to master is silence:unconditional silence. Ignorancehere will cost you time inthe slammer, maybe even your life. I cannot stress enoughhow important anonymity is.

There is no reason for a partner. Few chemicalprocedures require more than two hands. Always workand act alone. There are many additional advantages: noone to become greedy and argue profits with, no one toparallel a schedule with, and no one to rip you off whileyou are gone. Work alone. This is the voice of experienceirom miny people. Few illicit chemists are caught whotruly act alone.

Security also means unobtrusive behavior on your part.Cover oll your tracks. Have ruses ready for nosy persons.If a neighbor inquires about an awful odor, say you"burned some candy." Apologize and shut down forawhile. Neuer leave glassware, empty chemicalcontainers, chemistry books or lab equipment in sight ofothers. Never have orders for chemicals or equipmentsent to your residence. Postal and DOT regulationsrequire conspicuous warning labels on many chemicalshipments. Pickages are often left with neighbors if you're

not home. Also, never leave these empty shippingcontainers out on the curb or alley to be taken off as trash.Fold them up and put them in opaque trash bags, or throwthem into a commercial trash container far away.

Always completely eliminate visibility into your workingarea (a narc "seeing" you mix chemicals through awindow would certainly constitute probable cause!).Frosted glass is excellent but expensive. A thick, whitebedsheet covers windows well and allows light to enter.Aluminum foil looks a bit more suspicious, and creates theneed for extra lights.

Perform smelly distillations and evaporations during latehours when most people are asleep. It is also a good ideato do these during foul weather when few persons areoutside and most windows are closed. Rain has aremarkable ability to cleanse the air of odors. The chapteron fume hoods discusses the elimination of odors in detail.Beware when working with ether: its strong and distinctodor has blown the cover of many illicit hbs (it is alsoextremely flammable). Use an alternative solvent unlessyou have the proper equipment and facilities to safely usethis smelly, dangerous chemical.

Keep products (drugs) out of your laboratory as anadded measure of safety. Store them in an obscure,secure and confidential place after manufacture.Thoroughly wash allglassware and equipment with a gooddetergent and rinse with acetone afterwards. Your taxdollars have purchased elaborate, expensive equipmentthat forensic narcs use to detect minute traces of mostdrugs. Watch spills; clean them up completely. Don'ileave products in various stages of production layingaround to be completed "later." Finish and clean up. Beable to pack up your entire operation on a moment'snotice. Have out only the equipment and chemicals youneed for a particular procedure. Work near a toilet and beprepared to dispose of products on a second's warning,(you may have less time than that). A false alarm or two is

worth the expense and trouble. You can always startover. If possible, complete syntheses up to the last step soyou can make small amounts at a time. Your losses willlhen be negligible in the event you must quickly flush yourproduct.

Watch for surveillance. It's not hard to spot if youcontinuously look for it. Cars, vans and recreationalvehicles are notorious tools of surveillance for narcs. Wiretaps and pen registers are routine tools of investigation.Never discuss ony aspect of drugs on the telephone'Avoid suspicious innuendos, too. Should you suspectsurveillance, stop then. Cease operation for severalmonths. Surveillance is very expensive because it involvesa lot of time from hishly paid persons. Even pen registers(a listing of all the numbers dialed on a particular phone)require-much time and money to analyze. For thesereasons, surveillance is usually ceased if positive evidenceis not being produced. Be irregular. Never make promiseson delivery, sales, etc. Maintain the ability to stop at anytime. The added margin of security is well worth anyinconveniences from an irregular schedule. Think aheadand you won't be sorry later, and always work and actalone.

I

SAFETY

Dangers inherent to organic chemistry cannot beignored. An accident is an excellent way to drawattention, (from associates if you're lucky, from the DEA ifyou're not).

Strong acids and bases can severely burn skin. Theycan also easily blind you. Safety goggles are cheapinsurance against the loss of your valuable eyes.Neopreme gloves ofter excellent protection from mostchemicals. If you have large amounts of concentratedacids, bases, or other reagents, transfer small workingquantities to smaller containers for use in your immediateworking area. If a procedure requires a diluted solution,perform the dilution away from other chemicals. Be uerycareful when doing reduction reactions with chemicals likelithium-aluminum-hydride (common to many drugsyntheses). When a procedure calls for the maintenanceof a low temperature or inert atmosphere, don'tcompromise! Hydrogen peroxide, especiallyconcentrated, is extremely harmful to your eyes.Concentrated ammonia is also dangerous and can oftenbe substituted with another,less noxious base, like NaOHor KOH.

One of the most prominent dangers involves the use ofether. Learn to respect this highly volatile solvent. Itsvapors are heavier than air, and can traveldownwards toan ignition source. Eliminate all sources of sparks. in the

viciriity. Florescent lamps, thermostats, telephones'motors, clocks, relays, non-mercury switches, breakerboxes and relays are notorious sources of ether ignition'Even static charges can trigger a fire; have everythinggrounded. AlwayJ use a good fume hood. Many hot plates

have internal thermostats that spark. Use only steambaths (with a remote source of steam) or heating mantleswith a remote powerstat around ether. Never store etherin the refrigerator or freezer to retard evaporation! Thesparks from the fan and thermostat will cause a violentexplosion.

Use duct tape to secure loose cords you might tripover. Never leave a heating operation unattended. This isespecially pertinent to evaporation procedures. Keep a

good fire extinguisher at hand, and consult a laboratorysafety manual if you are not sure.

Safety is not only critical for the prevention of injury butalso foi the maintenance of secrecy. Think ahead'

)

98

LOCATION AND FACILITIES

with a siphon). Also have a toilet nearby to dispose ofproducts in an "emergency." [ast, be absolutely certain tolock the entrance(s) to the laboratory, even while you'reinside.

Lots of room is nice. I once constructed a smalllaboratory in the pantry of a tiny bathroom. I tripped overone of the power cords, jerking a hot plate and beaker ofnearly completed product to the floor. Don't crowdyourself.

An apartment might work for an afternoon of kitchenchemistry, but locate a farm or house if you plan for more.

Most of us lack the financiar resources required toconstruct an ideal laboratory. A large home with abasement on a three-hundred u.r" *oo-ded rot *oull b.ideal. But with some work, the numbe, ;f .;,',;ro,..lr",required is minimal.

Basements are wonderfuily suited. water and drainlines are easily accessibre. wails and froori ui" ur*ilvconcrete, which is non-flammabre and easy to crean. rn"var.e

. also easily concealed from the rest of the dwelling.

With.careful planning however, gou can put a lab nearlyanywhere. Security and safety aie the pri-urv .on."in,when deciding on the location.

A large walk-in closet works well. perhaps an unusedroom is available, or can be constructed. A garage is goodtoo, provided you have private accesr. riUhei"u"iif,"location, be certain of several things: iirri,

'tnutaccessibility is limited to you. Be su-re uiriuilitv i.impossible from any window, angle, hole, door, etc. Makecertain that adequate arrangements are made for the safeand thorough removal of fumes and odors. Be certain thatrunning water is available (a five gallon jug of distilledwater can be elevated above the work areJand tapped

11r0

WHEN TO STOP AND HOW GLASSWARE

Though you can (and should) utilize almost any glass

containers, 9ou will probably need to purchase a fewscientific glassware products. This is the major expense ofa laboratory, as most persons lack the expertise toconstruct such equipment. A good glassware set enablesyou to efficiently distill liquids under reduced pressure'and monitor precise temperatures. These capabilities areessential for high yields from chemical procedures. Suchdistillation is a far cry from boiling off the unwantedcomponents in a saucepan using a meat thermometer.The typical glassware set also contains the equipment toaccurately and safely add controlled amounts of onereagent to another. Using a vacuum PUmP, solvents andreagents can be quickly evaporated and the fumesdischarged in a safe manner. The glassware also allowsyou to separate your needed chemicals fromcommercially available products, (this is discussed in thefollowing chapter).

ThesJ kits are available from many laboratory supplyoutlets. Obtain the "universal type," with ground glassjoints (see Figure 1). If you can't find one, browse thtg"s-ba current journal (at the library) on "laboratories." You'llfind glassware manufacturers as well as sources of otherequipment you may wish to invest in.

)

A friend once asked me if I ever had come ,,close,,tog.etting caught. This doesn't happen. If you,re suspected ofillicit manufacture or distribution, you ire investijated andcaught as soon as possible. It doesn't take huch toconvince a judge that you're up to something, but theremust be evidence. If you make a consisteni effort toeliminate "evidence," youll have no regrets.

Several years ago I made the mistake of workingtogether with a partner, who was also a dear friend. W6wqrke.d very well together, but I was later approached bya third person. They had heard I might know of a,,recipei,for crank. That was the time to stop, and I did. I was laterable to bring that bad "rumor" to an end.

.If anyone but you becomes involved in any way, it istime to stop. If you are asked unusual questions byanyone, it is time to stop. If neighbors complain of badodors, stop. Get rid of any pioducts. Wash up theglassware and equipment and lay low for a few months.You might carefully box-up any chemicals and equipmentand store them somewhere else. Either do it perie.tly o,pack up. This is the voice of experience.

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A wonderful luxury is a "rotary evaporator'" These

devices take the hassle out of evaporating large quantities

of solvents. They spin the solution around in a pear-

shaped flask while heating. The solvent evaporatesquiikly from the increased surface area and high vacuum,ind condenses into a receiving vessel (to be re'used ifdesired). Unless you plan to repeatedly produce largequantities, it's probably not worth the investment.

Most glassware kits contain a smoll separatory funnel.Large funnels are very convenient and very expensive' Asolu-tion to this dilemma is to shake small quantities of themixture in the small funnel, then transfer them to a

converted jus (See Figure 2).Be certain any solvent youuse will nCI soften the plastic jug. Acetone andtetrahydrofuran dissolve most plastics, and musf be

sepatjted in glass funnels. A heat gun (or, with difficulty, a

hair-dryer) will soften the mouth of the jug and allow youto moid it down to a smaller size. An even betteralternative to this is to have a glass shop cut the bottomoff a one gallon glass cider jug. Using low temperatures,solder or braze a small tube to the jug's original cap.Epoxy paste also works welland can be molded to filllargegaps. If you need it, the large five gallon water vessels can6e- converted in a similar manner' They also make

excellent, inexpensive containers for storing largequantities of corrosive chemicals.

For containment and storage purposes, glass mayon-naise jars make excellent beakers' Glass salad-dressingand B-BQ sauce bottles can be used as Frlenmeyer Flasks.

You should put a small clump of epoxy paste on the rimfor a pouring lip; if not, you will have great difficultytransfering their contents. Look around the grocery store.You'll be iurprised what you find. Even Pyrex tea-carafesare available at a fraction of the laboratory supply house'sprice for a similar item. Get in the habit of saving glass jars

from the foods you consume.

74 15

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Obtain an accurate thermometer for use with the glass-ware set. Be certain you know the submersion it wasdesigned for. Seventy-five millimeters (75mm) is neededfor doing distillations on most glassware sets. This is veryimportant: a "total immersion" thermometer willgive falsereadings if not /ully immersed.

PROCUREMENTOF SUSPICIOUS TTEMS

Next to safety, this section is perhaps the mostimportant one in the book. Chemical companies oftenwatch certain reagents and report orders to the DEA.

, They are in fact required to do so on certain chemicals,,, such as piperidine (a precursor to PCP). There are many' ways to circumvent this, however. Avoid these chemical

supply companies when possible. Often, most things youneed are available in hardware, grocery, and auto-supplystores.

Browse through the O.T.C. section at a grocery orpharmacy. In doing such, I have found many valuableitems. One such item was a bottle of sasso/ros oi/. This oilwas once widely used as an antiseptic. It contains aboutseventy to eighty percent safrole: the major ingredientneeded to synthesize many methylenedioxy drugs, suchas MDA, MDMA, MMDA, "EVE," etc. I purchased thebottle for low cost, looked up the boiling point of safroleand distilled it off with a glassware set. Not only had Isaved money, but I had avoided any chance of alerting theDEA bv "purchasing" safrole. I also found hydrochloricacid, methanol, ethanol, magnesium sulfate, sodiumhydroxide and even ephedrine (a good precursor toamphetamine), being sold as "asthma medication." I

L716

obtained high quality ethyl ether by distilling "startingfluid," chloroform from ,,spot removZr," andtetrahydrofuran (often difficult to obtain) from "pVC pipecleaner." I found a. wide variety of solvents sold bv tn"gallon as paint thinners und reducers ar

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rmprovement store. All of these were priced veryreasonably. If you need high purity solvents, distill them,and dry them with sodium surfate. If extreme iivn"u, i,needed, .carefully add small amounts of lithium atu.inu-hvdride (be careful doing. this!). Ether a"u"iop,

"*Jtoriu"peroxides on long standing. These can be i"-oi.a uvshal<ing it with a reducing agent like sodium .ririi" l""tsufofe). I make it a generil practice to store ether wiih aliny amount of sodium sulfite in the container.Photography supply outlets often carry these chemicals.Magnesium Sulfate, another drying agent, can beprepared- by drying epsom sarf ([ragriesium

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heptahydrate) in an oven at 350 degreei F. -

If you can't find what you need, look in a chemicalre.view journal (such as chemicar Abstracfs) and find outwhat else the chemical is used for. This wiil gi*-vt, unidea where to find it other than a .n"-i.ui iupplvcompany. In some cases you may have to use thesechemical supply companiei. Be cirefur doing Lurln"r,with them. Find a legitimate use for the .h*ilu[lou,r"using (in Chemical AbsJrocfs) and order a coupte ofinexpensive substances that relate to this legitimai'; use.Obtain purchase orders from an office ,uppjv.ornpunv.You might also create.a bogus letterheai-d.;;tfi;

".industry that would have reason to purchase "theparticular chemicals. Use a high-quality typewriter. bon'tapqear "cheap." Have the ord-r(s) seni to ihe attention ofa fictitious, person, (never put' your own name onanything).lf you have to sign for something, again ur" ufictitious name. It's a good idea to set up ; piivate maildrop or mail-forwarding service. Be sure to check theirpolicies concerning confidentiality and custo."r r".oidr.

Always pay for chemicals with a certified bank moneyorder with your "company" name typed on it. Neuer use acredit card or send a personal check. After you'veestablished contact with a company, you can probablyjust call their order department and have the itemsimmediately shipped. When you do this, always refer toyourself as the "purchasing agent," and have the ordersent to the "attention of" a particular person or"department." Have a few technical buzz words ready incase they seem a bit suspicious - it just takes one or twoand they'll be convinced they're dealing with a legitimateorganization.

Mail all correspondence at the post office so thepostage is prinfed on the envelope, (most large companieshave their own postage machine). All these details make adifference. I must stress again: use the chemical supplycompanies with caution. Absolutely avoid the smallchemical outlets. They are often set up by the DEA tocatch illicit drug chemists. Many of these mock "outlets"even sell phenyl-2-propanone (P2P), the major precursorfor the manufacture of methamphetamine. Be very alert tothis sort of supply house.

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1819

the heating mantle to place the powerstat far away fromany flammable fumes. A coat of paraffin on the flask willfacilitate easy removal of the flask.

HEATING, STIRRING, AND MIXTNG

This sort of equipment is perhaps the easiest and mosteconomical to construct. Heating mantles are easilyconstructed using nichrome heating element wire and asuitable cement for the body. Asbestos cement is great,but is nearly impossible to obtain since the carcinogenicproperties of asbestos have been publicized. You can mixglass wool (from attic insulation) with portland cementand get a comparable product. Refractory (fireplace)mortar is available at home improvement outlets andworks well also. You can also use "kiln mortar," availableat art supply stores.

You can either start by packing the cement around theflask, or by pressing the flask into a mold filled with thecement (see Figure 3). A plastic margarine dish works finefor the latter. The flask can be removed as the cementbegins to harden and the nichrome wire pressed into thesurface of the cavity. The flask should then be placed backinto the cement as it shrinks during the drying process.Use large screws to connect the nichrome wire to thepower cord. The heat can then be controlled remotelywith a variable transformer (powerstat). Be certain it iscapable of handling the wattage consumed by the lengthof nichrome wire you have selected. Use a long cord on

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Small hot plates can be made sparkless by soldering theinternal thermostat closed, and using a powerstat ofsuitable size to controlits heat (see Figure 4). Steam bathsare easily made using a low-profile coffee can (see Figure5). Cut a hole in the top with tin snips large enough toallow the desired submersion of the flask or beaker. Asteam generator can be made by adapting a pressurecooker (see Figure 6) lor a coffee can (see Figure 7).Though a hassle, steam is an excellent way to maintain aconstant and evenly-dispersed temperature of 100degrees C.

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An alternative to the heating mantle is "pipe heatingtape." It is sold in hardware and home-improvementstores, and is used to thaw frozen water pipes. Most ofthese tapes have an integral thermostat that allowsoperation only below 35 degrees F. Solder the thermostatclosed and control the heat with a suitably sizedpowerstat. Pipe heating tapes are quite versatile as theycan be wrapped around any size vessel. They have thedisadvantage that the heat is applied to the vesselunevenly (compared to a good heating mantle). Unlessyou obtain one made from glass wool or asbestos, theyare not suitable for high temperatures.

Though a bit messy, oilbaths are the method of choicefor many heating applications, and they are easilyconstructed. The temperature is evenly dispersed into thevessel, eliminating "hot spots" that cause bumping andfoaming. You can instantly control the level of heat byvarying the immersion of the vessel. These baths can beconstructed by simply placing an oil container over theheat source (see Figure 7b). A better method is to placeabout 3 meters of #26 nichrome wire (or a pre-packagednichrome heating element) into the oil and use apowerstat to control the heat (see Figure 7c). A candy

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thermometer can be clipped to the side to indicate theapproximate temperature of the oil. For temperatures upto 200 degrees C, mineral oil is suitable. For highertemperatures, use silicone oil, or "silicone brake fluid."

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Oil baths are well suited to distillation' as they provide a

constant, even heat. They are also completely"sparkless."

Avoid bunsen burners. They not only provide a sourceof ignition for fumes, but distribute their heat quite

unevenly.

Stirring and mixing equipment are easily obtained at

second-hlnd and thrift stores. Old metal blenders costlaboratories several hundred dollars, but they are easy tofind second-hand for two to five dollars. The old milkshakemixers are great for quick immersion into a flask orbeaker.

Magnetic stirrers can be easily made from a sparklessturnta-ble or tape-recorder motor and a cotfee can' Use aceiling fan spe-ed control to vary the stirring speed (see

Figur;8). You might find it convenient to mount the speed

control in the base of the can. Wadded chicken wire or acoat hanger serves to hold the motor in position while thefoam sea-lant dries. Foam sealant adheres vigorously to all

surfaces and eliminates the need for complicatedshimming. It is available at home improvement stores forlow cost. It is probably best to purchase stir bars, but you

can make them from sections of polyethylene tubing orfhick drinking straws. Melt the ends shut around a small

bar magnet. You might make the tubing soft with a heatgun and mold a ridge around the central circumference'This will aid the stir bar in spinning.

Wobble stirrers are used when working with veryviscous liquids and semi-solids. These are frequentlyencountered in syntheses of DMT and related "plastic-like" drugs. Unless your motor is very small, a reduction is

not necelsary. Again, a ceiling fan speed control can be

employed to vary the stir rate. If needed, a smallsection ofbicycle inner tube can be stretched over the mouth of theflask (the protruding part tucked inward) to protect it

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from the vigorous movement of the stir shaft (see Figure9a). Polyethylene tubes to enclose the stir shaft can beobtained from a "Windex" or other spray bottle. Shown inFigure 9b is a simpler version that can often suffice. It doesnot vibrate the flask or slosh as violently as the wobbleversion.

Certain flammable solvents can be used (carefully!) innon-sparkless mixers, such as a blender. Ethanol is besi.Never perform this with ether or other highly volatilesolvents. Place a large fan several feet in front of the unitto direct all fumes away from the motor (see Figure 10).Be careful doing this, and use this method only whenabsolutely necessary.

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FUME HOODS

Fume hoods serve a dual purpose. Most important,they protect you from toxic material (such as ergotcompounds) and flammable vapors. However, they alsoallow the efficient removal of suspicious odors from yourvicinity, and their subsequent delivery to an unobtrusivelocation.

Thick sheetrock is an excellent material forconstruction of fume hoods, provided it is painted withseveral coats of epoxy paint or other chemicaTfireresistant coating. Sheetrock is flame retardant, cheap andeasy to work with. One inch by two inch wood moldingcan be used to reinforce the sheetrock if desired. Theimportant thing is to seal it well. Use caulk or jointcompound.

Tea crates are ideally suited for the construction offume hoods. They are usually lined with polyethylene, andare quite sturdy. Any wooden box will work provided theinterior is treated with a chemically resistant material. Ifyou have the money, gou might consider using asbestosfire-proof board in place of sheet-rock or wood. A 4 by 8foot sheet costs about thirty dollars. Figure 1la givesdimensions for a suitable hood from a standard 4 by 8 foot

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sheet. You will have to trim the edges to allow for thethickness of whatever material you Jelect. placement ofthe baffle is important: one inch off the bottom and twoinches from the back.

A sporkless fan must be used. Also select one withadequate capacity. 100 cfm is an absolute minimum. Mostcommercially available hoods have blowers of at least 500cfm.

An alternative is to construct a moveable fume hood(see Figure 11b). Use the frame from an old drafting light.Flexible ducting is sold in home-improvement indappliance stores as "dryer vent pipe." This type of hoodcan be moved directly over the source of fumes. Thisworks well for small jobs.

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In construction of all fume hoods, sources of ignitionmust be completely eliminated. Make certain the motor is"brushless" and properly grounded. Illuminate the hoodinterior with a socketless light bulb (see Figure 11c), oruse a vapor-proof fixture (see Figure 11c). Run allwires inconduit or plastic pipe. Eliminate all contact-typeconnectors such as "wire-nuts," light sockets, plugs, etc.Solder all electrical connections and insulate ihem tlell.Remember, the slighfesf spark will ignite the fumes ofmany solvents. The flash point of ether is about minus 20degrees C. That means that at this temperature thevapors right above the solvent can be ignited. Exerciseextreme caution when using ether! Don't skimp on safety.Keep at least one fire extinguisher within immediatereach.

A simpler, and often effective, alternative is simplyperforming chemical manipulations in front of a box fanplaced in the window. This works, but stick to a suitablefume hood if you use ether or other volatile solvents.

Exhaust fumes as high as possible. By the time theyreach another nose, the odor will be well dispersed andtheir point of origin vague. Most vent pipes are easilyextended by simply adding additionalsections. These canbe removed during the daytime if their appearance issuspicious. Duct tape is cheap and should be used to sealoll seams in the vent network. If your hot water heatervent extends high, you can utilize its vent system.Permanently seal all joints and seams with high-temperature muffler tape. Duct tape willnot hold up to thehigh temperatures of the heater's exhaust (see Figure11d). Be certain the heater (and pilot!) are shut off.

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Another way to dispose of fumes is to exhaust theminto your sewer line at'ter the last gas trap. This is veryconvenient for fumes from distillations, as the vacuum-pump's exhaust can be easily coupled to the line. Use an

uir-tisnt fitting with plenty of caulk or sealant (see Figure11e).

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In the unlikely event the vapors reach another nose,they will be well-diluted and their point of origin impossibleto find. They may travel miles down the sewer main.Ignition is very unlikely: since sewer-gas is flammable,precautions have usually been engineered into the sewernetwork.

MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT

Most additional equipment can be scrounged from fleamarkets, auctions, and garage sales. You may have manyitems already, but just haven't associated their use with alaboratory application. Household appliances have theadvantage of availability, low cost, and perhaps mostimportant - unobtrusive appearances.

For non-flammable solvents, an old percolator makesan excellent Soxlett Extractor. Even ethanolcan be usedif performed in front of a strong fan. For flammablesolvents, solder the internal thermostat closed and add aremote powerstat to control the temperature. For volatilesolvents, keep two or three ice bags on the percolator's lidto facilitate condensation back into the reservoir (see

Figure l2). lt the percolator is made of brass, copper, orsteel you can solder a small ring of metal to the lid to holdice or cold water. Use epoxy paste if the unit is made ofaluminum, or you do not have access to a soldering torch.For ether, you should use dry ice'acetone slush. This willcondense virtually oll vapors. Soxlett Extractors areuseful for extracting crude drugs from plant material, suchas lysergic acid derivatives from ergot, or cocaine fromcoca leaves. Be sure the solvent used is compatible withthe metal of the percolator.

38 39

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The small espresso Pots sold in gourmet coftee shoPsdistillation (see Figurethe extraction of oils

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fir;;;;;;i"g oi iht" crude substince is needed' Coff'ee

il;i";;;oti i't".tt less than laboratorv mills, and work as

well.

Vacuum pumps are easily obtained second hand' Look

i. if* p"p"i,-"i Ut.*se thiough a large.flea market' An

oia r"riiglruiion compressor can work, but chances are

ih; ;;il;, are bad. wnv was it removed from the unit for

which it was designed?

You might acquire an olq unit from a workingr"fiig"tuioi or freizer. Leave the starting relay in.place'

ftiJwitteliminate the need for a troublesome combination

of switches to starlihe unit. Make a smalltrapto catch oil

inui *o"ta otherwise be sprayed from the exhaust port,

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the intake port).ice/acetone, etc.)contaminate the

Also make a cold trap (ice water, dry-to remove corrosive fumes before they

pump's oil (see Figures 14a and 14b).

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Water aspirator pumps are better suited forevaporation of solvents and distillation under reducedpressure. Additionally, their pumping speed is greater(about 7 liters/sec. compared with about 1 liter/minute formechanical pumps). To save water, you can construct anaspirator pump (using an inexpensive, commerciallyavailable aspirator) that will operate silently and notconsume water (see Figure 14c). Use a S-gallon can,plastic jug, or similar to house the system. A small holefitted with a coupling will, as with the mechanical pumps,allow the fumes to be piped to a safe and obscure location.These pumps are completely free of sparks, and use littleelectricity. Fill the reservoir about one-fourth to one-thirdfull. Cold water will provide a higher vacuum. The small,submersible pumps are available at many hardwarestores. Be sure to select one that provides adequate waterpressure for the aspirator (at least 7-8 p.s.i.). Thecentrifugal types work best for this application.

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If possible, locate the mechanical vacuum pumps some

airL;r." from the immediate working area. This will help

circumvent the dangers of sparks from the starting relay.

A good gram scale is essential. These are often available

ut ff"i *iif.ets. Jewelers and coin dealers often use them.

A ;;; triple beam costs around eighty dollars'.lf you.have

tiouUt" finding a second hand unit, you should prob.ably

.oGaL, purciasing a new one. They c.ommand excellent

;",jt uuiu" shoulJ you decide to sell it later. Buy one

i[[-.-r"putuUt" manufacturer. The models sold in

;;;;p["t;;ii - tttopt are often overpriced gttd

"ntijiUiuted. 0.1 gram accuracv is essential, buJ 0'01 is

-u.ft U"tter. The"yields of -atty chemical procedures fall

Jristically if stoichiometric (gram-mole) ratios are not

il;it* ft a pinch, the smaf paraphernalia-type..scales

;;; b;t;d (see Fisure 15). Use these verv carefullv' vouwill need to compe-nsate for their gross inaccuracy with

meticulous preciiion. Since their capacity is small,,,you

must weigh-out several quantities and comblne tnem

when largLr weights are needed.

It should now be obvious that most laboratoryequipment can be built, or converted, at a much smallercost than purchase. Look through the catalog of a majorlaboratory supply company such as Cole-Parmer,Sargent-Welch or VWR. If you see something that mightbe useful to you, read the product descriptions and thinkabout ways you might construct a similar item.

cavity will allow insertion of a toothpick for easy removalof the filled capsules. Use a smallspatula or knife to euenlyfill (not pack!) the capsules.

TABLETS, CAPSULES AND OTHERPACKAGING METHODS

After you've synthesized a particular substance, youwill need to decide on the dosage and packaging method.For very small quantities, hard gelatin capsules are oftenthe best choice. They are cheap, and available at drug andhealth-food stores. They are available in eight standardsizes: 000, 00, 0,7,2,3, 4 and 5; 000 being the largest, and5 the smallest. Capsules are usually used when theamount of substance (drug plus diluents) ranges from 65to 1000 mg. Lactose is frequently used to increase thebulk of capsulated drugs. A smoll (5%) quantity ofmagnesium stearate added to the drug-lactose mixturefacilitates easy filling. Prepare a mixture of. the drug(corresponding to the number of doses) and lactosenecessary to fill the desired number of capsules. Fill onlythe capsule body, nof the cap. Using a cotton swab, youcan apply a thin film of water to the inside of the capbefore placement on the capsule body. Twist the cap asyou put it on. This will seol the capsule. For largernumbers of capsules, you can make a convenient fillerfrom a block of wood (see Figure 16). Drill the holes suchthat the capsule bodies fit flush. They should be snug, butnof binding. A tiny hole drilled from the other side of each

45

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Tablets offer many advantages, especially for theclandestine chemist who sells his products. Largenumbers can be produced in a short amount of time, withgood consistency of dosage. Tablets are also easier to sell,probably because most persons associate them withprescription medication (which they consider "safe").

Tablets are either pressed or molded. Pressed tabletsrequire an elaborate punch and die mechanism. Thepressure applied varies from 4000 to 40,000 pounds offorce. Expensive granulating equipment is needed, andthe tablets must have binders and disintegrators addedbefore compression. This type of tablet is very costefficient when extremely large quantities (hundreds ofthousands) are produced. For the clandestine laboratory,however, I will focus on the easier use of molded tablets.

Molded tablets are made by mixing finely powderedlactose with up to 20 percent sucrose (powdered sugar).The more sucrose added, the harder and less brittle thetablet. This mixture, or "base" is moistened with a 50/50ethanol-water mixture; the ethanol facilitates drying.Moisten the base just enough so that the powder stickstogether when pinched between the fingers.

The base, and amount of drug corresponding to thenumber of tablets is worked into a mold. As the tabletsjust begin to harden, they are gently removed from themold for finaldrying. The mold can be made of metal, hardrubber or plastic. Its thickness should correspond to thetablet thickness desired. Using a drill press, bore thedesired number of holes. Fifty to one-hundred is a goodnumber. After drilling, file the chuck-end of the bit flat.This will be used to gently punch out the individualtablets.If you leave a small, sharp ridge down the middle of the bit-end, you can make "scored" tablets for easy division intohalves (see Figure 77\.

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Place the mold on a flat glass plate, and force themoistened base-drug paste into a mold with a smallspatula. Now turn the mold over and make certain thebottom is filled also. Allow the tablets to harden a fewminutes (no longer) and gently eject them with the drill-bitend. Let them air-dry until hard.

Each drug you package must be standardized to theparticular mold you use. Once standardized, you canrecord the exact formulation to repeat at later times. Thisstandardization is done as follows:

1. Weigh out the amount of drug for the mold. This willbe the size of the dose multiplied by the number of holes inthe mold.

2r.Yi* the drug with a quantity of base not quite enoughto fill the mold completely.

3. Moisten the base-drug mixture and fill the openingsas far as possible.

4. Moisten additional base material (no drug) and finishfilling the mold. Be careful not to remove any of the drugmaterial already in the holes.

5. Punch the tablets out and mix them thoroughly.6. Refillthe mold with the mixed base-drug paste. punch

the tablets out and allow to completety dry.

.7. The weight of these tablets is recorded. Subtractingthe total amount of drug substance you initially addeJgives you the amount of base. This is the standard of thisparticular drug, for this particular mold. From now on,you can simply weigh-out the quantity of drug, then addbase material to reach the weight of the comb-ined, driedtablets.

For extremely potent drugs, such as LSD, you canapply the drug dissolued in a volatile solvent onto thepackage form. For example, if you dissolve 1000 doses ofthe drug in 1O00 drops of solvent, then each drop containsone dose. You may wish to dissolve each dose in 2 or

three.drops, depending on the particular solubility of thedrug in that solvent. Make certain the solvent does notdecompose your drug - this is common when LSD hasbeen dissolved in aqueous solvents. Also watch forevaporation of the solvent, which will concentrate thedrug-solvent solution.

For large packaging of this type, you can use a modifiedversion of the previous method. It requires the use of anaccurate b_alqrce, however. For example, say you werepackaging LSD on blotter cards of 100 doses: *"ign a dryblotter card, dip the card with tweezers into thelolventuntil it is saturated. As soon as the last drop of "*."r,solvent has fallen, weigh the saturated brotter.urd b"for"the solvent evaporates. subtract to find the weight ofsolvent absorbed by the blotter. You now know tnit toodoses are dissolved in this amount of solvent. The cardscan now be dipped in the properly prepared solution andhung to dry. This will provide-a fairiy accurate packajingsystem for high quantities of potent drugs.

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50 51

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The following formulas and equivalencies may be of use'

Be certain to use the same units for all values when using

one of the formulas.

number of doses = total amount/size of doses

child dose = adult dose x age/(age + 12)

total amount specified quantity of each ingredientin formula in formula

total amount desired quantity of each ingredientin amount desired

quantity in each dose = quantity in total amount/numberof doses

EQUIVALENTS

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