ether availability

[Guest vegemite]

What is a legitimate reason to purchase ether and where can I purchase it from ?

[worimi]

Please correct me if Im wrong but dosent that stuff explode on exposure to 02. If so be careful

[Guest vegemite]

No , it explodes or further more has the tendency to explode on contact with OH- ions , but as with all things like this as long as correct procedures are followed it becomes relatively safe .

[Ed Dunkel]

Using Ethers in the lab on a daily basis it is pretty safe (under usual lab procedures) if kept away from open sources of ignition!!!

Even a hot (above 100C) surface can ignite ethers as they have low flash points (temperatures at which solvents ignite in the pressence of air)

Ethers can also form peroxides on standing in contact with air and light!! This could be a real problem when drying the ether down as you are left with VERY UNSTABLE peroxide.....BOOM!!!

Be careful!

E D

I should add that ether(s) is/are given a hazard code 3 (see below):

(2) Forms peroxides, especially on exposure to air and light, making the material liable to explode. This class is so dangerous that it should not normally be distilled unless it has been very well controlled. Material more than one year old should be discarded, even if unopened. Containers should not be opened if there is any solid visible around the closure or any evidence of crystals inside.

(3) Also forms peroxides. If very old or obviously in poor condition treat as (2). Otherwise take care to test for peroxides before use or recovery procedures.

Hope this clears it up a bit more...

[This message has been edited by Ed Dunkel (edited 25 October 2000).]

[sholto]

suprised this thread hasn't been locked out yet. anyway...knew a guy a few years ago who used to cycle down to Sigma Chemicals to but ether by the litre. things have changed. Chemicals are not sold to private citizens. a friend runs a herbal/perfume business and can get lab grade ethanol and hexane no probs- but records are kept. there are substitutes for ether, and apparently you can extract it from engine starting fluid, but this is outa my league. on this note, does anyone know how to get the methylene chloride out of paint stripper?

[Pablo]

An ether report from Erowid;

One day (coincidentally my birthday) I'm driving around with a couple friends and we're arguing about what we're going to do later on that night. Well one of the guys with us suggested doing some ether. I was apprehensive at first but since this girl that I really liked at the time was all for it I decided to try it (yes I'm well aware that it's a stupid reason to try anything).

After purchasing a bottle of starter fluid from a local convenience store we sprayed the contents into a plastic bag. We then poured in water until the two substances seperated (ether from heptaine/water) and drained off the bottom layer. We were left with about half a 350ml bottle of ether. We poured a couple of splashes of the stuff onto a rag and my friend put it to his nose and started huffing. He became very disoriented and again my apprehensiveness set in.

Eventually the rag came around to me and despite my fears I started huffing. About 30 seconds later I started to feel light headed but at my friends' urging I kept on huffing. Less than 10 seconds later I had what could only be described as an incredibly large head rush, huffing anymore didn't do much and it kind of hurt so I passed the rag on.

The head rush eventually subsided but I still felt light headed and disoriented. I decided to go inside and get a drink (by the way don't try it inside: the stench takes a long time to go away). This was extremely difficult due to the fact that it was almost impossible to have any type of coordination, making walking a task in itself.

By the time I got back outside it was my rag again and I couldn't have been happier. The cycle repeated itself until all the ether was gone, and then about 45 minutes after we had finished I started to feel uncomfortable on the edge of sickness.

All in all I had a good time, but on later dates when using the drug the sick feeling afterwards only got worse. Also it's extremely addictive. I recommend trying it once but don't let it get out of hand.

Anyone have any comments on the above report? What about the extraction teq.?Sounds mighty tempting, I finish school in a few days and I consider myself pretty inteligent, so whats a couple of brain-cells here and there.

-me

[Guest Ramon]

It is my understanding that the high that results from inhaling solvents in not so much from the substance but from the fact that the solvents tie up the oxygen in your blood stream.

Consequently the high that you get is more from the fact that your Brain is starving for oxygen.

I don't know if this can lead to brain damage if prolonged use, or if brain damage occurs every time it is used.

[bloodbob]

Ramon that is only slightly true in most cases with the one expection some ppl try to inhale CO2 which may give them a high( I don't actual know) from lack of oxygen. Though if this was true for all inhalents then if ppl used using gaseous general anesthics then they would be just be straving the brain of oxygen

One the biggest problems with inhalents is ppl are using ones that cause cancer really bad

[rkundalini]

As far as I recall, the action of hydrocarbon solvents is related to that of most inhaled anesthetics including nitrous oxide. Nothing to do with lack of oxygen.

Likewise for CO2, you can make up a mix of carbon dioxide and oxygen (a la Huxley's Doors Of Perception) and get some very interesting effects (or so I'm told by a friend who I haven't got around to asking to try it from yet). Since there is oxygen in the mix I very much doubt the effects are merely hypoxia. They could be something to do with the fact that suffocation reflexes are stimulated by elevated CO2 levels rather than actual low oxygen levels, whilst the actual danger of brain damage comes from low O2 itself.

[Torsten]

Nitrous is actually given with 30% oxygen and can be given continuously this way without depriving the body of oxygen. A friend of mine had a diving mask hooked up to regulated nitrous and oxygen tanks and we would take lung ater lung full without breating inbetween until we passed out (supervised by a live-in emergency nurse at all times and one block from the hospital!!). The psychedelic states we achieved this way have rivalled many other substances I have had and some of my most disturbing and profound insights were reached on this drug. This was nitrous in a relatively safe environment. Then nitrous became much tighter controlled and he couldn't get the big bottle-tanks anymore. The quality of experience is not at all comparable to nitrous from hoogies (cream bulbs). Hoogies give real bad headaches after the 100th or so in a row and you never seem to get as 'far'.

Ether is fun but really quite lame. There isn't much of an insighful quality to it, but it makes the body feel real nice (or absent). Never even got close to an insight on ether. We used to put 500ml in a 2 litre bottle, swirl the bottle and then stick our nose over the opening inhaling a big lung full. This was much more efficient than soaking a rag. Leaning back in the sofa the bottle would slide through our hands safely (mostly) into our lap. After doing this every 3 minutes for about 45 minutes there would be a sudden end when one of us would quickly jump up and run to the basin/garden for a hurl. After that the desire for ether would disappear instantly for about 2 days, but would then nag and nag in quite an addictive fashion. We would keep doing this every 2 or 3 days until there was none left (a couple of weeks or so). As it was hard to get, there was always a long break until we procured and consumed the next bottle.

BTW, I think the way to stabilise the peroxides in ether is to put some ethanol in it. At least that's what my sniffing partner told me in those days.

I'm not sure how many brain cells I killed with this, but I am sure it was way too many. The nitrous was a worthwhile experience, but the ether not really.

A note on kids using nitrous from hoogies - don't use a ballon!!! It is a popular method to exhale the nitrous into the ballon and to re-inhale the contents. As much of the nitrous is expelled in your breath, this is an efficient way of recycling it, but IT WILL KILL YOU! or at least a lot of your brain cells. The problem is that you are also exhaling a lot of carbon dioxide and this is breathed back in from the balloon. Carbon dioxide is toxic and because your lungs ae numbed from the nitrous you will not notice that you are not getting enough oxygen into your blood. When the blood becomes depleted of oxygen your brain shuts down and braincells die. You may die. At this point you would have passed out in a nice dreamy state and would be completely unaware that you won't wake up again. Your lips and then your face will go blue and if you're with friends they will probably freak out, but won't know how to help you. You will suffocate from your own breath.

I have seen this happen to kids at raves and it is real scary. if you really feel the need to do hoogies, take a couple of big breaths of air (hyperventilate) and then take a lung full of nitrous. Hold this as long as you can, but do not inhale another lot or from a balloon. The experience will be much happier, but still intense. Without oxygen the experience usually becomes very dark and sinister.

[Guest beef_chicken]

Hi sholto, the best way to get the dichloro methane from paint stripper is to spray it through a large PVC pipe, 30cm diam, and catch the fluid in a jar underneath. All the propellant will dissipate on contact with oxygen and the cloudy stuff in the jar is what you're looking for. Oh, and Vegemite, if your gonna use the ether for extractions you're better off using dychloromethane but if you're hell bent on getting some ether... There is a certain brand of engine starting fluid that comes in a yellow can, do with this exactly what i described with the dychloro meth. The liquid you get in the jar is ether (with some impurites). Just make sure you close the jar quickly because this stuff has a very low evaporation point and you'll lose it fairly quickly. I hope no one uses this info for illicit purposes, i'd hat to think that my contributions will be used for illegal drug use!!

[Guest reville]

Ive never had a good experience with the Solvents but nitrous is another matter!

There is a distinct synergy with cannabis quite intense closed eye visuals and Euphoric rushes.. i dont understand the relationship.

I reda somewhere that nitrous is used by the brain for communication between the lobes, maybe this is why the (well my) brain used to explode into some hyperspace plane for those moments after the nyangs

[bloodbob]

I have tried nitrous once it is the best there is doesn't taste at which is really good. The most important thing is it is easy on your body because it isn' a carcigen and it doesn't sensties you heart so no sudden death syndrom.

Ether sucks for inhale will dissolve you the lipids from your lungs. It stays in your taste for like 24 and smell of it. And you can't get far with out vaporising it. And it can sting you throat.

[bloodbob]

oops didn't mean to click that button.

Now if you want to go far on inhalents but can't get n2o I will discuss 2 alternatives.

Butane cons makes your heart senstive to andreline so relax folks and have a sitter. Easy to put yourself in a coma. Flammable!!! bang!!! can give freeze burns ect. It burns your throat

Pro cheap, easy to get a hold to, strong than N2O I have found.

don't use it.

LPG gas cylinders should hold at least a litre of fuel or 1 kg. This is to ensure it has a higher level of propane in it.

Con makes your heart senstive to andreline so relax folks and have a sitter. Easy to put yourself in a coma. Flammable!!! bang!!! can give freeze burns ect High pressure. Not as strong as straight butane( its a gas mix)

Pro cheap, easy to get a hold to, strong than N2O I have found. Easier on the heart. And unlike butane it is easy on the throat but always comes with a marker (some that smells and tastes bad) you can slam this down fast.

A full breath of LPG gas is enough to knock you unconisous probable makes you stop breathing this stuff is hard and shouldn't be mix with oxygen.

If ppl would like more info just leave a message or got to www.erowid.org and look under the inhalents section for my trip report

[Pablo]

Bloodbobs use of grammar and repeating himself looks like a reason NOT to do butane and LPG. ????

no offense bloodbob

-assassin

[This message has been edited by assassin (edited 31 October 2000).]

[bloodbob]

hey maybe my english skills suck but I ain't no dumb ass. I have now finished school and are doing a bouldble degree in IT and applied science major chemistry.

[Pablo]

Okay so maybe I underestimated you, a double degree in anything is a very high achievement, you were probably in a hurry or something, I'm doing my HSC at the moment, 3 test to go, fucking cant wait untill I'm finished, maybe the LPG and butane did you some good? ;-)

later

[bloodbob]

thats kewl

read my trip report and you will know it didn't do any good

[Guest mulga]

Well I didn't even check on this thread much before, but it keeps appearing.

I think we've gone as far as we really should, and perhaps further than some thought, in having this thread in the ethnobotany section.

Anyway, there are other places to discuss these things, as I'm sure we know.