Conical Flasks Illegal

[billybushcook]

Beware what you order over the net these days.
I got a visit from the Drug Squad yesterday after ordering a 500mL Conical Flask from Germany for cultivating yeast on a stir plate I'm making,
It was intercepted by Customs & the Boys in Blue sent around to check out my Lab?

Good to see that they are on the ball. The oficer told me over the phone (I was not home when they called in) that all conical flasks 500ml & over have been banned unless you have a legitimate reason to have one, hense they will not aprove delivery until they have inspected the premises (on Fri) & are satisfied I have a good reason??

Who'd Have Thought????


Cheers, Mick.

[gregb]

... conical flasks 500ml & over have been banned unless you have a legitimate reason to have one, ...

Does the drug squad consider yeast propagation for the homebrewer legitimate reason?

Logically they should, but sometimes legislation/regulation skips logic.

[billybushcook]

Does the drug squad consider yeast propagation for the homebrewer legitimate reason?
.

Guess I'll find out on Friday???
(meantime I will have to hide the odd Keg or two?)

Mick.

[drsmurto]

You can buy 2L conical flasks at several HBS so i highly doubt they are illegal.

Drug squad? What was their official title, I'd like to follow this up.

What would they think of my 5L and 6L beauties.....

[leiothrix]

I'm wondering if it is a fishing expedition.

Never had any troubles buying all sorts of lab gear from Australian suppliers, either off ebay or from one of http://proscitech.com.au/cataloguex/home.asp or http://www.livingstone.com.au/main.aspx?cat=lab

Rob.

[Bum]

Yeah, I received a phonecall from Livingston yesterday morning. I doubt they'd be cold-calling past customers pimping conicals had they recently been made illegal.

Perhaps, Mick, you shouldn't have ordered all of that Sudafed at the same time.

[billybushcook]

Yeh, bit of a pisser, I was hoping to get a few more, & up to 1L, maybe a different source needs to be discovered.

You can buy 2L conical flasks at several HBS so i highly doubt they are illegal.

Drug squad? What was their official title, I'd like to follow this up.

What would they think of my 5L and 6L beauties.....

I won't ask how/where you aquired those Doc!

As for their tittle, I'm at work now (did I say that???? ) but I have their card at home, will get back to you this evening.

Mick.

[chadjaja]

Did they also write down what sort of TV you had and window locks and door entries too?

I walked into a store the other week and purchased a 2L one without any question at all. Do they expect us to bring in a beer to validate our purchase from now on?

[Lachy]

Lab glasswear is a "watched" item by law enforcement due to its use in clandestine drug manufacture, simple as that.

[billybushcook]

Doc,

The card I have here is "State Crime Command" "Drug Squad"
NSW Police headquarters Parramatta

I will not disclose the officers name or details on here for obvious reasons.

Cheers, Mick.

[Lachy]

Yep, that'd be the drug squad.

Getting back to the original post... the key phrase is "legitimate purpose". The same rule applies for possession of a lot of things - precursor chemicals, controlled weapons/dangerous articles, etc. If you have a legitimate purpose, you'll be okay. Culturing yeast would be fine, I think (although don't quote me - NSW will have different legislation to Victoria), however be aware there may be a legislated reversal of the onus of proof; i.e. instead of the Police having to prove you're using the item for illegal purposes; you may have to prove that you're using it for a legal purpose.

[billybushcook]

Well It's been over 4 weeks since they first called & didn't bother coming back when I was available.

Still no Flask???????

I rang them (the Drug Squad officer) & she reckons, she has notified Customs that they are finished with their investigation, so it is aparently Customs who are still holding things up.

What a PITA!

Moral, don't buy labware from international sources!

Mick.

[Lachy]

The best bet is now to start hassling customs over the phone and find out what the holdup is.

[bullfrog]

Didn't want to start my own thread on this, and I know that this only loosely fits here - but I bought 2 x 1L erlenmeyer flasks today off some bloke in Ballarat on ebay. Total cost, including shipping, was $24.81. It was one of these 'Buy Now" options and there's still more going, so if anybody wants some cheapy flasks then I'm happy to dig back through my history and find the url to their ebay store.

[Oliver]

Hi Mick,

I'm intrigued ... did the flask ever turn up?

Oliver

[billybushcook]

Hi Mick,

I'm intrigued ... did the flask ever turn up?

Oliver

Yeh mate,
It took a while & a few phone calls.

Since then Ivé set up an account with Livingston lab supplies http://www.livingstone.com.au
So I can buy direct from them, I was gunna buy some 1L flasks which I now realise are still too small.

I have a heap of 2L flagons left over from my distilling days & have been using them for culturing yeast but they will not work on my stir plate due to the concave bottom.

Mick.

[BribieG]

So that's why my pill press never arrived
A good cheap 1.5L jar is a V8 glass bottle, but don't use the tin lid as that can't be properly sanitised. The fruit variety isn't too bad but I couldn't imagine the horror of having to drink 1.5L of carrot and beetroot juice

[Bum]

I don't suppose they have bottoms that are good for stirplates do they?

[BribieG]

I got rid of mine when Ralph from Toowoomba sent me some Schott Bottles. However I'll have a look at one when I'm in the supermarket tomorrow.

[elec]

So that's why my pill press never arrived
A good cheap 1.5L jar is a V8 glass bottle, but don't use the tin lid as that can't be properly sanitised. The fruit variety isn't too bad but I couldn't imagine the horror of having to drink 1.5L of carrot and beetroot juice

Mixed with vodka and a dash of tabasco ,its not a bad hair of the dog, Bribie