Author Topic: any books on homemede chemistry?  (Read 733 times)

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Offline Cornbelt

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any books on homemede chemistry?
« on: January 08, 2012, 11:08:50 AM »
  Does anyone know where to get simple-minded information on chemistry? Like how to make life a little more practical by knowing, from a layman's viewpoint, how chemical stuff works. Might want to paint w/sour milk or lime and rust, or make varnish, turpentine, etc.
  There used to be a book about kitchen table chemistry. Anyone ever read it? (I haven't)

Offline bilmac

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Re: any books on homemede chemistry?
« Reply #1 on: January 08, 2012, 11:47:06 AM »
I think you would find a lot of that mixed in the pages of the Foxfire books. Like how to make soap is a chemical process, but they talk in terms of wood ashes and rendered fat.

Offline tacklebury

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Re: any books on homemede chemistry?
« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2012, 01:13:06 PM »
Maybe something like this?  I've used a few of the "dummies" series in learning programming languages:
http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Dummies-Math-Science/dp/1118007301
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Offline Couger

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Re: any books on homemede chemistry?
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2012, 07:36:10 PM »
Quote from: tacklebury
Maybe something like this?  I've used a few of the "dummies" series in learning programming languages:
http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Dummies-Math-Science/dp/1118007301

That strikes me as similar to 'crib notes' or Schaum's Outline Guide type supplimental high school/beginning college level Chemistry books ......
 
Try perusing PaladinPress.com and DeltaPress.com and looking at the many of their books they offer.
 
Also would it be worth going to James-wesley Rawles' website and asking a similar inquiery THERE as well as here!!??
 
Specifically what "chemistry"-type things are you trying to learn?

Offline Lloyd Smale

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Re: any books on homemede chemistry?
« Reply #4 on: January 09, 2012, 01:00:31 AM »
one of the mother earth books might be a better choise.
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Offline keith44

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Re: any books on homemede chemistry?
« Reply #5 on: January 09, 2012, 03:05:52 PM »
A quick google search turned up several pages of hits.  Search basic home chemistry and see if any of those titles are what you are looking for.

What type of at home chemistry are you wanting? 
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Offline vacek

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Re: any books on homemede chemistry?
« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2012, 01:31:33 PM »
The best choice I know of is called "Henley's Formulas" and was a turn of the 20th century book.  It has been reprinted and you should be able to find a copy on Half.com.

Offline Cornbelt

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Re: any books on homemede chemistry?
« Reply #7 on: January 10, 2012, 02:11:41 PM »
 Thanks for the posts. Should be something out there. I'm especially curious about the old terms, like "lunar caustic", "sweet oil of nitre", and "liver of  ...whatever.
  Have a bluing/browning book with all the old terms. Also have a 1902 Stock Doctor Cyclopedia. The processes seem to make sense, but the terms are something else.
Then there is the "decoctions", "infusions", and the like to boot.

Offline drhall762

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Re: any books on homemede chemistry?
« Reply #8 on: January 10, 2012, 02:33:52 PM »
There is another real old one out there that is good if you can find it, Fortunes in Formulas. Maybe 1920's.
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Offline drhall762

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Re: any books on homemede chemistry?
« Reply #9 on: January 11, 2012, 03:43:18 PM »
I checked out Amazon.com. Various editions of it are available from 1939 to about 1957. $20.00 to over $100.00.
Dave

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Offline Cornbelt

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Re: any books on homemede chemistry?
« Reply #10 on: January 14, 2012, 05:28:00 AM »
 Ordered a Henley's Formulas from Half.com. Couldn't beat the price: 75 cents. Cornell University has it  available to read online, so it seemed like something that might make sense.
  The foxfires I've got and have come in handy. Never too many books on hand.

Offline Rock Home Isle

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Re: any books on homemede chemistry?
« Reply #11 on: January 14, 2012, 10:17:57 AM »
I am so glad that you posted to this thread again...I spent two hours yesterday trying to find this thread again. I have the most awesome book and it is exactly what you are looking for.
 
"Dick's Encyclopedia of Recipes and Processes: or how they did it in the 1870's"
 
This will not be an easy book to find, but if you ever come across one...it will be well worth the cost. I have both hard bound  and soft cover copies of the book. It is a book that I will never part with. The information contained within the book is simply amazing as well as usefull. The material is varied and covers topics as diverse as simple canning to making and  testing nitroglycerin. I consider it to be a premier book in my personal library collection. If I have a new chemsitry based project that I want to ruminate a bit on, I'll refer to Dick's 1st to see if it is covered...from there I go to my collection of College Chemistry Books as secondary references.
“Lost?? Hmmm... been fearsome confused for a month or two, but I ain't never been lost!”
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“Ain't this somethin'? I told my pap and mam I was going to be a mountain man; acted like they was gut-shot. Mother Gue said to me; ‘Make your life go here, son. Here's where the people is. Them mountains is for Indians and wild men.’  "Mother Gue", I says "the Rocky Mountains is the marrow of the world," and by God, I was right. Keep your nose in the wind and your eye along the skyline.”
Del Gue in "Jeremiah Johnson"