Re: A newbie's Hello world!


Robert B. wrote:

> > If you're ready to spend thousands of $$$ on this hobby, do you plan on
> > turning it into a commercial venture? With the right training, you
> > could open up shop as an analytical chemistry lab. Collect samples
> > from various companies who want to know what's in their samples / water
> > / etc, and charge them $100 or so per sample...
>
> That could be very interesting, I didn't think about making money with
> this hobby. You mentionned "with the right training", I believe this
> involves school and classes again, right? Again, my schedule would not
> let me have this right training. But is there another way? Is there
> such thing as mail/phone chemistry classes that would be valid?

I think that in Canada, I recall reading something about needing to
pass an examination to be a registered chemist to do analytical
testing... but I could be wrong.

> Also, wouldn't companies ask for high certifications for the testing of
> a sample? Like, wouldn't they hire a well known company to do so,
> instead of a willing individual like me?

If you start your own company, even if it's a one-man job, I don't
think they'd care, as long as you do a good job... put it this way...
we had experience at my work with an analytical chemistry contractor
that did not do a good job. At work, we have LOTS of groundwater
samples that need testing, at about $50 to $100 per test. Occasionally
we "spike" a sample - put distilled water in the vial and carefully add
a measured amount of impurity, and send it to the lab to see if they
get the right answer. Labelwise, the samples are indistinguishable
from the spikes. This company got the spike sample wrong so many
times, we changed contractors...

> Thanks a lot!
> Robert

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