Need help to source syringe attachment

RichJB

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Hello all

I recently started mixing my own juices and was able to source plastic and glass bottles, mixing flasks, syringes, droppers, etc. But I cannot, for love or money, find an attachment for the syringe to draw liquid out of a mixing bottle and then insert it into a dropper bottle. Anything will do - a conventional steel needle, a blunt plastic needle, a piece of floppy silicone tubing, anything. Just as long as it makes an air-tight attachment to the tip of a syringe.

There are hypodermic needle wholesalers who will sell boxes of 500 single-use needles. I don't need 500, one or two will do. I remembered that people use syringes with blunt needles to refill inkjet cartridges. So I go to inkjet refill outlets and they'll sell me the syringe - but not the needle. I swear, it's easier to buy an AK47 in this country than a hypodermic needle. And, as I said, I don't even need a sharp metal needle. A blunt plastic needle or bit of tubing will do fine. Does anybody know where I can source such an item?

I'd prefer to not buy online. Paying R100 delivery for a R7 item isn't ideal. I'd rather walk into a shop and buy one. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
 
I buy normal steel needles at my pharmacy just be careful with the sharp end o yes and ask them for the thickest gauge they have. Btw I have been asked before what the needle is for and I replied it is for mixing essential oils
 
Dischem sell needles individually for like R2.50
 
dischem and clicks sell loose needles and syringes.

just take a bit of sandpaper and smoothen out the tip to prevent you from poking yourself (im telling you this from experience....i happened to a friend of mine...... )
 
I visited a few pharmacies with my Kayfun 3.1 looking for a white #16gauge needle for the fill port before I finally got one, had to dremel off the sharp tip.
Might be a good idea to try the vets as others have suggested.
I asked for blunt tip as well and no chemists had them.
 
Hi @RichJB
Have you tried using heat-shrink and a straw? I have used this method before and it works. Get yourself some heat-shrink (must shrink down to 3.2mm or less) and a straw, the straw must fit into the heat-shrink and shrink down enough to fit tightly over the syringe tip. Cut a small piece of the straw to fit into your bottle, slide into the heat shrink and shrink the other end to syringe tip leaving minimal gap between the straw and the tip. Should work out perfectly.
 
Thanks all, I must have had lousy luck then because I asked both my local Clicks and Link pharmacies for syringe needles and they both told me they had syringes but not needles. Maybe I look like a junkie, lol. I also asked West Pack (where I got all my bottles and syringes) if they sold needles and they also said no, only syringes. I have a Dischem near me, I'll try them. Cheers everybody.
 
Richio, that sounds like a cool idea, thanks. I'm quite clumsy so I'll probably end up jabbing myself with a steel needle. My ultimate solution would be to have a length of silicone tubing of the right diameter where I could just cut a length off and press-fit it (maybe warming it slightly beforehand) onto the nozzle of the syringe. I reckon there must be such products, for use with IV drips and suchlike. But it's probably the domain of medical wholesalers.
 
Hi @RichJB I will give you a piece of pvc tubing that fits perfectly on a syringe. PM me to let me know where you are and maybe we can make a plan.

Cheers
 
Places like FarmCity also sells large gauge needles.


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The biggest needle in my collection came with a 30ml syringe in a kit from the local chemist. The kit was for marinading meat. I have a 16g and it fits inside this needle. It has a plastic cover and I think the needle is for a wide bore saline drip. Goes in the vein then you pull the needle out leaving the plastic section in the vein connected to the drip tube. The Kit is R38.
 
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