THANK YOU lots of sources mentioned:
Where to Buy Lye
From David Fisher,
Your Guide to Candle and Soap Making.
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No Lye = No Soap
(Note: Upated list of lye vendors below)
Well, it's been over a year now now, and we're still making soap. There was
worry when Red Devil Lye was taken from the shelves...but a number of online
and local vendors have taken up the slack to make up for Red Devil Lye being
pulled from the supermarkets.
Here are stores, sites and solutions that many soap makers have come up
with:
a.. Get together with other soap makers in your area and "go in" on buying
a bag of lye, carefully splitting it between you. Lots of soap makers buy
their lye in bulk. Most large cities have a solvent or chemical company that
will sell lye (Sodium Hydroxide) in 35 or 50 lb. bags. You'll pay a fraction
(per pound) of what the Red Devil cost, but, you've got to be able to safely
store that much lye. Remember the cautions you go through with a 12 oz. jar
of lye, now imagine 35 lbs. of it!
b.. Buy a whole bag yourself, knowing that it needs to be stored in an
airtight container, safely away from children, pets or other unknowing
people.
c.. Check your local hardware store - Several people have written me
claiming to have found Crystal Drain Opener at their local Lowe's, Home
Depot or Wal-Mart. The label states 100% sodium hydroxide! BUT, it's best to
check the manufacturers site and check the MSDS sheets for the product. I
had one user write me and say that while the label said 100% lye, the MSDS
sheet said otherwise.
d.. Buy lye from one of the following online mail order vendors:
a..
b.. Camden-GreyBitter Creek Candle Co.-buy only 2 lbs!
c.. Texas Natural Supply
d.. Lehman's Soapmaking Supplies
e.. The Boyer Corporation
f.. Snowdrift Farm
g.. The Soap Dish
h.. ChemistryStore.com
"Nova" wrote in message
news:Eh0hh.633$Ei5.183@trndny05...
resrfglc wrote:
Not interested in it for WOOD, but for electrolytic'ly removing rust -
didn't mention the intended use to try and keep everyone on topic.
I've looked in ACE and HOME DEPOT and LOWES for Red Devil (as I, too,
rememberthat brand and wish I could find it.) without success.
It appears Red Devil Lye was discontinued about a year ago. Here's a link
to an article by a soap makers suggesting sources for lye:
http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/co...lyesources.htm
--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA