Loran
Well-Known Member
I thought I had more. I weighed it out. 1.1 oz of NaoH left. I ordered some Friday and won’t get here for a week. Would you make soap with it or wait impatiently?????
1.1oz of lye left. Would you??
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I'd wait but if you feel so inclined, you can play around with a soap calculator to see what recipe you can come up with that will use as much of that remaining lye as possible.
If I really wanted to make soap I’d go to Lowe’s and buy a bottle to hold me overI thought I had more. I weighed it out. 1.1 oz of NaoH left. I ordered some Friday and won’t get here for a week. Would you make soap with it or wait impatiently?????
That would be a very small batch. The total batch size would be about 250-300 grams, or a bit over a 1/2 pound of soap, which is a pretty small batch. If you scale measures down to 0.01 grams that would be fine, but otherwise, you'd have to allow for some inaccuracy measuring such small amounts.
I'm not sure if you normally measure in ounces only or if you use grams at all, but for small amounts, grams is far better for accuracy.
It is doable, but is it worth it for only 2 bars of soap?
EDIT to correct amount.
I'm not sure if you normally measure in ounces only or if you use grams at all, but for small amounts, grams is far better for accuracy.
It is doable, but is it worth it for only 2 bars of soap?
EDIT to correct amount.
Last edited:
I thought I had more. I weighed it out. 1.1 oz of NaoH left. I ordered some Friday and won’t get here for a week. Would you make soap with it or wait impatiently?????
That happened to me...once. After waiting OVER a week for my lye to arrive, I always made sure to have an extra bottle (or two).
artemis
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I think you mean half a pound of soap?
I make 1 lb batches almost exclusively. I get 4 good bars out of my batches. But, I'm pretty sure a pound is approximately 450 grams, so yeah they would end up with 2 or 3 bars.
But, I also would probably run out to Lowe's and get a bottle to hold me over, if I was originally planning a larger batch.
Loran
Well-Known Member
Lowe’s sells it?? Seriously?!!!!!!!!!!
I paid $15 for a 2lb bottle at Lowes. It's with the drain cleaners. Just be sure if you buy it the bottle says 100% sodium hydroxide since a lot of them have other stuff added.
Yes, I did mean a 1/2 pound of soap. Good catch. 1 pound of soap gives me 4 bars...
I am terrible at proof reading my own stuff! Thank you for catching that.
xavalyss
Well-Known Member
Yes. I can get it at Ace Hardware too.
The brand of 100% sodium hydroxide sold at Lowe’s is usually Roebic. I can’t remember the name of the brand that Ace sells.
Hardware store lye was all I used for the first 6+ years of soaping. Finally broke down and got 32 lbs from Essential Depot when they had a free shipping sale. It came in 2lb bottles, so I didn’t have to separate it into smaller containers, either.
Hardware store lye was all I used for the first 6+ years of soaping. Finally broke down and got 32 lbs from Essential Depot when they had a free shipping sale. It came in 2lb bottles, so I didn’t have to separate it into smaller containers, either.
It really depends on where you live and the drug maker problems within your county. It can be found in many different types of stores, but not always. And in some stores, they only put a maximum of 2 or 3 bottles on the shelf at any one time so you can't grab a whole bunch of them. AND in some stores, you have to fill out a form at checkout just to be able to buy it. I have run into this in various places.
Where I live, TSC (Tractor Supply Company) carries it, and I always can find lye at any TSC in my travels. Some require the form at checkout; some don't. Usually the cost is around $13 to $16 for a 32 ounce bottle. Most carry the same brand in my experience. TSCs are easy to find in my travels; they are usually visible from the freeway, so when traveling, I do stop to check. And since I make soap when I travel, I like the convenience.
ACE Hardware stores I have found carry it at a less expensive price. From what I have noticed, the brands vary and how much is stocked on the shelf can be even more limited (only 1 or 2 bottles in some stores) although not all ACE hardware stores stock it on their shelves. The price in the ACE stores is usually far better than the price in TSC, but they are generally not near a freeway, but somewhere downtown or in the old part of smaller towns. Searching for an ACE Hardware when traveling usually requires a significant detour. But if you have one near where you live, it's a good option.
The Big Box Home Improvement stores, are less reliable for finding lye in my experience. For all the effort to wander around the hugeness of those places and then to discover that they don't have it (Some absolutely do not stock it), it barely seems worthy of my effort unless I am there for some other purpose. The prices in my experience are about the same as at TSC.
Lumberyard - type hardware stores also sometimes carry it if they have a plumbing area. But not always. But when I've found it in one, it has been smaller containers, like only 16 ounces. The lumberyard store in my town does not carry it, but I have found it others in other small communities.
Someone here once mentioned they buy it at Walmart and mentioned a lower price. I have actually never seen it in a Walmart, so that really surprised me. I know I have seen it on the Walmart website though, so they do or did carry it somewhere.
Blain's Farm & Fleet carries it here in my town. Blains F&F is a chain with stores in the 4 northern mid-west states of WI, IL, IA & MI, but if you have a store that caters to farmers, that's another place to look. I don't know why, but maybe they prefer to deal with clogged drains themselves rather than call a plumber out to the farm, or maybe some farmers also make soap, or maybe it's just that farming communities need supplies and don't want to have to drive 50 miles to get ordinary supplies.
Where I live, TSC (Tractor Supply Company) carries it, and I always can find lye at any TSC in my travels. Some require the form at checkout; some don't. Usually the cost is around $13 to $16 for a 32 ounce bottle. Most carry the same brand in my experience. TSCs are easy to find in my travels; they are usually visible from the freeway, so when traveling, I do stop to check. And since I make soap when I travel, I like the convenience.
ACE Hardware stores I have found carry it at a less expensive price. From what I have noticed, the brands vary and how much is stocked on the shelf can be even more limited (only 1 or 2 bottles in some stores) although not all ACE hardware stores stock it on their shelves. The price in the ACE stores is usually far better than the price in TSC, but they are generally not near a freeway, but somewhere downtown or in the old part of smaller towns. Searching for an ACE Hardware when traveling usually requires a significant detour. But if you have one near where you live, it's a good option.
The Big Box Home Improvement stores, are less reliable for finding lye in my experience. For all the effort to wander around the hugeness of those places and then to discover that they don't have it (Some absolutely do not stock it), it barely seems worthy of my effort unless I am there for some other purpose. The prices in my experience are about the same as at TSC.
Lumberyard - type hardware stores also sometimes carry it if they have a plumbing area. But not always. But when I've found it in one, it has been smaller containers, like only 16 ounces. The lumberyard store in my town does not carry it, but I have found it others in other small communities.
Someone here once mentioned they buy it at Walmart and mentioned a lower price. I have actually never seen it in a Walmart, so that really surprised me. I know I have seen it on the Walmart website though, so they do or did carry it somewhere.
Blain's Farm & Fleet carries it here in my town. Blains F&F is a chain with stores in the 4 northern mid-west states of WI, IL, IA & MI, but if you have a store that caters to farmers, that's another place to look. I don't know why, but maybe they prefer to deal with clogged drains themselves rather than call a plumber out to the farm, or maybe some farmers also make soap, or maybe it's just that farming communities need supplies and don't want to have to drive 50 miles to get ordinary supplies.
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I have a mold that takes 300 grams and it can yield 4 cut bars of 1" soap (8 the I cut them in half). As for my individual soap, 300g yield 3-3.5 bars. It really depends on the mold. I do agree that using grams would be better for using that amount of lye.
I guess I just like bigger bars of soap. I always cut one-pound molds into 4 bars and IMO they're still not big enough. 
Loran
Well-Known Member
My scale does not do .01. So I could try grams. It may be small but it is still going to be fun! Idk how good it would be for practicing a new color design but it’s worth it to me
Loran
Well-Known Member
Sign paperwork to purchase it? Let me guess, some dumba$%’s tried making bombs or something with it? I’ve never even heard of the stuff until I got into making soap so don’t even know what purpose it serves other then that.
Unfortunately, it is a main ingredient for making methamphetamine. For that reason, many Ace Hardware stores will not have it on the shelves; you must ask at the service desk for them to get some out of the back for you. They may or may not ask why you are buying it, or require you to fill out a form. I think it depends on how big of a meth problem they have in the area, or perhaps local regulations about the sale and purchase. So much easier to order it online if you can find reasonable shipping!
Todd Ziegler
Circle Z soaps
Ace hardware in my town wouldn't order it in bulk for me. I didn't even know about the drug end of it until the manager explained it to me.
Loran
Well-Known Member
Wow that’s unbelievable! Well, it is actually. Now I get why Earlene said depends on the drug problem in your area. I ordered some from Essential Depo(I think that’s the name). Saw a reference to it here in the forums. The prices are amazing! It was weird because 10 lbs of it was 80 bucks, then scroll down and 16lbs of the same 2 lb bottles was only 35 bucks. Had to include 25 shipping but still was 20 bucks cheaper for 6 lbs more. Any idea why? Does lye have an expiration date or something?
Catscankim
Well-Known Member
A long time ago i got lye at Ace. But they dont have it anymore here. And Lowes etc only carries brands like Drano that you cant use for soap. I have never asked if they “had it in the back”
I get mine on Amazon, Belle Chemical brand. They take about a week to ship, but i know when i need to reorder so i dont run out. Basically when i receive my order, i place another order. Usually tides me over.
I have done pricing on our soaping vendors, and it seems to even out in price ordering bulk with the shipping costs vs amazon. But you dont know how long you are going to wait for your shipment.
But the OP question....if you have the hankering to make soap, then do it lol. Especially if you have a mold that will make smaller batches. It might hold you over till your lye arrives.
I get mine on Amazon, Belle Chemical brand. They take about a week to ship, but i know when i need to reorder so i dont run out. Basically when i receive my order, i place another order. Usually tides me over.
I have done pricing on our soaping vendors, and it seems to even out in price ordering bulk with the shipping costs vs amazon. But you dont know how long you are going to wait for your shipment.
But the OP question....if you have the hankering to make soap, then do it lol. Especially if you have a mold that will make smaller batches. It might hold you over till your lye arrives.
