Best price for Lye
- Thread starter xyxoxy
- Start date
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that is awesome!! 
uggggh I dont waaaanna call the zoning dept lol
I like the "dont ask dont tell" rule better ayeeee.. I guess as long as I am not selling in the space Im using its okay for now?
uggggh I dont waaaanna call the zoning dept lol
I like the "dont ask dont tell" rule better ayeeee.. I guess as long as I am not selling in the space Im using its okay for now?
Update:
I picked up my lye today!
I highly recommend this company... which by the way is Univar... not Unibar as I said earlier.
So any soapers in Northern MD, Southern PA, or DE area... possibly even southern Jersey (?) take note.
Final tally...
50# @ $51.75 + tax = 54.86 ---> just under $1.10 per pound.
If I add in gas and tolls I'm at around $1.50 per pound or a little less.
Still beats the heck out of buying 1# and 2# bottles at Lowes, Ace, or online with all that shipping added.
Aside from figuring out how to get them to open their security gate :shock: the process of ordering and picking up went very smoothly.
Now I just need some good containers to split it up and store it in. Any recommendations on suppliers? I'm thinking of something that is either 32 or 64 oz. HDPE with an above average air and moisture tight lid.
I picked up my lye today!
I highly recommend this company... which by the way is Univar... not Unibar as I said earlier.
So any soapers in Northern MD, Southern PA, or DE area... possibly even southern Jersey (?) take note.
Final tally...
50# @ $51.75 + tax = 54.86 ---> just under $1.10 per pound.
If I add in gas and tolls I'm at around $1.50 per pound or a little less.
Still beats the heck out of buying 1# and 2# bottles at Lowes, Ace, or online with all that shipping added.
Aside from figuring out how to get them to open their security gate :shock: the process of ordering and picking up went very smoothly.
Now I just need some good containers to split it up and store it in. Any recommendations on suppliers? I'm thinking of something that is either 32 or 64 oz. HDPE with an above average air and moisture tight lid.
Bigmoose
Well-Known Member
I have a 32oz jar with a screw on lid that works for me. I use quart size ziplock freezer bags putting 2lbs. in each for the rest. I put 4 of those bags in a gallon size bag and seal them. I have some lye that is about 6 months old and it is still as good as the day I bought it.
Bruce
Bruce
Bigmoose said:
Now that you mention it I remember you saying that about the ziplocs. That's a great idea! I will do that.
Where do you get your 32oz jars? I'm hoping to find some place local that I can buy them... or better yet that will give them to me. Maybe I can get some of those gallon condiment jars from a restaurant? But I don't want to skimp and risk spillage etc. so I'm not opposed to buying something sturdy that seals well.
ETA: In re-reading this it occurs to me that maybe you only use one 32oz jar and refill as needed... and you just keep the rest stored ONLY in ziplocs. I was thinking you put the ziplocs into the jars to keep them moisture free. Either way I think I might do this. I don't trust myself with just the ziplocs.
xyxoxy said:Bigmoose said:
Now that you mention it I remember you saying that about the ziplocs. That's a great idea! I will do that.
Where do you get your 32oz jars? I'm hoping to find some place local that I can buy them... or better yet that will give them to me. Maybe I can get some of those gallon condiment jars from a restaurant? But I don't want to skimp and risk spillage etc. so I'm not opposed to buying something sturdy that seals well.
ETA: In re-reading this it occurs to me that maybe you only use one 32oz jar and refill as needed... and you just keep the rest stored ONLY in ziplocs. I was thinking you put the ziplocs into the jars to keep them moisture free. Either way I think I might do this. I don't trust myself with just the ziplocs.
that is a great idea about the ziplocks!!
also... as far as the restaurant idea... thats great too... go to the back kitchen door of a restaurant and ask if they have any empty "dressing" containers (its the container they get bulk salad dressing in...) air tight and perfect size... I didnt even think of that before, so I am about to do the same on my end and go door-knocking
One last follow up...
I bought a 5 gallon bucket from Home Depot... the lid has a nice rubber gasket to keep out air and moisture. Bucket and lid together cost under $4 bucks.
I measured out the lye 4 pounds at a time into ziplocs and then placed those in another ziploc. This way I won't have to measure when I make my 50/50 pre-mixed lye solution later. The doubled bags of lye went into the bucket and that is sealed and stored safely away. Doing it this way I only got about 40 of the 50 pounds into the bucket but I fortunately had one fairly large plastic container with an air-tight seal for the remainder.
I have to say... handling a 50# bag of lye is not for the faint of heart or for someone who is not willing or able to take the proper precautions. I worked outdoors, wore thick clothes, goggles, double gloves (leather over top of latex) and still managed to get a tiny burn on my cheek. (Hint: Never rub your face when handling lye no matter how much it itches or how remote you believe the possibility that a speck of lye might have worked it's way in between your gloves to the exact spot you plan to scratch with... )
BTW - I do have one local restaurant who says they will save their gallon condiment bottles for me... we'll see.
I bought a 5 gallon bucket from Home Depot... the lid has a nice rubber gasket to keep out air and moisture. Bucket and lid together cost under $4 bucks.
I measured out the lye 4 pounds at a time into ziplocs and then placed those in another ziploc. This way I won't have to measure when I make my 50/50 pre-mixed lye solution later. The doubled bags of lye went into the bucket and that is sealed and stored safely away. Doing it this way I only got about 40 of the 50 pounds into the bucket but I fortunately had one fairly large plastic container with an air-tight seal for the remainder.
I have to say... handling a 50# bag of lye is not for the faint of heart or for someone who is not willing or able to take the proper precautions. I worked outdoors, wore thick clothes, goggles, double gloves (leather over top of latex) and still managed to get a tiny burn on my cheek. (Hint: Never rub your face when handling lye no matter how much it itches or how remote you believe the possibility that a speck of lye might have worked it's way in between your gloves to the exact spot you plan to scratch with...
)BTW - I do have one local restaurant who says they will save their gallon condiment bottles for me... we'll see.
Yeah I totally agree! Just bought my first 50 lb bag a while back, I have the same orange bucket as you from hd, but my gloves were way too small, only covered half of my forearm so first half of the bag was cool but towards the bottom I wound up having to cut the bag cause I got burns all along the exposed parts of my arm, luckily I work next to vinegar at All times but it was def a lesson learned
I had vinegar handy but I worked within reach of a garden hose 
