My lye storage setup

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kchaystack

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I finally remembered to snap some pics of this. Here ya go.

The containers from the lye guy fit perfect. If you do the buy 5 get one free from him, one has to sit on top of the desiccant container, but the gamma lis will still close with no issues.

1459711545186.jpg


1459711553377.jpg
 
Those buckets are the greatest. The desiccant is genius! I was just pouring my lye into the bucket and it would absorb a bit of moisture from each time I opened it and some granules were sticking to the sides. I resigned myself to just pouring small containers at a time into the bucket but I love this idea.
 
I followed KC's lead -- I really like my "dry bucket" not only for controlling humidity but also for adding another layer of safety between my nosy critters, clumsy me, and all that lye.

For those who like videos, I did some short ones recently -- one that shows my dry bucket setup, another of a quick-n-dirty test of just how fast NaOH can absorb water from the air, and a third longer one showing an easy way to do a purity check of your NaOH. Please see:

Dry bucket -- [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zysA8Bnf2JM[/ame]
and
NaOH deliquescence: [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6m140WJ4Fw[/ame]
and
NaOH or KOH purity check: [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQpDim4jt44[/ame]
 
I hope these videos encourage people to try KC's idea -- I sure don't want to steal his thunder! :)

Navigator -- It was a humid summer day, so conditions were ripe for the NaOH to pick up a lot of moisture fast. It ~is~ impressive, isn't it?

After I do a video like this, I think of all the things I could have done differently to tell the story even better. For example, I could have weighed the spoon and NaOH each time I checked it and calculated how the purity of the NaOH dropped as it absorbed more and more water. And I could have cleaned up my sink! Oh well -- this makes the point I was trying to share.
 
I finally remembered to snap some pics of this. Here ya go.

The containers from the lye guy fit perfect. If you do the buy 5 get one free from him, one has to sit on top of the desiccant container, but the gamma lis will still close with no issues.

Where did you purchase the bucket with gamma lid and desiccant?
 
Not KC, but here are my answers. I got my bucket from my local bakery for $3. Many stores carry them, including hardware stores and lumber and construction supply stores. You can find gamma lids at Menards if you live in the midwestern USA. I'd also look at Lowes or Home Depot. Desiccant -- look in good hardware or outdoor/gun stores. Look for desiccant near the gun storage safes in a gun store. All of this stuff is sold online of course.
 
Not KC, but here are my answers. I got my bucket from my local bakery for $3. Many stores carry them, including hardware stores and lumber and construction supply stores. You can find gamma lids at Menards if you live in the midwestern USA. I'd also look at Lowes or Home Depot. Desiccant -- look in good hardware or outdoor/gun stores. Look for desiccant near the gun storage safes in a gun store. All of this stuff is sold online of course.

Thanks. I realize that I can buy anything online but would prefer to save my shipping fees for fragrance oils. I think everything is available at Home Depot and Lowes for one-stop shopping.

Bucket
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leaktite-5-gal-Bucket-5GL-WHITE-PAIL/202264041

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Encore-Plastics-5-Gallon-Commercial-Bucket/3694238

Gamma Lid

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leaktite...eaktite-5-gal-Screw-Top-Lid-5GAMMA6/203205720

http://www.lowes.com/pd/Encore-Plastics-12-in-White-Plastic-Bucket-Accessory/50094688

Desiccant

http://www.homedepot.com/p/DampRid-...-Refillable-Moisture-Absorber-FG01K/100392067

http://www.lowes.com/pd/airBOSS-Moisture-Absorber/50240039
 
Hey guys, vacation and the move have kept me busy, but I got every thing from Home Depot. I will really be testing it's effectiveness here. I feel like I need an aqua lung.
 
Welcome to the deep South. It is particularly bad right now, but it is supposed to be cooler on the back side of this front whenever it decides to move on through and stop dumping wet stuff.
 
would using a a popcorn tin, like in this old post, work or being aluminum would it be a problem even if the lye is still in the plastic container? i think those tins are aluminum but please correct me if i'm mistaken.
 
Most metal containers like your popcorn "tin" are made of steel. Even so, they are decorative items for storing food, not for storing chemicals. "Tins" have formed seams around the bottom and at least one seam along the sides, so they aren't designed to be leak proof. The top is a friction fit and not designed to be securely air and vapor tight. If you have children and need a child resistant closure, this type of lid is not a good choice. If you still want to use a "tin" then check the metal with a magnet -- if aluminum, the magnet won't stick and I absolutely would not use it for NaOH or KOH storage. If steel, the magnet will stick, and the container would be acceptable to use.

That said, I personally wouldn't use one. The point of making a "dry bucket" is to make a secure, dry place for your lye for however long you want to store it. I don't think a metal "tin" fits the bill for me.

A plastic bucket is impervious to NaOH and KOH, leak proof, and very sturdy. The lid whether the original snap-on lid or a gamma lid, fits on tightly and securely enough that you can control the humidity inside the bucket fairly well. The lid can be made difficult to open by children.

Over the past several years, I have read about at least two incidences of NaOH containers that had cracked and spilled NaOH beads, unbeknownst to the soaper. In a dry bucket, this would have been inconvenient, but the spill would be fully contained and the external environment around the bucket would be safe. The uncontained lye caused a mess. Thankfully no one was injured, but that could have happened too.
 
I followed KC's lead -- I really like my "dry bucket" not only for controlling humidity but also for adding another layer of safety between my nosy critters, clumsy me, and all that lye.

For those who like videos, I did some short ones recently -- one that shows my dry bucket setup, another of a quick-n-dirty test of just how fast NaOH can absorb water from the air, and a third longer one showing an easy way to do a purity check of your NaOH. Please see:

Dry bucket -- [ame]
and
NaOH deliquescence: [ame]
and
NaOH or KOH purity check: [ame]


GREAT videos....thank you so much. I am just now getting back into soapmaking after a 10 year hiatus when caring for my husband who was very ill. So much to learn again - LOVE YouTube videos. THANKS so much!!!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
@SoapySuds May I clarify - that link took me to nice clear containers with black lids that are made of PET. Can NaOH be safely stored in PET? I mean before mixing with H2O (I masterbatch)


Yes, the Lye Guy lye crystals used to, and may still, come in PET plastic. So it is safe while still dry, I expect.

But I use the 5 gallon buckets used for paints, etc. that come from Home Depot with the gamma lid, so not PET plastic.
 

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