subtitute for lye in lazymans tek

[Bananaman]

SWIM has looked around everywhere but can't find any 100& lye products. SWIM has tried Ace Hardware and even several smaller ratty hardware stores around town. SWIM would rather not risk buying any sodium hydroxide online.

SWIM has heard of people using sodium carbonate as a substitute instead. What exactly is sodium carbonate, what name brands would you recommend to buy, and how exactly does SWIM substitute it.

here is a link to lazyman's tek: entheogen.com

 

[Spiceman]

Hmm the only other substitute here (not the only but certainly the most reasonable ) would be Potassium Hydroxide = KoH. Also known as PH up available at your local pool supply store . Umm if you are in the US and there is a "Lowes" handy .. go to the plumbing section and pick up a bottle of Roebics Crystal Drain Opener... yellow label .. 8 bux a bottle which is a pound . 100% pure lye.. no other crap in there . Good stuff. Peace !

 

[kemist]

AW right mush? ILPT`s advice: ,,If you wanna get Na2CO3 go for dishwasher salt or washing soda. If it gets cloudy( washing soda sometimes does)let it settle and decant or filter it down cos this tiny miserable particles are likely to create bloody emulsions.BUT when you basifing with carbonate YOU CANNOT USE NAPHTA but toluen,xylene, chloroform, dichlormethane...``

 

[Noman]

BUT when you basifing with carbonate YOU CANNOT USE NAPHTA but toluen,xylene, chloroform, dichlormethane...``

Amen. Proper agitation is impossible with naptha or heptane at a pH of less than 13, which carbonate can't achieve. Not sure about the others - I know that toluene and xylene don't separate easily from cactus solutions at less that 12ish. But that's cactus.
Anyway - I can't really have much hope for any STB that doesn't use either NaOH or KOH. That much caustic is needed to compensate for omitting the acid cooks. Maybe with more time... but then why not just do an A/B?

 

[Bananaman]

SWIM thanks everyone for the input. SWIM has found lye at Lowe's :lol: