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Bullion.Forum
Non-Chemical Lye
- Thread starter jmdlcar
- Start date
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philddreamer
Well-known member
Jack, I don't know about using Drano... Try Ace hardware & ask for "ROOTO",
its 100% Lye drain opener.
Take care!
Phil
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=7501&p=68413&hilit=rooto#p68413
its 100% Lye drain opener.
Take care!
Phil
http://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=7501&p=68413&hilit=rooto#p68413
rewalston
Well-known member
From my understanding Drano isn't good because not only does it contain Sodium Hydroxide but it also contains aluminum granules to help in the reaction within the drains....causes lots of bubbles thereby causing an almost scrubbing action to break up clogs. Aluminum I don't think would help in getting rid of the solder mask and could cause other problems but I'm not sure.
Rusty
Rusty
Geo
Well-known member
ive used crystal Drano before. its blue, comes in a metal can with a little plastic snap on lid. like Rusty said, it contains aluminum, so you have to add it to water slowly or it will foam over.it worked as good as any other product ive tried. dont use an aluminum pan to do it in. use a glass pyrex pan or steel. if you use steel, the solution will turn black quickly. dont be too concerned with that because it will still work. heat it until it gets to a slow boil and turn the heat down just enough that it stops boiling before you use it.
Caustic soda, lye, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, can be obtained from leached wood ash, is used (or was) for making soap from hog fat, used in drain cleaners, also used to convert kitchen grease to bio-diesel, in history back when they traveled long distances over the ocean in ships, and someone died at sea, and they did not want to dump their body overboard, but wanted to bury them on land, they would put the body in a barrel of lye, the flesh would turn to soap they could then dump the soap overboard, the bones could be brought home for burial, this also kept from causing disease on the ship from rotting corpse, when you get sodium hydroxide on your hands they get slippery it is making soap out of your skin and the oils in your skin.
Check drain cleaners, soap makers supply’s, bio-diesel supply’s, chemical warehouses, water treatment supply, even Ebay, caustic soda is a very common chemical, and can even be easily made from your wood ashes and rainwater.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lye
Check drain cleaners, soap makers supply’s, bio-diesel supply’s, chemical warehouses, water treatment supply, even Ebay, caustic soda is a very common chemical, and can even be easily made from your wood ashes and rainwater.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lye
Be careful. When you dissolve lye (sodium hydroxide; caustic soda), it gets quite hot - so hot it can splatter out. Always protect the eyes and wear gloves. A spec in the eye could cause blindness. It will burn skin as badly as sulfuric acid.
NobleMetalWorks
Well-known member
I use Sodium Hydroxide myself
Here is a video on how to make Sodium Hydroxide, you have to be very careful and remember to do this in a well ventilated area, or in a fume home preferably because it does produce some Chlorine Gas.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nue1ZGSleEo[/youtube]
When you are mixing Sodium Hydroxide you should treat it as you would acids, never add water to Sodium Hydroxide, but rather small amounts of Sodium Hydroxide to water until you reach the desired concentration.
Heat is a by product of the reaction of Sodium Hydroxide with water, so it should be done in a container that can withstand the heat. Tempered glass, crockery that doesn't have a glaze that will dissolve, a plastic container that can withstand heat and isn't attacked by the Lye.
The reaction will give off some gases that can burn the inside of your lungs, you don't want to breath this in, so again, do this in a well vented area (outside) or under a fume hood.
Sodium Hydroxide will burn the skin similar to acids, in it's dry and wet forms. Treat this like Sulfuric Acid! However, it's a base and not an acid, if you need to neutralize it, if you spill or get it on your skin, you should do so with an acid such as vinegar or even citrus juice. I keep a plastic gallon jug of vinegar close at hand when dealing with Lye or Sodium Hydroxide. If for some strange reason you ingest it, you can drink milk, or if you get it in your eye, milk would be a better choice than vinegar.
Keep in mind that after you are finished, you are probably going to want to store the lye for later use, it would be better if you processed your material in the same container you plan to store it in. Also it's best if the container can stay stationary instead of being moved around to prevent accidents. Make sure you have a safety vent, but you should store the dry and wet versions in a dry place. Sodium Hydroxide and/or lye love water just like Sulfuric Acid does, and will react with any moisture that is in the air.
I have been using lye to remove all kinds of material besides soldering masks, it works wonderful so long as you respect it in the same way you might Sulfuric Acid.
If I missed any of the safety issues, please add
Scott
Here is a video on how to make Sodium Hydroxide, you have to be very careful and remember to do this in a well ventilated area, or in a fume home preferably because it does produce some Chlorine Gas.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nue1ZGSleEo[/youtube]
When you are mixing Sodium Hydroxide you should treat it as you would acids, never add water to Sodium Hydroxide, but rather small amounts of Sodium Hydroxide to water until you reach the desired concentration.
Heat is a by product of the reaction of Sodium Hydroxide with water, so it should be done in a container that can withstand the heat. Tempered glass, crockery that doesn't have a glaze that will dissolve, a plastic container that can withstand heat and isn't attacked by the Lye.
The reaction will give off some gases that can burn the inside of your lungs, you don't want to breath this in, so again, do this in a well vented area (outside) or under a fume hood.
Sodium Hydroxide will burn the skin similar to acids, in it's dry and wet forms. Treat this like Sulfuric Acid! However, it's a base and not an acid, if you need to neutralize it, if you spill or get it on your skin, you should do so with an acid such as vinegar or even citrus juice. I keep a plastic gallon jug of vinegar close at hand when dealing with Lye or Sodium Hydroxide. If for some strange reason you ingest it, you can drink milk, or if you get it in your eye, milk would be a better choice than vinegar.
Keep in mind that after you are finished, you are probably going to want to store the lye for later use, it would be better if you processed your material in the same container you plan to store it in. Also it's best if the container can stay stationary instead of being moved around to prevent accidents. Make sure you have a safety vent, but you should store the dry and wet versions in a dry place. Sodium Hydroxide and/or lye love water just like Sulfuric Acid does, and will react with any moisture that is in the air.
I have been using lye to remove all kinds of material besides soldering masks, it works wonderful so long as you respect it in the same way you might Sulfuric Acid.
If I missed any of the safety issues, please add
Scott
rewalston
Well-known member
Hey Scott, you said that you used it to remove other stuff besides solder mask. Can you expand on that please?
Rusty
PS. If you get Lye on your skin it will feel slippery, this is because it is turning the fats in your skin into soap.
Rusty
PS. If you get Lye on your skin it will feel slippery, this is because it is turning the fats in your skin into soap.
NobleMetalWorks
Well-known member
Sure,
You have to follow the recipe, you can use lye as a paste to brush onto surfaces you need to remove paint from.
1 gallon of water
2 cups corn starch
mix corn starch with water
heat until it just starts to evolve bubbles, keep it at that heat for about 5 min
let it cool for about another 5 min then add 8 ounces of Sodium Hydroxide
Stir until it becomes a gelatinous mass
Use a brush to brush it on anything you want to remove paint from
You should make a new batch up each time you use it
This method also works really well for large items that will not fit into your vat of lye. You can brush it into places that might otherwise be missed.
I also use Lye to clean iron before I use it in the clean up process, and to clean up the iron skillet I use to heat with.
I use it to clean my grill with, works great at taking off all the built up BBQ material
I am Sicilian, I grow my own olives and cure them with Lye
I use lye to clean up as much material as I can before it goes into AP. Lye will remove organic material that might have built up on PC boards left outside, I have had some that were growing "stuff" on them. Lye does an excellent job of dissolving organic material.
Scott
You have to follow the recipe, you can use lye as a paste to brush onto surfaces you need to remove paint from.
1 gallon of water
2 cups corn starch
mix corn starch with water
heat until it just starts to evolve bubbles, keep it at that heat for about 5 min
let it cool for about another 5 min then add 8 ounces of Sodium Hydroxide
Stir until it becomes a gelatinous mass
Use a brush to brush it on anything you want to remove paint from
You should make a new batch up each time you use it
This method also works really well for large items that will not fit into your vat of lye. You can brush it into places that might otherwise be missed.
I also use Lye to clean iron before I use it in the clean up process, and to clean up the iron skillet I use to heat with.
I use it to clean my grill with, works great at taking off all the built up BBQ material
I am Sicilian, I grow my own olives and cure them with Lye
I use lye to clean up as much material as I can before it goes into AP. Lye will remove organic material that might have built up on PC boards left outside, I have had some that were growing "stuff" on them. Lye does an excellent job of dissolving organic material.
Scott
NobleMetalWorks
Well-known member
I want to add that I have been using lye long before I started recovering/refining precious metals. So I'm pretty comfortable using it in the recovery process. Also why I felt comfortable posting on this thread. But I am by far no expert, and I am sure there are other people on the forum that have used lye to their benefit, in ways I haven't. I would like to hear from them also.
Geo
Well-known member
thank you Scott for the information. im sure it will be helpful. i know a few times i could have used the paint remover recipe, also ill have to try that on my grill.
