Where to buy lye/caustic soda/Sodium hydroxide in bulk?

[newbury]

I need it for paint stripping. Need ~ 30lb. I've lots to do outside and $20/gallon (for other paint strippers) to do 100 sq ft is expensive.
Bulk online runs about $190/50lb (www.bulkapothecary.com) w/shipping.
Just 1lb @HD/Lowes is $5, so I don't seem to save much in bulk.
But most of the sites seem to emphasize "food grade". WTH does that mean when your talking about lye? "non-toxic and safe for consumption."???

 

[Bill Guenthner]

Food grade often just means that a product can be used to clean or service machines, tools, containers, in food processing facilities. There are some food preservation techniques that use lye as well. And lye is used to turn corn into hominy.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

If its food safe and they don't list it that way...may mean the difference in somebody buying a few 18 wheeler loads or not. Gotta draw a bigger circle around yourself.

 

[Alan W.]

Ive seen 50 lb bags for sale at the Amish stores.
Will be down that way tomorrow will check on their price.

 

[Ken45101]

Amazon has it for $130 for 40#, including shipping. Likewise walmart.com

 

[dougtrr2]

The Norwegian dish of lutefisk is made by soaking in lye. But I am not sure whether lutefisk itself is considered food grade.

Doug is SW IA

 

[groundcover]

Sodium Hydroxide Beads Pails - View Prices and Purchase

Sodium Hydroxide beads from ChemWorld.com. Buy directly online with free shipping.

www.chemworld.com

 

[newbury]

Amazon has it for $130 for 40#, including shipping. Likewise walmart.com

Thanks.

Sodium Hydroxide Beads Pails - View Prices and Purchase

Sodium Hydroxide beads from ChemWorld.com. Buy directly online with free shipping.

www.chemworld.com

That is $275 for 50 lbs, I'm not trying to find the highest price!
A lot of the complaints on Amazon and elsewhere were shipments ending up being one big block due to poor packaging.
So I went with 32 lbs Food Grade Sodium Hydroxide Lye Evenly-Sized Micro Pels (Beads or Particles) - 16 x 2lb Bottles - Lye Drain Cleaner - HDPE container for $70+$50 shipping.

Amazon.com: 32 lbs Food Grade Sodium Hydroxide Lye Evenly-Sized Micro Pels (Beads or Particles) - 16 x 2lb Bottles - Lye Drain Cleaner - HDPE container with resealable Child Resistant cap : Industrial & Scientific

Buy 32 lbs Food Grade Sodium Hydroxide Lye Evenly-Sized Micro Pels (Beads or Particles) - 16 x 2lb Bottles - Lye Drain Cleaner - HDPE container with resealable Child Resistant cap on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders

www.amazon.com

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I need it for paint stripping. Need ~ 30lb. I've lots to do outside and $20/gallon (for other paint strippers) to do 100 sq ft is expensive.
Bulk online runs about $190/50lb (www.bulkapothecary.com) w/shipping.
Just 1lb @HD/Lowes is $5, so I don't seem to save much in bulk.
But most of the sites seem to emphasize "food grade". WTH does that mean when your talking about lye? "non-toxic and safe for consumption."???

Lutefisk. Maraschino cherries.

A gallon of any stripper should do 100 sq. ft. no problem. That's 10 x 10, a pretty small wall.

 

[ponytug]

What is your paint remover recipe? Just curious.

All the best,

Peter