Substitute for Red Devil lye?

[the_tool_man]

Hi all:

I'm gearing up for my first major project with cherry. An associate of mine recommended using a lye solution to darken the wood. After some research, I'd like to try it. However, I've found that Red Devil lye is no longer sold locally. I've found a few leads through candlemaking websites, but they require me to purchase 30lb of the stuff. I just want a little to experiment with. Are there any other brands to look for? My local searches have yeilded nothing that is pure sodium hydroxide, and I'm reluctant to use anything that has "other stuff" in it. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, John.

[the_tool_man]

Anybody used potassium hydroxide?

Thanks again for any help!

Regards, John.

[Dhakala]

That's why lye is, John. You can make it at home. This recipe is rather elaborate, for producing significant quantities. But I'm sure you can scale it down and simplify it. The basic idea is to pour soft water over hardwood ashes. N. B.: don't use any metal containers!

[Dhakala]

"What lye is," I meant.

[Toller]

Some drain cleaners are pure lye. You can try lye for darkening; I have never had any luck with it. It sorta works, but looks like wood that has had lye on it.

[bob.kirkpatrick]

Here are some sources for smaller quantities.

[Dhakala]

[Wes Stewart]

I've bought it at Ace Hardware.

[Doug Miller]

But that's *not* what lye is. Lye is sodium hydroxide.

[wood_newbie]

I'm with you there...in my experience it adds a tremendous amount of red to the wood...a very unatural look.

Myself I prefer to fume it in order to speed up the darkening process. No artificial look to it at all.

However, if I were the OP I would definitely try to get hold of some to experiment with. That's the way I learned, and I've found there is no better teacher. And there may be some opportunities where that red look might just fit the bill.

And hey...what's the harm? If you don't like it, you just pour the rest down the drain!

[the_tool_man]

Hi Wes:

I just went to my local Ace this morning. I was told that Ace no longer carries Red Devil lye because it is used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. I guess that's why I can't find it anywhere.

Wes Stewart wrote:

[the_tool_man]

Hi Dhakala:

By lye, I mean sodium hydroxide. Potassium hydroxide is a.k.a. Potash Lye. They are two different th> the_tool_man wrote:

[Wes Stewart]

Crap. I use it for cleaing/etching aluminum. Glad I still have about

4 cans in stock.

[joeljcarver]

searches have yeilded nothing that is pure sodium hydroxide, and I'm reluctant to use anything that has "other stuff" in it.

You don't need pure "sodium hydroxide". In a pinch you can use Easy-Off oven cleaner or Drano. Both contain lye.

[joeljcarver]

searches have yeilded nothing that is pure sodium hydroxide, and I'm reluctant to use anything that has "other stuff" in it.

You don't need pure "sodium hydroxide". In a pinch you can use Easy-Off oven cleaner or Drano. Both contain lye.

[Doug Miller]

In fact, for coloring cherry, you probably *do* need pure NaOH.

Yes, they do. They also contain various other substances whose presence may be undesirable. It's not wise to assume that they are interchangeable.

[Lew Hodgett]

AKA: "caustic".

Almost every paint stripper uses it as the muscle to soften paint.

Does a great job of eating wood fibers.

BTW, have a couple of customers with 10,000 gallon tanks of 50% caustic, but that doesn't help much.

It is used to make detergents as well as paint stripper.

Lew

[Thomas Kendrick]

$10 for 2#, $67 for 25# ships UPS in the continental US.

[Hambone Slim]

Part A of a two step wood bleach, such as Klean-Strip brand, is sodium hydroxide. Part B is Hydrogen Peroxide.

This stuff works great for bleaching walnut, but does not give a uniform effect on cherry, IMO. Also, the lye component damages the wood fibers. Lye is also used for making wood pulp for paper, IIRC.

You say this is your first project in cherry - putting lye on it seems like a pretty drastic step. Most people really like cherry as-is, and it can be dyed and/or stained for some really nice effects. Also, there is a simple trick for darkening cherry that doesnt require any harsh chemicals. Just put your completed but unfinished piece in the sun for a few days. It will darken up very quickly.

-- Timothy Juvenal

[Dhakala]

It can be either. The lye made from ashes is potash lye, potassium hydroxide.