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I need some caustic soda to strip some anodising. The number of bricks-and-mortar shops selling it seems to have dwindled from a few to none. I bought some last year, but can't remember where from. Have tried Wilko, B&M, Home Bargains, The Range, Asda, but no joy.
You can buy drain cleaners with sodium hydroxide in them, but I want to be able to make it to whatever strength I like, and I have water in my tap, so no need to buy it in a bottle.
Why is this so hard?
I think you need an independent hardware shop, my local one has it.
I have bought it in tesco
oven cleaner works
It's hard probably as a result of the Acid attacks that were all over the news a few years ago.
That said, a google shopping search and selecting "Available nearby" option has a couple of hardware stores near me where it is available so it is still possible to buy over the counter, so try google shopping...
I got some from Boots ages ago in crystal form - with the cleaning supplies in a small corner, presumably sold as drain cleaner. It needed a big superstore one though.
did you try any actual hardware shops rather than just scrote-stores? I mean, if you want to prevent acid attacks, you've just listed all the places it should [I]definitely[/I] not be made available 😂Have tried Wilko, B&M, Home Bargains, The Range, Asda, but no joy.
B&Q sell it, as would I suspect (as mentioned) most indie hardware shops.
People who shop at bargain shops are 'scrotes'?
I get it from Amazon or ebay in 5kg tubs that last a few years. The drains in our house seems to be irritatingly shallow angles so need a good flush every 6months.
Otherwise I've definitely bought it in B&Q before.
no idea, never been in one. As long as they keep the riff-raff out of Waitrose & M&S, I'm happy 😉People who shop at bargain shops are ‘scrotes’?
Yep as above B&Q sell it in-store in powder form, bought some recently
https://www.diy.com/departments/homecare-drain-cleaner-unblocker/1144141_BQ.prd
My local DIY empourium in the village. Helpful?
I think you need an independent hardware shop, my local one has it.
Same here. See also, barkeepers friend, small packets of obscure fixings, things that I thought I had in the garage but turns out I don't mid-DIY job and don't want to drive 15 miles to B&Q for. Definitely worth shopping and supporting local for places like this. And they give the dog a little biscuit and a lot of fuss every time.
yeah, my local one has a surprisingly huge range of stuff and is cheaper than B&Q, I try to go there whenever possible. But B&Q is actually more convenient, close to where I work & much longer opening hours!Definitely worth shopping and supporting local for places like this.
Slight hijack but if anyone knows where I can buy strong ammonium I would be very grateful.
According to Sheldon Brown it is the stuff to use for an aluminium seat post seized in a steel frame.
Window cleaning strength ammonia doesn't work.
Ammonia? It's caustic soda for alloy post in steel frame isn't it.
That's what I've always used in the past.
Works very well, if your patient and careful you can do it without damaging the paintwork.
But take very single precaution necessary, even if it feels over the top. It is hideous.
Cheers all.
I tried a "non-scrote" shop, but they kicked me out 🤷♀️
Re. old school hardware shops... yes, they would probably stock CS, and I wish I had a good one nearby. But the only one nearby (which is frankly rubbish) is open 8.30-4.30 Mon-Sat. I work 8-4.30ish Mon-Fri, and generally have better things to do with my Saturdays.
I did try Google, funnily.
I'll try B&Q - I looked on their website and they only seemed to have obscenely expensive stuff: https://www.diy.com/departments/max-strength-caustic-soda-1l-bottle/5020042003178_BQ.prd The one linked above doesn't seem to be available to order or collect, but maybe it's in the shop. This seems to have been discontinued: https://www.diy.com/departments/b-q-drains-pipes-caustic-soda/234383_BQ.prd.
Failing which, will try the big Boots too.
Ta.
@ernielynch can't help you with the ammonia, but I caustic soda is supposed to work and might be (marginally) easier to find. I didn't have to resort to it in the one I did recently, just spent a lot of time with a hacksaw.
Becketts will have it, also handles for forks.
If you're in Yorkshire or the North-East, Boyes keep it in too.
I get it from a Poundland type place so I must be a scrote. The only place it town that still sells it.
You need this place, they'd have it.
Ammonia? It’s caustic soda for alloy post in steel frame isn’t it.
I just recall Sheldon Brown saying ammonia. But great if caustic soda works and is easier to get hold of. Thanks.
I'm not bothered about the paint work, it's for a bike I paid twenty quid for to leave outside local shops.
Slight hijack but if anyone knows where I can buy strong ammonium I would be very grateful.
Buying stuff like that now is really quite difficult cos members of the public are invariably idiots who will burn themselves with it or mix it with bleach or any number of other scenarios involving them being hurt. Also, it's incredibly noxious - even using it purely outdoors is going to be unpleasant, it needs to be handled in a fume cupboard with proper scrubbers.
Pure NaOH isn't far off being as dangerous so what is sold in DIY places is often bulked out with other salts which isn't really the sort of thing you want to be pouring into a steel frame.
Same with dichloromethane (DCM) which used to be widely available as paint stripper but is now heavily restricted in its use cos it's so toxic.
@midlifecrashes Jesus, that takes me back... about 30 years. I spent the first five years of my life living just of Beckett Road, and remember going past and occasionally into that hardware shop on the way to playgroup or something. Nice to see it's still there 🙂
I'm in the north east, don't think I've seen a Boyes round here, or ever been in one 🤷♂️
Tried one of the pound shops, but no joy. Might have been where I got it last time. Then again it's hard to buy anything useful at this time of year because the "scrote" retailers seem to skip anything useful in September to make room for plastic Christmas tat, so maybe it's time to try again.
@thenorthwind why does it need to be an 'actual' shop?
I buy my caustic for cleaning my still from: https://www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk/sodium-hydroxide-caustic-soda-premium
it needs to be handled in a fume cupboard with proper scrubbers.
the ones you see hanging around with scrotes?
@Kit I only want a small bottle, which I expect will be a pound or two, so would rather not pay a fiver to have it delivered. Plus packaging, etc.
Feels like you have to buy everything online these days 😕
Our local Wilco has it but that’s probably no use to you.
Pretty sure acetone (nail varnish remover) strips anodising op? Easy to buy in small quantities in local shops but not a great option of you need to remove a lot of anodising.
Edit: No, I'm totally wrong, anodising is pretty resistant to acetone!😁
See also, barkeepers friend, small packets of obscure fixings, things that I thought I had in the garage but turns out I don’t mid-DIY job and don’t want to drive 15 miles to B&Q for. Definitely worth shopping and supporting local for places like this.
I've got two old-school hardware shops within a couple of blocks. I went to one when I needed some screws to re-fit one of those metal strips that joins carpet under a door. I took one of the existing boomerangs down by way of example, she had a rummage about and found a box that were perfect. Great, I think, I'll take... "how many do you want?" she asked. Er, pardon? "Four?" She duly counted out 4 screws and charged me like 8p or something. I was astonished.
it needs to be handled in a fume cupboard with proper scrubbers.
Don't we all, mate. Don't we all.
she had a rummage about and found a box that were perfect. Great, I think, I’ll take… “how many do you want?” she asked. Er, pardon? “Four?”
Yeah but you try buying fork handles cougar.
Damn it!
😁
I've stripped a lot of anodizing and found the Buster brand to be very good. But other than that soda crystals from any supermarket will do. Just make is a strong solution and mix it well.
Its usually a slow process to start, so agitate the solution and part until you see it start to fizz, after which you have to be careful not to let it go too far, so lifting it out, running it under a cold tap to neutralize the reaction, then if any colour still there plunge it back in again.
Once it goes black you're pretty much done. The black easily wipes off. But keep in mind that if you intend to polish it or such, its now raw alloy so will tarnish quickly.
Rustins polished metal lacquer will seal it and stop it tarnishing.
Really concentrated ammonia or caustic soda will do the same job as in solution they're ammonim hydroxide and sodium hydroxide respectively. The hydroxide is what's doing the job (I think from memory it forms some weird complex with the aluminium oxide).
You might get a bit of hydrogen gas produced in the reaction - worth trying to pop any sizeable bubbles with a flame if you fancy a nice reminder of high school chemistry.