Where to buy DIY 2 Part locally

[hawkinsrgk]

Hello Everybody

Does anybody know where I can buy anhydrous calcium chloride and magnesium chloride hexahydrate in Madison or Huntsville?

Thanks
Randy

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I believe that beaslbob bought his CaCl and MgCl from Brentagg in Madison. They may ask for tax payer's ID number nowadays to set up an account for you to buy the product. Someone should be able to help you with the purchase, though. If beaslbob still have his stash, I am sure that he will let you have some. He may chime in pretty soon.

 

[hawkinsrgk]

Thanks Tomoko. I looked up the number for them. Will wait to see if Bob aka "The Pusher" :bigsmile: knows of a better place.

 

[beaslbob]

Pusher here. LOL

I got cal chlor which is anahydrous calcium chloride from sherman concrete in madison. 25 pound bag was $8.

But that was a couple of years ago so you may want to call then to check.

Brentag is the only local source of magnesium chloride I have found and they do not charge for shipping even though they have to ship it in.

my .02

 

[hawkinsrgk]

Thanks Bob for the help. Going to give them a call.

 

[hawkinsrgk]

Thanks Tomoko and Bob for the help.

Just to give an update. This has been a real adventure. First I had to convince them that I was not going to use the products to make crack or blow something up. After I used the key phrases Internet, 2 part and saltwater tank I was able to pass that test. Then, I told them to order the products. I was told the calcium was in California and would take two weeks to arrive. After waiting a month I decided to call them back. Turns out since I didn't want to buy 2000 pounds of calcium the PO was blocked because the cost to ship it was more than the product costs. But anyway, it is now all sorted out.

Tuesday or Wednesday I should have 50 pounds of Calcium Chloride, 50 pounds of Magnesium Chloride and 50 pounds of Magnesium Sulfate.

WooHoo

 

[beaslbob]

Thanks Tomoko and Bob for the help.

Just to give an update. This has been a real adventure. First I had to convince them that I was not going to use the products to make crack or blow something up. After I used the key phrases Internet, 2 part and saltwater tank I was able to pass that test. Then, I told them to order the products. I was told the calcium was in California and would take two weeks to arrive. After waiting a month I decided to call them back. Turns out since I didn't want to buy 2000 pounds of calcium the PO was blocked because the cost to ship it was more than the product costs. But anyway, it is now all sorted out.

Tuesday or Wednesday I should have 50 pounds of Calcium Chloride, 50 pounds of Magnesium Chloride and 50 pounds of Magnesium Sulfate.

WooHoo

Who was that with? If it's brentag sorry to hear.

but then it has been awhile since I got some.

For other readers magnesium sulfate is just epsom salts. Even feed and seed stores (Graven?) have 50 phound bags of that not to mention smaller amounts at the drug/grodery stores.

my .02

 

[hawkinsrgk]

It was with Brentag. I thought the story was kinda funny now that its all over with.

It was definitely worth the trouble for the cost savings.

 

[mike_dani]

So where can you buy bulk ALK PH up?

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Are you talking about a buffer? If you are looking for alkalinity supplement that can also raise pH, I'd look for washing soda or bake baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to drive out its CO2 content.

 

[hawkinsrgk]

Hey Mike

Long story short I dont know but I'm currently trying to figure it out. This is where I am at.

The Randy Holmes-Farley recipe calls for Baking Soda to be cooked in the oven for 1 hour. Here is the quote
Spread baking soda (594 grams or about 2 ¼ cups) on a baking tray and heat in an ordinary oven at 300°F for one hour to drive off water and carbon dioxide.

This is the part Im trying to figure out
Im assuming that heating baking soda actually causes it to turn into another chemical. I thought this new chemical was soda ash. However from what Im reading baking soda is made from soda ash.
I dont really want to have to bake baking soda for every batch of ALK PH up. I think Brentag can get any chemical related to this that we want as long as we know what to ask for.

 

[H@rry]

I use 2 1/8 cups baking soda baked @ 300 for 1 hour. That makes a gallon of your Alk additive. The baking converts Sodium Bicarbonate into Sodium Carbonate (Soda Ash). Bealzebub will correct be if I'm wrong on the description.

2 cups Calcium Chloride in a gallon of water makes your Ca additive.

5 cups Magnesium Chloride and 3 cups Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate) in a gallon of water for your Mg additive. This takes a lot of mixing to dissolve.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Soda ash/washing soda is sodium carbonate (NA2CO3). You can purchase sodium carbonate (99.8 percent NA2CO3 and 0.2 percent water) from a variety of sources such as Amazon. I am not sure how much Brenntag charges for it. Arm & Hammer washing soda is sodium carbonate, but I don't know its purity.
If you are wanting to increase alkalinity but not pH so much, you can use sodium bicarbonate/baking soda without baking it.

 

[beaslbob]

I just use baking soda unbaked. Dr. holmes-Farley's method has about 1/2 the concentration of the baked baking soda because unbaked baking soda does not dissolve as well.

Yes H@rry (as usual) is correct in that the baking converts sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate.