A couple of "where do you buy" questions

tab · #1 12/02/10, 08:11 PM

There's about a kazillion places that sell oxygen absorbers and myler bags. Where do you all buy yours? I just ordered a grain mill and the company is either veeeerrrryy slow or else I just gave my credit card number to who knows whom?!! I don't want to repeat that with the absorbers and bags

.

Also, Alldaychemist does not do meds for critters. I checked on a couple of meds for the critters and they do not carry them. Any ideas there? Any mail order places I have found all REQUIRE a script which I don't have as I am trying to buy ahead. The vets will go a bit ahead but not like I want.....it's like I am going to take the dogs anti-leak meds and sell them on the street or something

Another thought, which may need to go over to another board, is where do you get your lye for soap? I again have found some places but am not familiar with them. I know it needs to be straight lye for soapmaking. How much can I order before the guys in windbreakers with DEA written on them come?

I must be a dinosaur as I remember when you could actually go to the hardware store and buy lye....and strike anywhere matches.

SquashNut · #2 12/02/10, 08:23 PM

I don't buy bags or oxygen asorbers. I rotate my dry goods so that I don't need these items. I do use a food saver with a jar sealer. I seal any thing that has a oil content to it. The oil can go rancid. Like sun flower seeds.

The Bunny Ranch · #3 12/02/10, 08:33 PM

I bought my lye from a hardware store. We also make our own. Would you like to know how to make you're own? I can give you instructions.

The Bunny Ranch · #4 12/02/10, 08:36 PM

I forgot to mention that wood ash lye is potassium hydroxide and commercial lye is sodium hydroxide.

Cyngbaeld · #5 12/02/10, 10:27 PM

http://www.lyedepot.com/ For lye. I just got 32 # and nobody blinked.
http://www.shopsimplerliving.com/ Bags and O2 absorbers. Also country living grain mills.

tab · #6 12/05/10, 02:04 PM

My grain mill is on the way, I ordered it from the Canning Pantry and have communicated with them as to WHEN it should arrive....whew! (BTW, I ordered a Country Living Mill.)
Thanks for the offer BR, I do have directions in Carla Emory's book as to how to make lye.
Interesting how things come and go. A couple of years ago I had trouble ordering my additive for the wood boiler. This year no problems whatsoever. Powders and liquids in the mail seem to be "off radar" a bit now.
Thanks for the links Cyngbaeld.

beaglebiz · #7 12/05/10, 05:16 PM

Our Ace and Tru Value hardware store has lye, sold as drain opener, for about $3 a can

The Biss · #8 12/05/10, 08:56 PM

If you live in central North Carolina or Southern VA, check out FoodPreps.com for dry goods.

Just Cliff · #9 12/05/10, 09:43 PM

Lowes carries lye. Look at the lable ingredients of the drain cleaners.

Biss. Im north of you about 40 miles.

Ohio dreamer · #10 12/06/10, 09:45 AM

O2 absorbers - the little ones I get from the LDS Storehouse. Price is great but I don't suggest buying less then 100 (the way the manufacturer packages them). As ....well....their broken packs aren't handled that way I handle mine, at least at the storehouse near us. I keep my open packages sealed in a container, they just toss them back in a bag. For larger ones I go http://www.frugalsquirrels.com/store/index.html

Smaller Mylar bags - again LDS storehouse, larger ones again http://www.frugalsquirrels.com/store/index.html

I like the little Mylars for small packs of thing. I buy dry milk in 25# bags....which will last me a long time if the "S doesn't HTF". So I divide it up into the smaller bags and stack them into a bucket. I pull out a bag every 4-5 months as I only use it for making bread and such.

Lye I get from the Ace hardware in town.

Cyngbaeld · #11 12/06/10, 09:49 AM

If you buy lye from a hardware READ THE LABEL. I bought some once and didn't check first. It had metal filings in it and was useless for soap or hominy.

Ohio dreamer · #12 12/06/10, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyngbaeld

If you buy lye from a hardware READ THE LABEL. I bought some once and didn't check first. It had metal filings in it and was useless for soap or hominy.

Good point, the one I get at ACE is 100% lye no other ingredients (the other 2 or 3 beside it are NOT 100% lye). Not too many brands like that left.

tab · #13 12/14/10, 07:01 PM

OK, I got my buckets from Bay Tech (spelling?) and they seem to be very strong and even with shipping were less than most of the other places I checked out. They were not FREE but I cannot seem to find free!

The Oxygen absorbers I got off Amazon with another order, happened to check them out and found them and thought "why not?". Still trying to find animal meds. Any thoughts? Lye hasn't been oredered yet, may have to use the wood ashes...

Cyngbaeld · #14 12/14/10, 07:28 PM

Can you be more specific about the meds. I find some things one place and other things another place. May not be able to get what you want, but somebody might have an idea.

ldc · #15 12/14/10, 07:33 PM

tab, I use www.petshed.com for pet meds. It's in Australia, 1/3 of the price I can find here, don't need rx's for most, only $5 to ship any amount, arrives in 5 or 6 work week days, have used them for 6 or7 years, never a problem. Best wishes, ldc

beaglebiz · #16 12/14/10, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beaglebiz

Our Ace and Tru Value hardware store has lye, sold as drain opener, for about $3 a can

Ace and True value also stock the strike anywhere matches.
they also sell parts for the Presto canners (weights and gaskets)

Cyngbaeld, how do you make hominy? do you grind it into grits?

I buy pet meds from 1800petmeds or agway. Everything from frontline to wormers to antibiotics.
Humans get their stuff from alldaychemist dot com

Cyngbaeld · #17 12/14/10, 10:26 PM

http://www.chef2chef.net/recipes/rec...7/147819.shtml
I make hominy according to these directions. I use baking soda if I don't have lye. I've never bothered to dry and grind it. You can put the wet hominy thru the food processor if you want.

**GREENCOUNTYPETE** · #18 12/15/10, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tab

There's about a kazillion places that sell oxygen absorbers and myler bags. Where do you all buy yours? I just ordered a grain mill and the company is either veeeerrrryy slow or else I just gave my credit card number to who knows whom?!! I don't want to repeat that with the absorbers and bags

.

Also, Alldaychemist does not do meds for critters. I checked on a couple of meds for the critters and they do not carry them. Any ideas there? Any mail order places I have found all REQUIRE a script which I don't have as I am trying to buy ahead. The vets will go a bit ahead but not like I want.....it's like I am going to take the dogs anti-leak meds and sell them on the street or something

Another thought, which may need to go over to another board, is where do you get your lye for soap? I again have found some places but am not familiar with them. I know it needs to be straight lye for soapmaking. How much can I order before the guys in windbreakers with DEA written on them come?

I must be a dinosaur as I remember when you could actually go to the hardware store and buy lye....and strike anywhere matches.

lye for soap , ace hardware , our local store keeps it on hand it is sold as drain cleaner ,but only soap makers buy it , you may be required to sign for it as i hear they found some way to use ti in MEth. they can order it if they don't have it.
they say you are suppsed to sign for it but they never actualy had my wife sign for it but they know her and she is making soap.

a few miles down the road we have a csa farm that makes goats milk soap , she gets lye by the pallet , you just need to gave a commetial cemical handling training certificate or somthing to order quanities like that. not that different than the certification you need for anhidros ammonia or other fertalizers chemicals ect.. if you have a legit reason they are not hard to get.

tab · #19 12/15/10, 10:06 PM

I was thinking that I would get some larger quantity antibiotics. Horses require a very large dose! Cost prohibitive through Alldaychemist. Wormers for cats, dogs, etc. Dog need her anti-leak meds. If we get a cow in the near future I suppose that would entail having mastitis drugs on hand. There's more but that is what I can think of quickly.

There have been two times in the last few years I have needed meds for the chickens and had a very difficult time finding them. One time it was a coccidiostat, cori something. Another time I had a time getting banamine for the horse.

Trying to get things on hand is sure time consuming and expensive but I have not regretted it yet when it is 11:00 PM and I need something!

Cyngbaeld · #20 12/15/10, 10:28 PM

Have you checked your local feed store? Also try www.jefferslivestock.com/
You might be interested in Pat Colby's books on natural goat, horse and cattle care (3 books). I use her methods and make sure my animals all have their correct minerals and don't need wormers at all.