CAT LITTER FOR FORGING?!?!

[@Imwright720]

Soap makers carry 100% lye. The stuff from them is less likely to have a cloud when pouring. Please read about using lying before making this. It’s dangerous and can seriously injury you. This is done backwards. Always add lye too water.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

You are right and I was very wrong. I'm moving your comment to the top as a public service message. As a side note, when I was starting in HVAC as low man plugged drains and nasty urinals were part of the daily routine, we always added the lye to water.

[@casawilliams6392]

Yeah but much more expensive.

[@mikescheve429]

In this episode of TheTradesmanChannel, Jim cooks crystal meth in his tool shed! 😂

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

It's good for you.

[@chriscox6598]

Good morning Jim, happy Easter to you and your family. Great live stream Friday night. Looking forward to part 2

[@aaronstroud5278]

This video makes a lot more sense after watching the following one. I hope your family had a blessed Easter.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

We had a great one, you?

[@aaronstroud5278]

We did as well. A couple of my nephews were baptized on Easter and their church has much louder music than ours so I'm probably a little deafer than before. But it was a great day. I even found some time to make progress carving my replacement broadaxe handle. I'm not a working machine like you, so I don't consistently make progress on my projects. Definitely something I need to work on.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

I never get as much done as I want to.

[@shawnoney5678]

HELLO Mr.Jim Good Morning and Happy Easter to you and the Family ,awesome video. And married 25 years I understand.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Happy Easter Shawn.

[@flaplaya]

Haha I love your burner.. Huge oxy-acetylene torch 😆

[@independentliberty9628]

Also noteworthy, an aluminum pot would react with the sodium hydroxide producing hydrogen gas.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Now that I did not know, I'm moving your comment to the top because that should be shared.

[@casawilliams6392]

Is there a fine mesh you could float on top and just lift off to trap and remove the detritus

[@MarkThomas123]

How did it hold up? I only saw a video a month later and not another after with this forge. Just wondering.. It didn't seem like it would last long..

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

A friend of mine has it and uses it daily, it's held up fine. I built a big coal forge and a ribbon burner forge since then. I'd recommend a ribbon burner any day of the week.

[@MarkThomas123]

@@TheTradesmanChannel Awesome.. Good to hear. Thinking about an Aircrete with some inner lining for the next "Small" forge. Ribbons.. Yep.. I have most of the parts for when I need a large forge.. Seems they would have to be a bit more efficient than other burners the same size/output, but, I may be wrong. Saw that forge build.. Looks great.

[@johncollado1151]

Morning Professor Jim.... happy bunny day! Most people would be preparing Easter dinner, but we know that things like that don't happen here! Not being a forger like yourself, I'm at a loss as to what you are going to do with that liquid concoction, but I'm guessing part two will divulge that information. That's one thing we can always count on you and this channel, variety! Keep'em coming. Sorry I missed your live stream Friday, timing was off for me, but I'll definitely try to catch the next one. Hope it was a good one.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

It was a good on John, a little fuzzy towards the end.

[@jesselarvick5334]

I'd love to know how well your forge has stood the test of time. Has it been used much over the past year? Has it stood up well? Thanks!

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

It has stood up quite well so far, I've only run a few tanks through it though as a prefer coal.

[@dadafan5921]

Sodium Silicate is water glass. Interesting stuff. It can also be used with portland cement to form a very useful concrete. It sets in 30 minutes though so you'd better be certain about what you are doing. The first time I encountered it I just wanted to play with it. It's fascinating stuff. As a retired safety compliance inspector and executive, I cringed as I watched you work. I've done MUCH worse. I didn't do useful things like a forge. I blew up logjams in our creek. I won't tell with what here but your imagination may not quite be good enough to picture it. They shut down the nearby general aviation airport...

[@nobodynoone2500]

Nothing a lil tannerite wont fix.

[@casawilliams6392]

Whats the noise at 8m53s. Is that the reaction. My heaven that is COOL.

[@JBattler]

I was always taught to add the hydroxide to the water, not the other way around! Be careful of explosions! Some of that "gunk" left over from the cat litter could be undissolved silica gel.

[@l0I0I0I0]

Interesting! Any improvements since you made this?

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Yes, I built a whole new ribbon burner forge. A big world of difference.

[@l0I0I0I0]

@@TheTradesmanChannel very cool! I'll have to watch it!

[@dougdunlap6638]

hope you and your Family had a Blessed Easter

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

We did, same to you Doug.

[@engjds]

Tried it straight out of the litter box (cat wasn't too happy) and made a pizza oven, pizzas taste strange, what could be the problem?

[@jefflabrozzi9592]

Hi Jim. Nice chemistry. Looking forward to second part.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

It's uploading right now. I'll get half way through the work day before it's finished.

[@RRaucina]

By the way, a strong solution of lye and water instantly cleans sanding belts and saw blades. Pitch and resin just falls off the sanding belts. I use 37x75 sanding belts and this saves me thousands of $$$

[@jasonvos3956]

Pretty cool stuff. Never thought of making it before. Just shows ya a guy really does learn something new every day. Happy Easter, hope the kids find all the eggs lol. By kids I mean you haha

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

I'm Easter bunny hunting right now

[@jasonvos3956]

TheTradesmanChannel me too haha.

[@dansw0rkshop]

Not sure I would use a wooden stick to stir it. Plastic probably better, if you're going to the effort to use distilled water. Also, I've wondered about using the freeze test to determine "done." I've wished for a hygrometer to measure specific gravity, I think it would be more precise.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

+dansw0rkshop you are probably right but I don't think the stick hurt it. It set up just right with the heat

[@dansw0rkshop]

It was blackish when you poured it into the jar... mine turns out clear. Maybe it was the blue colored kitty litter, but I think it took some carbon off of the wooden stir stick.

[@dansw0rkshop]

Yeah ultimately I think it's pretty forgiving.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

It was the cat litter, it set up very well. Worst part is I've thrown out tons of water glass doing boiler work without knowing what I could have used it for.

[@diesockedeslebens6599]

Beer and lye,a great evening

[@canninrm]

Happy Irish Easter to you jimmy, get some hollow bunny rabbits and eat the ears. then fill with Irish cream and freeze for later tonight when your wife finds out you used her kitchen stuff....you'll need it...

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

What she doesn't know gets buried out in the field...

[@paultanner2007]

Good morning bud; that's really neat! Y'all have a great Easter!!

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

You too Paul, Shirley too

[@adirondackharold8574]

Good morning Jim! Happy Easter to you and your family! Enjoy your day buddy!

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Have a good day Harold

[@kenjett2434]

What is not commonly told is sodium silicate (waterglass) has a temperature limitation of 2,000F its melting point. If your melting copper or aluminum or gold ypur ok. If your heating steal to hammer it your pushing the limit and will fail in a short time. But you cannot reach welding temperatures with this method the sodium silicate will melt causing failure of the refractory. For that you need a refactory capable of 3,000F usually a ceramic made up of alumina or a high temperature fire clay that is high in alumina or quartz.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

That is good to know. I prefer coal for forge welding.

[@ssx2channel977]

Happy Easter to you and the family. I can’t wait to see it put to use. It is back to cold and snow in Wyoming. Light snow then then wind gusts to 50 mph later today.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Same here today, winter just won't let go this year.

[@ssx2channel977]

TheTradesmanChannel 💚no it won’t

[@ronaldpietrowski7046]

Good morning nice job happy easter to you and the family.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Same to you Ron

[@chrispeters6944]

LOL. Mr. Wizard would be proud!

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Chris that is going back a ways...

[@chrispeters6944]

TheTradesmanChannel showing my age I guess :-)

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

I remember Mr. Wizard.

[@donnellsmith9056]

Hey Jim! That was very interesting...never saw anything like that before! Love the videos!

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Good morning Donnell, happy Easter.

[@sethbracken]

Looks like you can buy silica gel beads pure. WalMart is listing 1.5 lb bag of “flower drying crystals” for $10 not sure how that compares pricewise to cat litter. Upside is no extras as contaminates. Side note: set up an account with Amazon, when you list products you use in videos and share the link you’ll get a referral fee of one of us clicks on it to get to amazon and buys anything at all. So even if I didn’t want to buy any of the supplies you suggest, I could still help the channel by clicking over through you and buying whatever it is I want.

[@timrauscher3965]

Happy Easter Jim. Looking forward to the next video now.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Hello Tim

[@VochosGranja]

Interesting. Very interesting. I've never seen this.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

It works well.

[@Debtfreehomesteaders]

This is kewl stuff. Ive never seen it either. Im jonsen' to build a forge. -Will

[@Nrhat123]

Morning Jim, Happy Easter to you and the family, Really neat stuff, I have never seen that used as a glue for a forge. I used fire clay, perlite, play sand, to make my foundry. That worked great for it but is extremely heavy. I have used it to melt everything from aluminum and brass. Wondering how heavy your finished forge is?

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

It is super heavy

[@davidchadwick1626]

Happy Easter to you all over there have a good one 🍻

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Happy Easter David, hope you're well today.

[@thomasarussellsr]

Morning Jim. Happy Easter. FYI, CHEM101... always put your water in first. Can't wait to see the completion. The "junk" by the way, is typically clay or ground news-paper in most litters.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Hello Thomas.

[@Lokisword]

That is very cool Jim, so now we know the start of the night (pretty awesome), then we all showed up which I have to say was by far the best live stream ever done. how'd it finish? was the couch comfy?. look forward to seeing the finished forge

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

That was the start, it was a Good time

[@49erdigging]

good morning Jim Happy Easter! does that stuff harden on its own?

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

It needs heat or CO2

[@joseortiz5965]

Awesome

[@johnr2836]

Good morning Jim, Happy Easter

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Happy Easter

[@jamesspires8096]

Hey Jim is this the lye that you can use in soap making or is this a higher caustic lye?

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Yes you can, good evening James.

[@jamesspires8096]

Ok thanks Jim been looking at making some man soap ya know cedar, diesel fuel, crude oil, fresh cut pine and other scents that men would like. I'm tired of smelling like a damn strawberry patch or peaches and cream.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

It's good for you to smell like a metro man.

[@jamesspires8096]

Hey now I want to smell like the woods not a shopping mall

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Can't blame you there.

[@caballitodehierro27]

can i use river sand? thank you for the video

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

As long as it's clean you should be good.

[@caballitodehierro27]

@@TheTradesmanChannel thank you!

[@scottmclennan9231]

Would sil co sil be an suitable alternative to the cat litter?

[@AS-ug2vq]

No, colloidal silica itself is a binder so can be used directly

[@silversurfer233]

Interesting stuff.

[@GreatPlainsCraftsman]

Hey Jim. Is there anything you don't know how to do?

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

There's plenty...read my wife's mind, deal with rude customers without losing it, pat my head while rubbing my belly...the list could go for days.

[@GreatPlainsCraftsman]

Ha, I can't do any of that crap either. But now I know how to make water glass, cool.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

How's your video coming along?

[@GreatPlainsCraftsman]

Working on getting music on it right now. Will let you know tomorrow when you can view it and ridicule me.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

There will be no picking from me, I know how hard the first few are.

[@stickyfox]

I broke a test tube, got lye everywhere, made a few drops of silicate, fun was had. Then I bought a gallon of Rutland floor sealer for $25.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

"Fun was had" I love it.

[@stickyfox]

@@TheTradesmanChannel hey I still have my eyesight and I learned something! :)

[@toolsconsumables7055]

Dear Jim, How very interesting to note that you are a part time Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. A word of advice to the audience I feel would be wise at this moment. Always tread with fear when Jim wants a beer. Never stand between him & his brew, this could be the last of you. Now that you've been warned, tread at your peril. On another note, never mind about the home made concoction with cat litter, what's happened to your frisbee saga??? Hope you & family are having a wonderful Easter. Kind regards.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Doing well. There will be a large amount of frisbee testing once the shop is done which will be soon.

[@toolsconsumables7055]

Dear Jim, Thank you very much for your courteous & hearted reply. I am delighted with your progress dear boy. Trust Easter gives you a welcome break to be with family. Have that beer in your "Pit of Despair" which I dare say must be your nearest dearest bolt hole when the excrement ( one aims to remain polite as best as possible!!!) hits the fan. Kind regards.

[@toolsconsumables7055]

Dear Jim, Thank you very much for your courteous reply. I just realised when you first mentioned that honourable Matron had a problem with lending her pots & pans for your evil concoction. Well had she had done so & then used that pot to cook everyone's dinner later; I suspect you might all have turned up like Dr Jekyll. I don't suppose it bothers you much but I strongly sense that they would not be amused to learn that their new condition was thanks to good old Pa!!! You would then to concoct some sort of antidote, burning the midnight oil to find just the right recipe. Your barn would be a bygone project. No Jim, you definitely do not want to borrow the family's cutlery, make your own you fiend. Cat litter indeed!!! There are times Jim, I am wondering if the motor is running & nobody behind the wheel simply because of being overworked, overstressed, not enough sleep??? I think slightly stressing, slightly less content & more relaxing so that you do not end up looking as well as feeling as Dr Jekyll. Keep taking the cocoa & stay well away from that triple roast. Kind regards.

[@toolsconsumables7055]

Dear Jim, Thank you for your hearted response. Just be sensible my old fruit, go to a boot sale & get your own pots & pans. Leave the family stuff alone unless you want a house full of ogres (is your middle name Shrek???). The next things we'll be seeing talking cows & God know what else!. Kind regards.

[@Mike-sv2nu]

Works fine with tap water.

[@jimreynolds5967]

does the lye lose it's caustic properties in the process?

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Yes it does. It's a pretty cool thing. I have the forge finished now, just have to edit the footage.

[@jimreynolds5967]

at one time my hobby used it as a glue, per say,. I polish rocks and it was used to glue it to a stick for handling. It was supposed to be superior to modern glues or waxes of today. I see why it is very difficult to find any way to make it. thanks.

[@sethbracken]

This is great.

[@timh.2137]

The silica is harmless you said???? Tell that to the miners in West Virginia!

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

I was wrong, this was a long time ago.

[@hossplay100]

Can you use used kitty litter?

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

I'm all about free will, if that's what you want.

[@mukymik6414]

It's alchemy!!! what is coming next, cow shit into diamonds? you surprise us with something different so often, the master of all trades,

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

There you go, inflating my ego. Always good to learn everything you can in this world. Happy Easter.

[@LuficariusRatspeed]

I'm confused. At 1:34 you say "You don't want to just use ordinary cat litter." ... but then that's what you used in the video?

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

I used a crystallized cat litter, not ordinary cat litter.

[@LuficariusRatspeed]

@@TheTradesmanChannel Sorry, I realized that after I commented. :) Hey! Question: How much out of the 8 pound bag did you use for the forge? I'm finding 4 lb bags available for $15 on Amazon. Is there a chance we can get an ingredient list in the description? I'm planning on making my own forge and I'm ordering all the materials.

[@LuficariusRatspeed]

(I tried looking for an article on your website about it too but there doesn't seem to be one.)

[@LuficariusRatspeed]

Also, I just watched the following video titled "My First Homemade Gas Forge Made With Cat Litter Water Glass" and I noticed you don't seem to be using lye in that video? Is there a different process for creating the waterglass in that video than you used in this one?

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Let me find my notes and get back to you.

[@johnjennings8085]

Don't breathe lye fumes at all. My coworker received lung burns from cleaning pipes. 1.5 yrs ago and still has breathing problems.

[@CharlieM1219]

Happy Easter! I do wish you would wear just a bit more safety equipment when doing this sort of stuff.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Happy Easter, safety equipment is for people who have all of their fingers and full use of their eyes...pansies.

[@CharlieM1219]

TheTradesmanChannel I know...My Dad was a Tool & Die maker and Machinist with two Stubbs...

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

That will teach a lesson for sure.

[@davidcasper8923]

Check out the Honey Do Carpenter channel. He has been making this kind of stuff for a stove.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

I will,thank you

[@MagneticMessengerofOrion]

I knew it smelled like some kind of a concrete type substance. So then ideally, concrete can be substituted for cat litter respectively, yeh?

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

The lyme in the concrete will burn up. The cat litter is used in making the liquid I mixed in with the sand and perlite. It is called water glass or sodium silicate.

[@JackCondor44]

feels like im watching Breaking Bad....

[@janbeute4902]

Add NaOH to water

[@Deluge4000]

8:35 RIP headphones users. Sip to 9:45 to avoid broken ears.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

One of my older videos, wasn't very good at editing back then.

[@Deluge4000]

yeah that's fair enough, sorry. I checked out some of your more recent videos and I like the job you did on that ribbon burner forge.

[@timkirkpatrick9155]

after all nobody gets silicosis from silica... Don't breathe dust of either one!

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

this stuff is pretty dustless, the silica out of the desiccant packs is usually the refined stuff and looks like glass beads . Drywall, concrete things like that are really bad to suck up. Just been through a bunch of OSHA training on that stuff at work.

[@peterdamico1722]

Put the water in first then add the lye slowly until it is dissolved. Adding water to lye is dangerous. Always lye to water.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

You are correct and I was remiss in doing it this way.

[@sethbracken]

Breaking Bad or The Tradesman?? You decide!

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

That is a toss up.

[@georgepretnick4460]

Strong possibility your stainless steel pot is aluminum.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

It's stainless. Just a very cheap grade.

[@gregburgett9042]

I appreciate the apology on the language. I was about to click off. Don't think I'm a goody two shoes, I have the same problem. And if I hear it I'll say it. Saying all that what I'm trying to say is, that less bad language is more viewers in my opinion. I also want to thank you for the videos

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

I agree and I've cleaned it up considerably since this video.

[@danielbutler6823]

Why wouldn't tap water work.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

I believe it's because of the minerals in it.

[@Blazer02LS]

Nasty car killing stuff... It was what the salvage yards used during the big "cash for clunkers" mess. They would drain the oil and dump 2 quarts of sodium silicate in them, then start the engine. It would destroy every moving part it reached...

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

I can believe that, Good morning

[@nicholashullander7211]

some used sand and epoxy

[@jeffkrug5541]

I wont lye that was the cats meow!!

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Worst puns I've ever heard but they will work...howdy Jeff.

[@blaisemorris1301]

allways add lye to water not water to lye, better to do it slowly

[@johnjennings8085]

Find a use for the cat shit!

[@kendavid4386]

This video is AFU.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Well all I can say is I had a tiny shop at the time and wasn't very good with the camera or editing either.

[@totherarf]

Tales from the Den of Inequity? .... I like it ;0) .... Like a kids den for adults! Do you know you can make a refractory from bread? Honest! ..... You just need to carbonize it totally (and it has NO structural strength)! It never ceases to amaze me about the nuggets of nearly useless information I have accumulated over the years!

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

It's funny how that knowledge builds up.

[@edition-deluxe]

What are you even saying?? You are using this recipe to build the actual forge, is this fuel, you turning this into the meta, what??

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

The binding agent is made from the cat litter in the refractory. You're only seeing part of the story, I did another video on this build.

[@jimreynolds5967]

the longer you are married the more evident that statement becomes.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

It sure does.

[@thomasarussellsr]

April fools or for real?

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

For real

[@englishsexy31]

put the cat litter in the blender befor adding it , it will desolve much easyer then ,,,:)

[@michaelkroeger2047]

Morning Jim, Happy Easter! Michael

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Happy Easter Michael