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  #126  
Old 06/17/2006, 02:01 PM
Randy Holmes-Farley Randy Holmes-Farley is offline
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Hennie may be considering using something other than my recommended materials (like washing soda). I agree that one should measure the weight or volume of the material prior to baking, if baked baking soda is what is being used.
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  #127  
Old 06/18/2006, 09:17 AM
New Reefer New Reefer is offline
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Location: Bloemfontein, South Africa
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Quote:
Do you really mean MgSO4, or Epsom salts, which is MgSO4 x 7 H2O
Oops, my bad... I meant Epsom salts...

Quote:
Hennie may be considering using something other than my recommended materials (like washing soda)
Yes, I already had a supply of BAKED baking soda, which I used as an additive before changing to Randy's recipe - and I realised that the molar weight would be different... I just was not sure if my calculations were correct. Obviously, once this batch is used up, I will just weigh off the correct amount of unbaked baking soda before I bake it.

Quote:
For Epsom salts, I believe it should be:
187 mL of dry Epsom salts per L
plus
311 mL of dry MgCl2 6H2O
Randy, just to make absolutely certain, would this be for your standard recipe, or for the more diluted one liter of Mg per liter of Ca added (as stated in my previous posts?

Again, thanks for your help

Hennie
  #128  
Old 06/18/2006, 12:38 PM
Randy Holmes-Farley Randy Holmes-Farley is offline
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That 187/311 is to make 1 L of the magnesium supplement. When you finish dosing 1 L of the calcium and alkalinity parts, you'd add 1/4 of the amount that I state to use after adding 1 gallon of the calcium or alkalinity parts.

One concern with using weights after baking is that you may not have actually driven off all of the CO2 and water. So it may be less potent than you think.
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  #129  
Old 06/18/2006, 02:56 PM
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Quote:
When you finish dosing 1 L of the calcium and alkalinity parts, you'd add 1/4 of the amount that I state to use after adding 1 gallon of the calcium or alkalinity parts
Oh no, Randy, you've gone and used that "G" word again (gallon)

Never mind, we (the rest of the world, that is...) forgive you

So, after adding 1 liter of Ca and Alk (each) I would add 152ml (610ml/4) of Mg.

I would still like to dose equal volumes of additives, just to keep the routine the same for my family, as I travel a lot, and the burden of adding the supplements would then fall on my long-suffering wife. IMHO it would be simpler to instruct (and to measure...) "add 200ml of each of these three solutions every day" than to say "add 152ml of Mg after you've added 3.78 liters of Ca and Alk"

Regards,
Hennie
  #130  
Old 06/18/2006, 03:03 PM
Randy Holmes-Farley Randy Holmes-Farley is offline
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So, after adding 1 liter of Ca and Alk (each) I would add 152ml (610ml/4) of Mg.

Yes.

So to add equal amounts of all three, you'd add less of the magnesium solids to that 1 L. Since you want to dose 1 L instead of 152 mL, add 152/1,000 = 0.15 times as much of the two magnesium solids as I recommended above into the new 1 l magnesium part.
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  #131  
Old 06/19/2006, 10:13 AM
rick s rick s is offline
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Hi Randy,

In your article under Recipe 1, Part 2, Alkalinity, you state ". . .heat in an ordinary oven. . . to drive off water and carbon dioxide."

Can I use my Natural Gas oven to do this?

The reason I'm asking is because I know that my gas oven generates a lot of carbon dioxide. Will that hinder the process of driving the CO2 out of the baking soda?
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  #132  
Old 06/19/2006, 11:50 AM
Randy Holmes-Farley Randy Holmes-Farley is offline
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Any oven will work, even if it has CO2 in it. You might just run it longer or hotter to be sure it is "done".
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  #133  
Old 06/19/2006, 01:33 PM
rick s rick s is offline
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Great!

My Dowflake and Magflake are on their way. Can you verify if I’m thinking straight, please?
I currently use 2tsp/gallon limewater in my top-off system.
In addition to that, I add 100ml (each) of the original B-Ionic, each week. That maintains steady levels for me.
I will continue to use the limewater.

B-Ionic quotes their Calcium part as having 54,000ppm
Your Recipe 1, Part 1 states around 37,000ppm.
So, B-Ionic is 1.46 times more potent.

B-Ionic quotes their Alkalinity part as having 2,800 meq/l.
Your Recipe 1, Part 2 states around 1,900 meq/l.
So, B-Ionic is 1.47 times more potent.

So, to replace my current 100ml/week of B-Ionic parts 1 & 2 with your recipe #1,
I will be adding about 146ml of your parts 1 & 2. Correct?

Last question (for now), after the Dowflake and Magflake packages have been opened, will the unused portions go bad over time? Any idea how long?

Thanks again for all your help!
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  #134  
Old 06/19/2006, 01:54 PM
Randy Holmes-Farley Randy Holmes-Farley is offline
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Yes, that all sounds correct.

Dowflake and MAG flake do not go bad over time, but moisture can harden them, or even liquify them if it is humid enough.
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  #135  
Old 06/22/2006, 09:31 PM
rick s rick s is offline
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More places to find Dowflake and Magflake.


I was looking to purchase Dowflake and Magflake. I found quite a few places that had 50 lb bags of each for $13 - $16. But, none of them were near me. To ship them was typically around $23 for each bag. I just couldn’t see paying $23 in shipping to ship a $15 bag of product, unless I absolutely had to.

There is an online company that repackages them into 2, 4 lb bags for $11.98, and then approximately $9.00 to ship them. I had a hard time paying $11.98 for 8 lbs when I knew a 50 lb bag was $1 - $3 more (about $15).

So, I went on a treasure hunt to try and find both Dowflake and Magflake in my local area. The following are companies in Richmond, VA that stock them. This will help anyone that lives near here, visits friends here, attends business here, or drives through here.

If you’re not in the Richmond area, call your local Concrete Suppliers and Construction Equipment Suppliers to see if they have the Dowflake.

You may want to call your local TruGreen ChemLawn (Lawn/Landscape Service) and ask if they have the Magflake.


Dowflake, 77-80% Pure Calcium Chloride
A.H. Harris Construction Supply
2405 Hermitage Road (by the Diamond)
Richmond, VA 23220
(804) 358-7191, Brian

50 lb bag
$14.00 per bag
300 bags in stock as of 6/22/06



Magflake, Magnesium Chloride Hexahydrate Flakes
TruGreen ChemLawn
6722 Atmore Drive (near 150 - 60 interchange)
Richmond, VA 23225
(804) 745-4884, Mona

50 lb bag
$15.00

Other than the businesses that Randy mentioned in his article, here are some more that I found during my research that stock them:

Dowflake
Whitecap
Springfield, VA
703-912-5900
50 lb, $15.50

Virginia Contractors Supply
Manassas Park, VA
703-368-2950
50 lb, $13.05


Magflake
I forgot the company name.
I believe it was in Springfield, MA
413-271-0042, Ron
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  #136  
Old 04/15/2007, 02:46 AM
MammothReefer MammothReefer is offline
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Does anybody here know if "safe step" is good? It's all I can get locally.

Thanks

http://www.bissettnursery.com/Hardgoods/hg_icemelt.htm
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500gallon System (60x36x24 - Display)
  #137  
Old 04/15/2007, 03:15 AM
psimitry psimitry is offline
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Talk about necromancy - RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE.

Good thread though.
 

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