Homemade lye?

[Northern_bushrat]

I read, I think in a Foxfire book, that lye can be made by drizzling water over the ashes of hardwood trees.
Is that true, and would it work with the ashes of willow, alder or quaking aspen? That's all we have here in terms of deciduous trees.

[crowweaver]

I just read about making lye. I'll see if I can find where I read it and what it said but I'm pretty sure it said it had to be hardwood.

[crowweaver]

well I was searching for solar cookers and found this that might help

http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_ashlye.html

also I remember that it does have to be hardwoods, I believe the reason is that you can only use white ash to make proper lye and white ash only comes from very hot burning wood (hard woods).

good luck with it and let us know how it comes out : )

[CarolAnn]

I've seen this done, but I haven't tried it. They made a Vee-shaped trough that was tipped up a bit on one end. I think she had a layer of straw in the bottom of the trough as a filter to keep the ashes from plugging the opening.

The water (she used rain water, but I don't know if this is a requirement) ran down through the ashes and out a small opening in the low end. When the liquid filters through, pour it through again, replace the spent ashes with more and repeat the process.

This lye water needs to be boiled until the resulting lye is thick enough to float an egg - and strong enough to make soap.

Note that lye is very caustic and will burn your skin! It also eats right through some metals, so use enamel ware or glass if you can, and use a wooden spoon to stir. Don't use that wooden spoon for food later, either! *:P

They made lye outside for ventilation - it really burns your eyes! *:o

[lsg]

Carla Emery's ENCYCLOPEDIA OF COUNTRY LIVING, has a section on making your own lye. *I believe she stated that ashes from the wood of fruit trees could be used, but that ashes from soft woods did not make good lye.