Lye....

Today I managed to contact a chemical supplier who sells sodium hydroxide both in powder/flake and liquid form.
I can only buy the liquid form which is 50% sodium hydroxide. Therefore need to do some experiment on its suitability or strenght to suit the soap recipes that I have. I hope the liquid form would be similar in strenght compared to natural lye.

On the topic of lye, I have one curiosity. What are other purposes of lye besides making soap? There should more use right? I have read somewhere that Red Devil lye can be used and had been been abused in making some sort of illegal drugs. No wonder 100% Sodium hydroxide is a control subtance here.

Well, enough ranting.. got to get back to work.