Tuesday, August 11, 2009

I'm looking for alum powder to use as a mordant for a couple dye projects I want to try out. Unfortunately, this is turning out to be harder to find than I thought it would be (have tried four grocery stores, including Whole Foods and the local natural foods store so far). Aside from the co-op and maybe a hardware store, where else might I have luck trying?

4 comments:

Dr Bob said...

Ebay -- there's a few suppliers in the US!

B

Be said...

Thanks! Would wonder, though, if via E-bay I'd not end up with crack that's been labeled as alum.

Actually, funnily enough, was given a gentle reminder to visit my local (indie, not chain) pharmacist who will not only have styptic pencils, but also powdered alum for compounding. I say funnily enough, because I already have stuff compounded by a nice guy a few blocks from here and, for some reason, it never even occurred to me to ask him.

jo said...

I found it in a grocery store in the spice aisle because canners use it when preserving certain things. Also check in the store where the BALL jar and canning display is. If you have an Agway near you, they are also a good bet.

Be said...

Thanks for that - at my local Stah, canning stuff is in a different place from the spice/baking area, which was where I was looking. Bought a styptic pencil yesterday, but don't relish grinding it up.