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Silca Kitty Litter Question
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Mr Peat
Rich Perelman, "Loren you have a Godlike Presence.
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If you read between the lines...why he tinkers the shit out of everything is because of his Moontrance and Acid addiction. Only way he can have extra money for those sticks. :laugh:
Well that's a fine howdy do. Just remember that you're the pusher!
Just gotta keep thinking, Casa Fuente, Casa Fuente, Casa Fuente...
Wilkey
AVB
Jesus of Cool, I'm bad, I'm nationwide
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Mr Peat
Rich Perelman, "Loren you have a Godlike Presence.
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rectifythis
CP; may cause dependency
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There is nothing quite as entertaining as witty banter.
SKYDIVNEKD
Call me "Walt Kowalski"
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- Jul 24, 2001
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Dayum, I've got to get with the times!!!!! I have two 150qt coolers and the antiquated foam, and they both work perfectly.
Consequently, I keep my pipe stash in a humi' with beads and it doesn't work woth a chit. :angry: Oh well, to each his own. :thumbs: Floyd T.
hudsonvalley
MMMM...Ember
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- Sep 26, 2004
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Join the club. I just spent thirty minutes picking out the brown ones. No wonder my cigars all taste like Moontrances.
WTF is agrisoak and how does it work? What's the best practice with it? I have 2 coolers and 2 humis. I aint gonna pick through cat piss catcher, but if agrisoak is set and forget, I am interested. Does it abosrb alsoe, or only release?
agrisoak is the same gel type stuff that is found in the humidifier jars sold by most shops. is absorbs and releases hence the need for the 50/50 solution to keep it at about 65-70 rh. after you treat it with the solution you then just have to add distilled water. when the crystals shrink (which in my closed f-dor took about 4 months with me opening and closing it once a day. 1 pound costs about $13
I have used the heartfelt beads and kitty litter, I cant tell the difference as far as performance goes, they are both silica gel, I use this stuff now,
http://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Clear-Litter...b/dp/B000084EG4
and you can actually do what heartfelt does and buy the stuff in drums for a lot less than even the kitty litter, come on guys, its silica gel, no rocket science here.
you can pay $29 a lb for hertfelt labeled, or $1 a lb for kitty litter, or 30 cents a lb for bulk.
you can get the humidifier containers, and mesh a lot cheaper also. just gotta know what you need.
$9.95 http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/serv...00&IID=2800
or $32.95
http://www.heartfeltindustries.com/proddet...rod=AH%5F1%5F60
http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=239
http://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Clear-Litter...b/dp/B000084EG4
and you can actually do what heartfelt does and buy the stuff in drums for a lot less than even the kitty litter, come on guys, its silica gel, no rocket science here.
you can pay $29 a lb for hertfelt labeled, or $1 a lb for kitty litter, or 30 cents a lb for bulk.
you can get the humidifier containers, and mesh a lot cheaper also. just gotta know what you need.
$9.95 http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/serv...00&IID=2800
or $32.95
http://www.heartfeltindustries.com/proddet...rod=AH%5F1%5F60
http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=239
Allofus123
Here ducky, ducky, ducky!
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- Aug 25, 2001
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- 3,867
I gave up trying to convince people about Kitty Litter. Been using it for 3 or 4 years and it's the cat's meow.
To whoever it was that originally posted this thread be sure you condition the beads. I can't comment about the blue colored ones as I've never tried using them and was told not to...... I didn't ask why. Check the label and see if it says 100% Silca Gel.
preembargo
Sleeping not so peacefully
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- Feb 27, 2005
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- 2,686
I've done a bit of research on silica gel and I believe the beads being sold by various vendors for use in humidors is 'Regular Density' or RD Silica gel as opposed to Art-Sorb or Rhapid Gel which along with RD is used by museums and art preservationists. Regular Density Silica gel is the exact type of silica gel used for kitty litter.
As for the blue stuff, here’s an excerpt from the MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET (MSDS) for SELF-INDICATING (BLUE) SILICA GEL
Not the best stuff.
As for the blue stuff, here’s an excerpt from the MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET (MSDS) for SELF-INDICATING (BLUE) SILICA GEL
Not the best stuff.
Allofus123
Here ducky, ducky, ducky!
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- Aug 25, 2001
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- 3,867
Thanks for the research..... good stuff and supports this "how to" on conditioning your own beads. Think I posted this before but if not here it is again. BTW, these beads use to be known as Climaxx beads.
KLH or Kitty Litter Humidification
Humidity Control with conditioned Silica Gel
One can make generic 'Climaxx Beads' at any desired control point above 40% Relative humidity (RH) by buffering/conditioning generic silica gel.
Buy a container of silica gel crystals/beads used in cat box liter like 'ExquisiCat Crystals' or ‘Kitty Pearl’. (around $8-$10 for approx 4 pounds). Read the label and verify the contents are 100% silica gel crystals. Don't use the product with blue colored crystals mixed in. The beads will be white/clear/opaque. Smell the silica gel crystals/beads and make certain no fragrance is present; there should be no smell whatsoever. Reread this paragraph. It is important that what you buy is 100% silica gel crystals without any colored crystals/beads mixed in with it and absolutely no fragrance.
Silica gel will 'condition', that is, accept or reject water vapor to maintain
an equilibrium RH. The easiest way to condition the beads is to place them in a humidor that is already stable at the humidification level you want to ‘set’ the beads to or a container that you can control the humidity level within. You will need an accurate hygrometer. Place your beads into the control environment you have chosen once you have the humidity within stable at the level you want to condition the beads to. You will stir the beads daily so that all the beads are being conditioned but do it quickly. You’re trying to maintain the environment and an open door or lid allows that environment to change. The less changing of air the better. Keep in mind that the beads will be absorbing humidification from the environment and this will naturally drop the humidity reading from within this environment. Lets say your set point is 65% RH. Once you have the environment holding steady at this level you will introduce the beads. The humidity reading will drop. After a day or so, maybe sooner or maybe longer, the humidity will start to rise. As the beads continue to absorb the moisture within the environment the humidity reading will continue to rise. Replenish your humidification device as needed until the beads plateau at your desired % of humidity. This may take a few days or a week or two but the objective is to get the environment to stabilize at the desired % of humidity you want to ‘set’ the beads and then maintain it at that level for approx 2 weeks. Once these beads have been maintained at the desired level for two weeks you have ‘set’ the beads memory and you may now remove them and use them. They will maintain the same level as what you set the memory to.
As you use the beads when the humidity drops a few points you should lightly mist the beads with distilled water and it will once again regulate the humidity at the set point. I conditioned mine at 65% and find when my humidity levels drop to approx 63/62 its time to give them a misting and that takes the humidity right back to 65% (sometimes 66/67%). If you desire to reset the memory set point its as simply as maintaining the beads at the new ‘Set’ level you desire for two weeks. I would recommend reconditioning any beads left in an uncontrolled environment for longer than a week
I personally used an old humidor with a divider to keep the beads to one side and my humidifier to the other. The humidifier I used was a Cigar Oasis which really made things simple as all I had to do was first get the humidity in the humidor level to 65 (my desired set point) then add the beads and stir daily. Since the Cigar Oasis is automatic I didn’t need to keep replacing the PG mixture as the beads absorbed the humidity and once the beads finally reached 65% the Cigar Oasis maintained that for the two week period quite easily.
Do not get caught up in everything having to happen immediately. This is a slow process and you really can’t screw it up. You can not take a short cut by adding water to the beads. You need to allow the beads to slowly absorb the humidity from within your controlled environment and it will take some time for them to rise to your desired set point. Do not get discouraged. If the humidity is low and rising towards your goal set point then everything is working as it should. Should the rising humidity stall for a day or two at a point lower than your memory set point goal I would recommend you check whatever device you are using for humidification as the beads may have absorbed it all and you will need to recharge the humidifier. You can use any container to condition the beads as long as you can create and maintain a humidified environment at the level you want to ‘Set’ the beads to.
Hope this was clear enough to understand. It really is quite simple.
KLH or Kitty Litter Humidification
Humidity Control with conditioned Silica Gel
One can make generic 'Climaxx Beads' at any desired control point above 40% Relative humidity (RH) by buffering/conditioning generic silica gel.
Buy a container of silica gel crystals/beads used in cat box liter like 'ExquisiCat Crystals' or ‘Kitty Pearl’. (around $8-$10 for approx 4 pounds). Read the label and verify the contents are 100% silica gel crystals. Don't use the product with blue colored crystals mixed in. The beads will be white/clear/opaque. Smell the silica gel crystals/beads and make certain no fragrance is present; there should be no smell whatsoever. Reread this paragraph. It is important that what you buy is 100% silica gel crystals without any colored crystals/beads mixed in with it and absolutely no fragrance.
Silica gel will 'condition', that is, accept or reject water vapor to maintain
an equilibrium RH. The easiest way to condition the beads is to place them in a humidor that is already stable at the humidification level you want to ‘set’ the beads to or a container that you can control the humidity level within. You will need an accurate hygrometer. Place your beads into the control environment you have chosen once you have the humidity within stable at the level you want to condition the beads to. You will stir the beads daily so that all the beads are being conditioned but do it quickly. You’re trying to maintain the environment and an open door or lid allows that environment to change. The less changing of air the better. Keep in mind that the beads will be absorbing humidification from the environment and this will naturally drop the humidity reading from within this environment. Lets say your set point is 65% RH. Once you have the environment holding steady at this level you will introduce the beads. The humidity reading will drop. After a day or so, maybe sooner or maybe longer, the humidity will start to rise. As the beads continue to absorb the moisture within the environment the humidity reading will continue to rise. Replenish your humidification device as needed until the beads plateau at your desired % of humidity. This may take a few days or a week or two but the objective is to get the environment to stabilize at the desired % of humidity you want to ‘set’ the beads and then maintain it at that level for approx 2 weeks. Once these beads have been maintained at the desired level for two weeks you have ‘set’ the beads memory and you may now remove them and use them. They will maintain the same level as what you set the memory to.
As you use the beads when the humidity drops a few points you should lightly mist the beads with distilled water and it will once again regulate the humidity at the set point. I conditioned mine at 65% and find when my humidity levels drop to approx 63/62 its time to give them a misting and that takes the humidity right back to 65% (sometimes 66/67%). If you desire to reset the memory set point its as simply as maintaining the beads at the new ‘Set’ level you desire for two weeks. I would recommend reconditioning any beads left in an uncontrolled environment for longer than a week
I personally used an old humidor with a divider to keep the beads to one side and my humidifier to the other. The humidifier I used was a Cigar Oasis which really made things simple as all I had to do was first get the humidity in the humidor level to 65 (my desired set point) then add the beads and stir daily. Since the Cigar Oasis is automatic I didn’t need to keep replacing the PG mixture as the beads absorbed the humidity and once the beads finally reached 65% the Cigar Oasis maintained that for the two week period quite easily.
Do not get caught up in everything having to happen immediately. This is a slow process and you really can’t screw it up. You can not take a short cut by adding water to the beads. You need to allow the beads to slowly absorb the humidity from within your controlled environment and it will take some time for them to rise to your desired set point. Do not get discouraged. If the humidity is low and rising towards your goal set point then everything is working as it should. Should the rising humidity stall for a day or two at a point lower than your memory set point goal I would recommend you check whatever device you are using for humidification as the beads may have absorbed it all and you will need to recharge the humidifier. You can use any container to condition the beads as long as you can create and maintain a humidified environment at the level you want to ‘Set’ the beads to.
Hope this was clear enough to understand. It really is quite simple.
I must point out that this is NOT what the Heartfelt Beads are made of, this MSDS is for a completely different product than the one I sell.
preembargo
Sleeping not so peacefully
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- Feb 27, 2005
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- 2,686
Absolutely, Viper beads are proven to be a quality product and perfectly safe.
This MSDS is for the blue beads that many silica based kitty litters contain.
*edit for accuracy and grammer*