DIY Liquid Chalk - Spider Chalk Formula!
It's no secret that all the hundreds of liquid chalk brands use the same 4 ingredients:
- Alcohol
- Chalk
- Thickener
- Scent
They don't want you to know that it's really just the same liquid chalk from the same factory over in China.
Spider Chalk uses 8+ ingredients including Grip-Lock Technology, a unique mix of organic grip-enhancing agents that keep the chalk on your hand and off the equipment!
If you want a fun experiment at home, make your own liquid chalk to share with your friends at the gym!
Here's a step-by-step tutorial!
Back in 2016, we approached a team of chemists who designed a liquid chalk made to last longer and grip better. That formula has been our original Spider Chalk liquid since the beginning.
While it would be impossible to make our exact formula yourself at home, we'll tell you how to make liquid chalk using what you have in the kitchen.
You'll need a few things to get started.
First, you need ultra-pure lab-made magnesium carbonate.
If you have regular powder chalk from Amazon, Rogue or Ebay, expect your hands to get slimy when you sweat because chalk must be lab-made else it will cause your hands to hold sweat instead of repel sweat.
Even "climbing chalk" is simply regular chalk imported from China with a fancy label. "Climbing Chalk" and "Gymnastic Chalk" are exactly the same as "Cheap Chalk" which originates from the same place.
This is the single most important step in the process! Start with trash, end up with trash!
Second, you'll need alcohol.
You can use Golden Grain, Everclear, Bacardi 151, 70% Isopropyl Alcohol or anything that has a high alcohol content. You must use high alcohol, nothing else evaporates quickly enough.
Third, you need a thickener.
Thickeners are tough to acquire. There are dozens of thickeners available on Ebay and Amazon, but none work with alcohol. That means you have to bypass this step unless you have access to specialty chemicals.
If you bypass this step, DO NOT ADD MORE CHALK TO MAKE IT THICKER. If you add too much chalk you will only make a white mess all over yourself and the equipment!
Fourth, you need something sticky.
Spider Chalk uses a cocktail of bonding agents to keep chalk on the hand and off the equipment. You probably don't have any of these bonding agents in your kitchen, but you probably do have glue around the house.
Gorilla Glue, Pine Rosin, Spray Adhesive, and anything else tacky you find in the garage will work. Don't get crazy with these, less is more and you can create quite a gummy mess if you add too much.
Add all the ingredients to a blender and mix on high for a few seconds or until the lumps are gone. Resist the temptation to add too much chalk to make it thicker.
Once all your ingredients are mixed, add a few drops of essential oils or a little Vanilla Extract from the pantry.
For all the rebels: One or two drops of food coloring will give your new liquid chalk some personality!
Grab an old hand sanitizer bottle or a small shampoo bottle and fill up!
After a few sessions, you'll discover that making liquid chalk at home is more of a gimmick and not a long-term strategy.
But it's a fun experiment to see what you can create!
If you want to compare your custom formula to our award-winning liquid chalk, grab a bottle and see why Spider Chalk has more podium winners than any other chalk!