To be useful in the manufacture of driers, a carboxylic acid must yield lead, cobalt, manganese, calcium and zinc soaps which are soluble in paint vehicles and petroleum hydrocarbon thinners. The drying metal soaps of a number of saturated branched chain carboxylic acids were prepared to determine the relationship of acid structure to metal soap solubility. It was found that with the exception of 4-ethyl-5,5-dimethyl-hexanoic acid those branched chain acids containing at least six carbon atoms in the longest straight chain yielded soluble drying metal soaps and were therefore useful in drier manufacture. soluble “basic” lead soaps, pale-colored manganese soaps and reddish purple cobalt soaps were obtained from acids lacking in alpha branching. Alpha-branched acids yielded insoluble basic lead soaps, dark manganese soaps and dark blueviolet cobalt so