several questions about soap making!

[AK_Button_Mama]

ok I am going to give a try at making soap but I am compiling all the info and techeniques and have a question or two that I need to ask....

I want to use a stick blender. can I use a plastic one or would the metal based on be better?

I am going around gathering all the items to make soap and I was looking for lye... the lowes has drano that says the ingredient is sodium hydroxide crystals. can this be used? if not could some one PLEASE put a link up here where I can order it online? I cant seem to locate it.

do you have a VERY basic reciepe that you would be willing to share? I am looking for something without fragrance and perhaps with goats milk. I would prefer my 1st batch to have the least amount of ingredients so I dont waste other stuff. I will use the soap but it wil be a hand soap for the kids more than likely.....

can I ask questions here and have you guys answer them?

thanks in advance guys you all rock!!!

 

[AK_Button_Mama]

now one knows huh!!!

 

[mirecipes]

There is a thread on soapmaking that has been going for awhile now

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=92933&p=1

As for the lye..
For awhile it was real hard to find pure lye locally..But it sounds like it is available again these days (I still have some I bought last year so I haven't shopped for it)
I hear the "drano" brand has metal shavings in it?

I prefer to use the stick blender with the stainless steel part that goes in the chemicals/oils..I don't know if plastic would work or not..I know that you should probably not use it on food after you use it to make soap

Mystic mountain sage has a good lye calculator..
http://www.thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.php
You can put in your basic ingredients and it will tell you how much lye to use..

Do you have a scale that measures grams?
I probably would not use milk in your first recipe..
Maybe just a lard/coconut oil/castor oil bar..
I don't have the recipe for my last batch, but it turned out to have a nice creamy lather with lots of bubbles..Its a great shampoo bar

 

[AK_Button_Mama]

I was planning on my first batch being an extremely basice bar of lard, evoo, and coconut oil with water and lye. I was niot even going to add any scent but I think I will try it becasue its added at the end.

when do you add colors if you want to add pretty streaks? also is there a special kind of coloring or would food coloring work?

I am also planning on everything being dedicated to soap makeing! there will be no using those items again!

 

[mirecipes]

I used cake coloring in these bars

I got it at walmart in their craft section

To make swirls..Take out some of the soap just before trace..Add color...mix till trace..Then pour your uncolored stuff, then add the colored stuff (soap)..Then swirl..

Edited to add : In this batch, I used red for the first color..Then used blue for the swirl..Then poured into pvc pipe, after it had set up..I pushed it out (not easy

and sliced it

Someone else might have a better way..
But this is what I did

 

[MullersLaneFarm]

AK,
I have a soapmaking page that has pictures (using milk). It also has recipes & suppliers.

If you have more questions, just holler!