Soap Makers Help!

[BirdBrain]

Don, if you are looking for nice high quality oils, you can't hardly beat Texas Natural Supply in Austin. They have a website and are speedy on their orders.

The gutter mold looks great!!

I have the same digital scale that Cindi has and it is wonderful... As a refresher, it is the K-7000. It will run you about 50-60 dollars and is worth every penny. You will forget what you spent on it when you see how delightfully easy it is to use. HINT Hint....

OK! I was trying to be subtle...just go out and buy it!!

 

[Morgaine]

Don, those soaps look great! Do they smell like coffee at all? I got my digital scale from target for $15, love it!

chiknwhisperer, love the chocolate one! Very pretty. Were those the silicone baking molds?

I finally figured why I could upload pictures, my computer won't read my new memery card so I took more pictures with my old one. I'm not posting my salt bars for the swap though cause I want them to be a surprise!

Here is my Just Soap soap. Nothing extra added.

Lavender And Oatmeal. Ground oatmeal and lavender EO.

Lavender And Goats Milk. Goats Milk, Lavender buds, and Lavender EO.

Cucumber and Melon. Chlorophyll and Fragrance.

Cinnamon Swirl. Cinnamon Eo and cinnamon powder.

Almond and Oats. Almond FO(which smells like cherry cough drops out of the bottle and ground oatmeal.

And just some pictures of the soaps.

 

[Don]

Wow Morgaine, those are some AWESOME lookin soaps!!!

Ya know, all this hoopla about digital scales has me lookin into how soaps were made before all that. When my grandma wouldn't even use a balance beam type. I still wanna get one because consistency is a great thing ... but it just makes me wonder.

I am assuming dry measures ... 1/4 cup lye, for example.


Hmmmmmmm...

 

[Morgaine]

Thanks Don! The only thing I'm not happy with is my cutter doesn't give me that really smooth slice. It is one of those pastry cutters. I got it for 1.99 at Ross. Love that place!

I like the accuracy that I feel like I get with digital. Back in the day, soap was usually lye heavy. That's why milled soap was considered to be the best, they kept rebatching it until it was gentle enough for the body and not for scrubbing floors. Some things are better with a little technology.

 

[MullersLaneFarm]

Red Devil Lye use to have a soap recipe on the can. When they went from 12 to 16 oz containers, it really messed folks up!.

 

[chiknwhisperer]

I already spoke to my DH about getting the 18 bar mold and liner from Kelseis (sp)

The catch is all I have to do is sell enough soap to cover the cost of the order lol. Ever since I started selling more then a bar here and a bar there I have to pay for almost all of my supplies

I guess I'll have a lot of begging to do so I can order more FOs nad EOs

 

[MullersLaneFarm]

You can do it!!!

And really, you don't need the liner. I've never used one of their liners.

I do put down a garbage bag (small white bag for the 18-bar will do) on the bottom of the mold before snapping in the sides of the mold.

When I put the sides on, I make sure one side is secure, then turn it upside down on the floor and step on it to push the other 3 sides in securely.

See, you just saved some $$ - no liner needed!

 

[chiknwhisperer]

Quote:

Cool, thanks for the great tip.

 

[Don]

I hope I'm not re-posting a question that was already asked, but...

If you could recommend one book on making soap, and JUST one, which would it be? And, if ya wanna throw it in there, why would you recommend it?

Kinda like, the GENERAL consensus about chicken books is to get Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens. Some may recommend others, but for the most part that is the title that comes up again and again.

The reason I ask is that I am a data freak ... I gather data like a squirrel hording nuts for winter. Well, in my data search I've come up with no less than 100 billion books on soap making. (OK, maybe a few less ... but you get the idea.) I want to narrow the field and be able to stray from the computer and sit with my bride and read a bit.

Thanks!

OH! Harbor Freight Tools has AWESOME prices on digital scales, instant read thermometers (digital AND analog), infrared thermometers and more! You might wanna have a look.

Peace!

Don

 

[BirdBrain]

Morgaine,
Go to Sam's Club and buy the set of two professional chef's knives. They are inexpensive and make a lovely smooth cut like you are looking for. They are the ones with a slightly textured white plastic handle. You'll be cutting smooth bars win the very next batch.