Soap Makers Help!

[RockyToggRanch]

I haven't experienced seizing...what is it exactly?

My holiday oils just showed up. They've been sitting next door since wednesday. Stuck inside the door that the neighbor doesn't use..lol.
So much for getting started during my vacation.

I've done 12 batches so far. I had to move into a spare room upstairs. I'll set it up like a retail shop. The entire upstairs smells wonderful. I also dry my herbs and flowers in that room.

If I get my barn cleaned quickly and my cheesecakes made....I'll have time this afternoon to make soap

But which scent to start with.....hmmmm...here's what I got today;
Caramel apple
cinnamon and balsam
cranberry citrus
gingerbread cookies
home for the holidays
hot cocoa
lilac
sugar cookie
sweet pumpkin spice
warm apple pie
winter wonderland
apple jack & peel
and a free sample of mandarin plum

 

[TM Chickens]

Quote:
How to guide for seizing:
1) Buy some Spicy Lime fo from mms
2) Mix a batch of soap to heavy trace
3) Remember that you forgot to get out a pipet
4) Run and grab a pipet. This takes you about 40 seconds
5) Measure and pour in the Spicy Lime FO
6) Close the fo container and put it up
7) Realize that you didn't put in enough fo.
8) Get the Spicy Lime back out and add the enough to get the total amount of fo to the proper amount. This takes about 56 seconds
9) Get the mixer out and try to mix the fo into the soap. Good luck. You will need it.
You now have a pot full of brick hard soap with an inner core of diamond hard soap. Good luck getting it out of the pot.

That, is seizing.

 

[Morgaine]

When you get one that seizes you will know it. Some can be mild and will just take you to that thick pudding stage but still leave you enough room to get it in the mold. Others, like Spiced Mahogany from BB, will seize so fast that in 30 seconds you can go from thin trace to pot shaped soap.

I like to use the Scrent Review Board to see if a scent is a mover or not. If in doubt, soap cool and use a water lye ratio of 3 parts water, 1 part lye. Hand stir the scent in too and don't till a thick trace to add the fo.

 

[flgardengirl]

Quote:
I hear ya--me too. There is so much to learn

 

[RockyToggRanch]

Sweet pumpkin spice is in the molds I was hoping for a deeper orange color. I used all goats milk for the liquid and let it get hot for an orange color and added some pumpkin pie spice and annatto seed powder at light trace. Perhaps I needed to add the powders to the oils for more color? It's a pretty shade with flecks of spices in it. I hope it dries orange.

Maybe caramel apple next. I'll have to grease up the pvc molds and try a round bar. Maybe I can swirl green and brown. Then....take the round slices, insert a stick and wrap in cellophane It looks cute in my head.

 

[cybercat]

For those that are in it in a bad way.

Here is a link or two for great soaping forums. http://www.thedishforum.com/forum/index.php?act=idx

http://soapmakingforum.com/forum/index.php

Both are worth more than any book you can buy. I never bought a book but learned how to make soap and many other things from these 2 forums.

Enjoy.

 

[Sooner]

Thanks Cybercat! I have found one but it is really slow on some days!!!

Seizing has been explained, I guess I can now be thankful that mine wasn't rock hard, I was able to get it into the molds but just barely, the soap is what you would call rustic & I had to do alot of trimming. As a result I have several soap balls! My DD had lots of fun making soap balls, she's my soaper in training.

 

[Sooner]

Ok Soapers I have a batch stuck in my pvc pipe, yes I forgot to spray it. Any idea's on getting it out??

I have already stuck it in the freezer & it won't break free......Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

I've not tried the pvc pipe molds yet. I was told to use vaseline to prevent sticking.

I think I would try heating the outside of the mold and hoping to melt the soap just enough to release. Maybe with a hair dryer. Really though...it's just a guess, but that's what I would try.

Good luck.

 

[Morgaine]

Quote:
Try running hot water on it. Just enough to get the pvc to expand but not the soap. Other than that I don't know because I haven't used pvc before.