Soap Makers Help!

[Morgaine]

I Love my tank!!! I just cannot cut straight and the time it saves is so worth it to me. But I am in this for a business and not a hobby any more.

 

[Wise Woman]

Quote:
Thank you. That is how I started. A 12 bar slab mold and cutting by hand. However, once your business gets to a certain point, you will want to streamline you production. Buying that cutter was one of the best things I ever bought. I was making 4 of those big molds of soap each day which resulted in about 200 bars, so it was a big time saver. Plus they came out more uniform as well. Do what ever works for you

As for swirling, I never did any of the really fancy stuff because with the amounts we were selling, I just didn't have time to play around being creative. I did in the pot swirls and they generally came out pretty nice. Just keep practicing and you will find a technique that you like and are comfortable with. Some people can do designs and all of that, but I just didn't have the time to play around like that.

 

[Wise Woman]

Quote:
Exactly. Once it is a business, you really need to streamline. Mine is the hobby version of the tank, but I found it was very sturdy and well made and served me well. I will keep it forever cause you just never know when the soaping bug will hit again!

 

[Morgaine]

Yup! I got the tank because I had an 18" and 22" logs. Right now I mainly use the silicone mold DH made me. It is 12.5" x 11".

 

[glenolam]

Yes, I'm still in that beginner stage where my simple log molds are enough. I dream of the day that I can justify buying a tank....

Morgaine - that's what I was thinking of doing in the first place, but just didn't for whatever stupid reason the other night. I have gotten decent with judging trace but can always use practice and learn more.

 

[oberhaslikid]

I need some advise.I made a batch of soap using a new recipe. It was all going great untill I added the fragrance oil to it and it curdled like cheese. I kept stirring thinking it would be Ok. I poured into the molds and the oil rose to the top of the soap. I let is set for a few days then unmolded it. I cut it ,but its the consistancy of chapstick.
Should I try to rebatch this into a new batch of soap? or
leave it to see if it will harden up a bit? The smaller molds I put into the freezer they look oK ,but as they come to room temp they are softening up.
I have never screwed up this bad before.

 

[Morgaine]

Quote:
It sounds like the fo did this. But could you post your recipe, temps you soaped at, amount of liquid you used and what fragrance and amount? That will help to know if it was the recipe or just the fo.

 

[oberhaslikid]

3 cups rain water
10 oz lye
16 oz shortening
1 oz castor oil
8-1/2 cup vegi oil
1oz FO (this was from Glory bee and it says on it for soap and candle.I have used it before on other recipes.)
add lye mixture at 100 degrees
blended to trace with stick blender was lovely untill I added the FO and it curdled.blended and blended .then poured into mold, let set within hours the oil rose to the top. By the next day the oil was gone and the bar was tacky waited another 24 hours and unmolded and cut. Now I have 5 lbs. Of floral chapstick.

 

[Morgaine]

Ok, the vast majority of your oils are soybean (assuming that is what is in your veggie oil and shortening) and that is a very very soft oil. You can give a longer cure and see if that helps, though this recipe is not going to have much lather.

I also really do not like recipes that use cups as a unit of measure. You should be using all oz or even better, grams. Read the first couple pages of this thread, I know it talks about that issue so I don't have to type it all out

I would reccomend this recipe instead, you should be able to find everything at walmart

Olive oil 32 oz
Coconut 16 oz
Palm or Lard 16 oz

Water 24 oz
Lye 9 oz

I have never used any fragrances from there. What scent was it? You can look it up on the scent review board and see what others have said about it. Just because it says it can be used for soap, doesn't mean it is well behaved, lol. I hate working with rose beause it moves so fast.

 

[MSDeb]

Quote:
No post them here!! We love looking at soap! Especially us newbies!! I can say that people would be upset if you didn't post them here! Right everybody!!!

I agree, post the pictures here. I love looking at what everyone is creating.