# First batch - smells like a sweaty Yak



## Techie Joe (Apr 1, 2018)

Okay so I didn't use any fragrance, I wanted the soap to be all natural, here is what happened...

I made the recipe using SoapCalc, with Olive oil, Coconut and Castor oil. Full info in the picture below.
After taking a whiff of the soap mixture cooking away I decided to lob in a small bottle of lemon essence for food, which was all I had and seems to have had no effect besides relieving me of €1.40.

You can see the end result in the other pictures, here is a breakdown of what I think went wrong...

Slow cooker (crock pot) was too hot (the low setting), the whitish areas in the soap have dried first, next time I will set to "warm"

Didn't stir it often enough, the white areas contain little brown burnt bits
Cooked too long, pouring soap resembled thick mashed potatoes rather than wet cement
Used no fragrance, the resulting soap smell was reminiscent of a hot Buffalo that had been chased around a field all day by hungry Lions.
Luckily over the past few days, the roaring smell subsided to a more believable level, and can now be tolerated and used.

The final soap is alright, good bubbles and lather, and it cleans well not falls apart. Good for a first attempt I'd say.
I will however be using something smelly in the next batch, maybe a few drops of Essential Oil (the safe ones), or I can order CP essence from the UK and wait a knuckle-biting week.


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## Saffron (Apr 1, 2018)

Congrats on your first batch! 
Heheheh... I've never sniffed a sweaty yak before but as the soap cures over the next few weeks the smell should get better.  
You don't really need to stir HP soap very often. Everytime you open the lid you're letting moisture escape and that can result in dry soap. 
Thick mashed potatoes is also the consistency I sometimes get. You can try lowering the coconut oil to under 30%,  adding a little warmed yoghurt or your superfat oils after the cook to help with the consistency.


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## Techie Joe (Apr 1, 2018)

Thanks
Its good to hear the soap gets better with time, maybe I will be able to give it to the neighbors after all.
I think I only stirred it maybe 4 times over three hours, the center was always darker, I think the pot heats up unevenly, too cool in the middle and too hot around the edges.
Can the soap mixture be poached instead of boiled? Lets say inside a plastic bag in the slow cooker full of water... that might be more even.

I don't want to lower the coconut % too much as the numbers say the cleaning effect goes down, and so does the solidity.
Ah if only SoapCalc had yogurt, diesel and cough medicine it would be easier to predict the outcome. I will try some yogurt if I get into trouble again but I think the main problem is the cooker heating unevenly.

Thanks for the tips, always welcome

Actually, if I use Lard in the recipe I can bring the coconut % down to 30 and less, but I'd rather use ingredients that everyone can be happy with if possible.


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## NsMar42111 (Apr 1, 2018)

Too much castor and way too long of a cook! The oils don't smell that much by themselves, if they do, they're bad. Coconut might have a whiff of coconut, castor I'd have to stick up my nose to smell, olive just has a oily smell but not yakky. Castor should be around 5% or you're gonna have a stick slow to cure mess.

Uneven cooker=stir more. Stir a lot. Watch for volcanoes. Spend $20 on a new one 

My HP is done in an hour, tops. However, I do melt the oils in the microwave before  adding the lye-measure right into the stoneware insert, pop in micro (I do 6 lb batches so its usually 6 min for the shea to melt totally, I'd start with 1 min bursts for yours), put back in cooker, done. Current receipe starts to gel in 15 min and is done in 35-40. I think you overcooked . Once it looks like applesauce, you're almost done!


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## Obsidian (Apr 1, 2018)

You overcooked it. HP generally only takes 30-60 minutes.
Next time, try less heat, less cooking and not so much stirring. 

As far as the cleansing # goes, unless you have very oily skin or are a machanic, you really don't need the number to be more than 15.

The hardness # is pretty worthless. 100% coconut soap will show as very hard and it is but it's also very soluable and won't last long.

You need a recipe with a hard oil, something like lard or palm. You also used way too much castor. It's possible your soap may leave a sticky reside. Try to stay in the 5-10% range.

I understand wanting to make soap that everyone can use but you really should try lard, it makes the best soap.

My favorite recipe. This will make a hard, long lasting bar.

Lard 50% (or palm oil)
Olive oil 25%
Coconut oil 20%
Castor oil 5%

Remember that HP needs to cure just as long as CP. 4-6 weeks minimum but I prefer at least 8.


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## DianaMoon (Apr 1, 2018)

Techie Joe said:


> or I can order CP essence from the UK and wait a knuckle-biting week.



They look like my first batch. I think they are very cute. I call them my little oat cakes.

PS when I first read this thread title I thought you wrote, "Smells like a sweaty Yank".


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## Techie Joe (Apr 1, 2018)

Thanks NsMar42111
...Uneven cooker=stir more. Stir a lot.
The oils were bought freshly for this project, and the brand new slow cooker cost me €26. I got a 6.5 liter one (6.5 quarts) so there would be plenty of room for Joe versus the volcano.
I don't use a microwave as it destroys the integrity of water cells.
I slowly heated up the jar of coconut in the slow cooker until I could cut it, then measured it into the jug with the other oils, then put it all into the slow cooker to melt all the way before adding the warm caustic soda (lye).

Thanks Obsidian
...1 hour tops, less heat, less stirring.
I handle metal a lot which is fairly dirty stuff (but very useful) and I value a good clean so I go for the higher number.
I assumed that if the soap wasn't hard enough it would be on the road to falling apart or just turn into goo.
Some you tube soap-makers say to keep the Castor around 8% too, again I mistakenly assumed that a high amount would lead to plenty of the anti-inflammatory analgesic effect.

I will try the recipe you suggest with a small adjustment... To swap the 20% with the 25%, that brings the INS to 160 on the nose, and raises the clean slightly at the expense of the conditioning.

I might also try buying a steel pot and doing the soap directly on the electric cooker to try and distribute the heat more evenly, what do you think?
Does anyone else have this uneven heat problem and how do you fix it?



DianaMoon said:


> They look like my first batch. I think they are very cute. I call them my little oat cakes.
> 
> PS when I first read this thread title I thought you wrote, "Smells like a sweaty Yank".


Your right they are very cute 
I thought that was my hand for a second.

Check out this awesome Yak


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## [email protected] (Apr 1, 2018)

if your slow cooker isnt heating evenly, could you use it like a waterbath and have a smaller heatproof dish sitting in the water, a small wire rack may help to lift the dish off the bottom of the cooker.

My soap has 3-5% castor, and more is not better once your close to 10%.
I keep my coconut down to 10-20% to avoid the lather being drying.
I use Tallow and Olive oil as well and my bars are excellent at cleaning, but are not too drying. 

I dont think it is a good idea to add a food flavouring to your soap, as the ingredients are not for rubbing on your skin, and are likely not pH stable. 
I never met a yak, but sweaty cows smell lovely! good job on your first batch, onward and upward.

ps, your microwave comment I found confusing...water doesn't have cells.


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## SaltedFig (Apr 1, 2018)

I use a stainless steel pot on the occasions I want to hot process. It works quickly. A double boiler makes a smoother soap (similar to making lemon curd - the heat is gentle and more evenly distributed). Some people use a pot with a lid on in the oven - I think this has the nicest even heat if you're using a pot that will fit in the oven.


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## Techie Joe (Apr 1, 2018)

Thank you [email protected]
Another dish inside the slow cooker instead of a plastic bag, good thinking, and a wire rack to assist, very good thanks, I will try that next HP I make. Thrift-shop wire rack plus pliers modification, sorted.

I studied the work of Schauberger about water and I have been studying fringe science for so long that I just think of it as a living carrier now instead of a collection of molecules.
I think what I meant is that precise microwave beams heat water so intensely and unevenly that it boils out of the cells in food, damaging the food's cellular structure.
No food in the soap, gotcha.
The PH of my soap is just over 9
I never met a Yak either but they look a bit crusty, and I think I'd prefer to be upwind on a hot day.
PS. I looked on ebay for essence of sweaty cow but they don't have it, maybe you could squeeze some into bottles and make a bit of cash?

Thanks SaltedFig
Whats a double boiler, a pot inside a pot?
If I can get a large glass oven dish to keep an eye on it, I will try that.
Mine is a fan oven so the mixture is going to get fairly annoyed I think.


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## SaltedFig (Apr 1, 2018)

Techie Joe said:


> Thanks SaltedFig
> Whats a double boiler, a pot inside a pot?
> If I can get a large glass oven dish to keep an eye on it, I will try that.
> Mine is a fan oven so the mixture is going to get fairly annoyed I think.



A double boiler is a pot that is designed to sit over the top of another pot, and the heat into the top pot is only from the steam of the water in the bottom pot (hence the name double-boiler). It's a good way to ensure you don't overheat your mixture and provides better temperature control than a crock pot.

It can be as simple as a bowl over the top of a pot of boiling water, but please use stainless steel.
(Don't use glass, it is slightly dissolved by the caustic and will eventually shatter. Don't use aluminium, it dissolves quickly. Don't use copper, it will ruin your soap).

The only metal you would want to use is quality stainless steel.

The people who use a pot inside the oven put a lid on it, so it doesn't matter so much that it's fan forced (but it would require a large pot and careful monitoring - there have be oven accidents!).


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## BattleGnome (Apr 1, 2018)

Techie Joe said:


> I handle metal a lot which is fairly dirty stuff (but very useful) and I value a good clean so I go for the higher number.
> I assumed that if the soap wasn't hard enough it would be on the road to falling apart or just turn into goo.



I don’t HP and don’t have advice on your process or answers to most of your questions but I wanted to point someothing out.

When you have a chance, look up the numbers for a true castille (100% olive oil). One of the most popular soaps in the world for 1000’s of years and the numbers suck. 0 cleansing... maybe a 3 hardness... but if you make it right with a proper cure, a castille is one of the hardest bars you will find and will clean almost everything. 

Take the numbers with a grain of salt. Most calculators have cleansing = stripping oils. If you have actual dirt caked on your hands (as opposed to grease or oils) the cleansing numbers won’t feel great after washing.


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## psfred (Apr 2, 2018)

Don't take the numbers on the soap calculators for things like hardness and cleansing as some sort of gospel, they are really only percentages of the fatty acids in the soap.

"Cleansing" numbers are usually the percentage of myristic and the other "odd" fatty acid in coconut oil.  These tend to strip natural skin oils and give people with dry skin problems, but they don't actually clean any better than palmitic or oleic acid salts.  

If you are cleaning grease or oil off your hands, the mechanic's hand cleaners or dish detergent work better than soap, but will dry your hands out.  For soap, you want a balance between short and long chain fatty acids and between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.  That way you get good cleaning and some conditioning from the unsaturated fatty acids -- clean hands, less dry skin problems.

You can add hot water at the end of the cook for HP to make the soap more fluid for molding, just be aware that it will then shrink more while curing and you can get warped soap bars.  I don't care, they all look the same after I use them in the shower or at the sink for a while, but it bothers some people.

A soap I find works really well for me and my skin is 50% canola and 50% soybean oil, soaped at 0% superfat by HP with some lard added after the cook for superfat.  Sort of ugly yellowish soap, but it cleans very well and is skin friendly, and DOS free at 8 months so far.  Was pretty soft to start with, as it has lots of oleic acid in it, but now it's quite hard and lasts well.

Experiment, and enjoy the trip!


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## earlene (Apr 2, 2018)

Welcome to SMF and congratulations on your first soap. What a lovely color.  I have never got that much green in any of my uncolored soaps. I wonder why yours is so green.

FYI, the cleansing number tells you more about how strongly the soap will emulsify oils, which includes stripping your skin of oils, than it tells you how well it actually 'cleans.' All soap cleans, even soap with a zero cleansing number.

Some folks don't respond well to high CO soaps, while others love it. I have a thought on one possible factor, but until I have more personal testing, I don't yet want to go into that thought process. In most cases, my skin does not respond well to high CO soaps, but there have been exceptions, and it appears the difference has been formula composition. But there may be other factors as well. The age of my skin is also a probable factor, which seems a valid qualifier, too. After all, I am nearing the end of my third quarter of my planned on centenarian life. 

Regarding 'solidity' which I take it is the 'hardness' number, that's another unreliable number when OO is used, because although OO can give you softer soap to start, it actually becomes quite hard. And the solubility of CO makes it melt away more quickly than other hard oils, so IMO that offsets the hardness, because it shrinks so fast. Of course the latter is my opinion as I see it. Truthfully pure CO soap is rock hard, so that part is true.


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## [email protected] (Apr 2, 2018)

earlene said:


> Welcome to SMF and congratulations on your first soap. What a lovely color.  I have never got that much green in any of my uncolored soaps. I wonder why yours is so green.


my 75% olive oil soap is a similar green. The oil I use is very grassy and fresh tasting with a fabulous green colour. It is a 2017, South Australian Virgin Oil.


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## Techie Joe (Apr 2, 2018)

It must be the 41% green Olive oil I used, its a nice darkish green from one of the nearby countries, if I were to guess I'd say Italy or Spain.
I expect a true Castille will be greener, sounds like a good experiment to make some and try to see how the numbers fit together afterward.


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## DianaMoon (Apr 2, 2018)

Techie Joe said:


> Okay so I didn't use any fragrance, I wanted the soap to be all natural, here is what happened...
> 
> I made the recipe using SoapCalc, with Olive oil, Coconut and Castor oil. Full info in the picture below.
> After taking a whiff of the soap mixture cooking away I decided to lob in a small bottle of lemon essence for food, which was all I had and seems to have had no effect besides relieving me of €1.40.
> ...



As I said I don't think they are ugly at all, but then, I'm not a fan of the fancy looking soaps - what's the point? It's soap, it gets washed down the drain...

But what are the whitish spots in the middle? I don't think it's unsaponified lye.


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## Techie Joe (Apr 2, 2018)

DianaMoon said:


> As I said I don't think they are ugly at all, but then, I'm not a fan of the fancy looking soaps - what's the point? It's soap, it gets washed down the drain...
> 
> But what are the whitish spots in the middle? I don't think it's unsaponified lye.



The white spots formed during cooking, they were the bits that were touching the hottest edge of the cooker and dried first.

I like a nice simple soap aswel, the furthest I may go is 2 colour swirl, but there might be young kids looking for sparkly soap or whatever, that's fair enough but I prefer simple and it has to be effective. I will be sticking to combinations of the same 3 or 4 colours.

The smell has calmed down a lot after 4 days, I'm using one of the bars regularly at the sink, I can recognize the Olive smell now.

I like fragrances like freshly cut grass, forest and peach, and may experiment with WD40 and Fisherman's friend


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## DianaMoon (Apr 2, 2018)

Techie Joe said:


> The white spots formed during cooking, they were the bits that were touching the hottest edge of the cooker and dried first.
> 
> I like a nice simple soap aswel, the furthest I may go is 2 colour swirl, but there might be young kids looking for sparkly soap or whatever, that's fair enough but I prefer simple and it has to be effective. I will be sticking to combinations of the same 3 or 4 colours.
> 
> ...



WD40? In the US that's a lubricant. Hm. Don't know what Fisherman's Friend is. OK I googled it. Hm.

I used to be a fragrance snob, only EOs for me, but I've learned my lesson, that fragrance/perfumery is mighty complicated, and the FO people know stuff we don't, so I am going to buy a dedicated fragrance from a reputable dealer in the future. The only exception would be lime & sandalwood, a combination that I like (although I dislike sandalwood alone). But for the most part EOs fade.


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## BattleGnome (Apr 2, 2018)

Techie Joe said:


> I like fragrances like freshly cut grass, forest and peach, and may experiment with WD40 and Fisherman's friend



Www.saveonscents.com

Though the first three are fairly common. Not sure how shipping will work for you though


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## dixiedragon (Apr 2, 2018)

I don't know that you need to run out and buy a new slow cooker. Mine was $3 from Good Will. I keep mine on low for about 30-45 minutes, stirring about every 10 minutes or so - depending on how impatient I am feeling. Then I turn it to high, which seems to be what bumps it over the edge into Vaseline stage.

Congrats on your first batch! It may not look like you wanted, but it's SOAP and that's the most important part!


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## Techie Joe (Apr 2, 2018)

DianaMoon said:


> WD40? In the US that's a lubricant. Hm. Don't know what Fisherman's Friend is. OK I googled it. Hm.



Fisherman's friend is a very strong eucalyptus.
WD40 is the same in Ireland, a lubricant that can loosen and clean aswel. Its a thin oil so might not make soap on its own, but smells nice to me, I will likely try to make a shaving soap with it.



BattleGnome said:


> Www.saveonscents.com
> 
> Though the first three are fairly common. Not sure how shipping will work for you though



Thanks, shipping from the US is usually in the region of $25 so I'd need to be buying a lot to make it worth it. That site has a very good range of fragrances though, I would shop there if I had a soap business.

There are a few places I can shop from here, things are in metric (100ml = 3.3oz), and postage from the UK is usually around €10
https://www.ebay.ie/itm/141021439796
https://www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk/
https://www.gracefruit.com/
https://soapsupplier.co.uk/products/
... and in Ireland ...
http://bomar.ie


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## DianaMoon (Apr 2, 2018)

Techie Joe said:


> Its a thin oil so might not make soap on its own, but smells nice to me, I will likely try to make a shaving soap with it.



LOL. Well, try it...but I think this is one for the fragrance chemists! Perhaps you've stumbled on a genius marketing tool to men. 

I know a lot of guys who feel nostalgic for the smell of neatsfoot oil....(because they used to oil their baseball gloves w/it.)


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## cmzaha (Apr 2, 2018)

Techie Joe said:


> Fisherman's friend is a very strong eucalyptus.
> WD40 is the same in Ireland, a lubricant that can loosen and clean aswel. Its a thin oil so might not make soap on its own, but smells nice to me, I will likely try to make a shaving soap with it.


 If I am reading this right and you are talking about using WD40 in a shave soap I would not. It would not be considered body safe and would not hold the scent anyway


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## NsMar42111 (Apr 2, 2018)

I noticed something that might help you on my last few batches-using plastic wrap over the top instead of the lid seemed to lead to a more even cook (I was a stirrer), kept the batter more fluid, and I didn't have much batter drying around the edges during the cook. Might help? I used the Stay-tite yellow box wrap I found recommended somewhere


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## earlene (Apr 2, 2018)

Please read the Material Safety Data Sheet for WD40: http://www.google.com/url?q=https:/...8B2oQFggSMAM&usg=AOvVaw155u8r3vsrSAph86sVaWyH
I would not even consider adding this to soap, before, during or after saponification. And certainly not near anyone's eyes. Even if you plan to be the only one to use it and only for shavingshaving, how can you be sure one day a guest may use your soap to wash their face and get some in their eyes?


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## DianaMoon (Apr 2, 2018)

DianaMoon said:


> LOL. Well, try it...but I think this is one for the fragrance chemists! Perhaps you've stumbled on a genius marketing tool to men.
> 
> I know a lot of guys who feel nostalgic for the smell of neatsfoot oil....(because they used to oil their baseball gloves w/it.)



Joe - I really was joking about that. What I meant by this being one for fragrance chemists is that you should leave it up to them to create a WD40 fragrance. I agree with those who say it would be dangerous!


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## [email protected] (Apr 2, 2018)

WD40 is a solvent blend, not an oil, as in an emollient. Regardless of your love of the smell, dont even be tempted!
My husband adores the smell of 2 stroke exhaust, it literally gives him goosebumps, and no, he cannot have a soap that smells of 2 stroke exhaust


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## Techie Joe (Apr 3, 2018)

I've been looking at the data sheet for wd40 and your concern is not misplaced, it _may_ be harmful over long term, namely (and relevantly) skin irritation and dryness, inhalation hazard, and don't get it into the body. But having said that, these engineering safety sheets have a wide margin for safety, they tend to try and cover every eventuality and often go over-the-top somewhat to cover themselves legally.

I've always had a can of wd40 around, having a bicycle, having studied robotic engineering in college and when making prototypes, in fact I had some on my hands yesterday, and I never ever had sore airways or got skin irritation, even when the stuff got into little cuts on my hands.

Having said all that, I won't be making soap with it except for a test sample, the main reason being that wd40 tests at around PH 5 or 6 (it was hard to tell because it makes the test strip transparent), which won't like my alkali soap at all.
https://cdn.wd40company.eu/wd-40/en-GB/uploads/2018/01/22135513/WD-40-MULTI-USE-PRODUCT-AEROSOL.pdf
(the American data sheet is a lot easier to read than the UK one)

Thank you for bringing this information into the light of day but please consider that there should be data safety sheets for every household product, and many of those could indicate similar hazards. For example prescriptions and medications that have adverse health effects, hair products that are flammable or corrosive, and if you consider cosmetic make-up to be a skin medication it puts all the ingredients in a different light.
Common sense should always prevail.


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## SaltedFig (Apr 3, 2018)

TJ ... don't forget the menthol in the Fishermen's friends

If you are going to do a soap with eucalyptus and menthol (both will stick in cold process soap), you can buy menthol crystals (but watch them - they like to evaporate ).

And water dispersant in soap ... there's a funny idea.


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## [email protected] (Apr 3, 2018)

y


Techie Joe said:


> I've been looking at the data sheet for wd40 and your concern is not misplaced, it _may_ be harmful over long term, namely (and relevantly) skin irritation and dryness, inhalation hazard, and don't get it into the body. But having said that, these engineering safety sheets have a wide margin for safety, they tend to try and cover every eventuality and often go over-the-top somewhat to cover themselves legally.
> 
> I've always had a can of wd40 around, having a bicycle, having studied robotic engineering in college and when making prototypes, in fact I had some on my hands yesterday, and I never ever had sore airways or got skin irritation, even when the stuff got into little cuts on my hands.
> 
> ...


You are funny!


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## Zany_in_CO (Apr 5, 2018)

Hello Joe! I appreciate how you presented your formulation, ingredients and results. Well done. And congrats on your first batch. You're getting excellent advice from others. As for me, I have a quick question and a bit of advice.
 * Why not come over to the Cold side? This is just me, but CP is so much easier than HP.
 * We have a place where you can post a recipe and get feedback before you make it. It's called Recipe Feedback. Here's a link:
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/forums/recipe-feedback.34/
I'm looking forward to your next adventure. Keep up the good work! 



> Common sense should always prevail.


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## Techie Joe (Apr 5, 2018)

Zany_in_CO said:


> Hello Joe! I appreciate how you presented your formulation, ingredients and results. Well done. And congrats on your first batch. You're getting excellent advice from others. As for me, I have a quick question and a bit of advice.
> * Why not come over to the Cold side? This is just me, but CP is so much easier than HP.
> * We have a place where you can post a recipe and get feedback before you make it. It's called Recipe Feedback. Here's a link:
> https://www.soapmakingforum.com/forums/recipe-feedback.34/
> I'm looking forward to your next adventure. Keep up the good work!


Thanks.
Well I did it, I posted today's recipe in the feedback forum.
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/second-batch-today-beef-tallow-with-coconut-sauce.69735/
So where do you recommend that normal day-to-day adventures be posted? I would have thought in the general forum.


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## Zany_in_CO (Apr 5, 2018)

Techie Joe said:


> So where do you recommend that normal day-to-day adventures be posted? I would have thought in the general forum.


Here are some links. Take your pick. There's also a place for other Crafts and DIY Projects -- that one might be right up your alley, I'm thinkin'. 




Beginner's Soapmaking Forum

Lye-Based Soap Forun

What Soapy Thing Have You Done Today?

Photo Gallery

General Chat

Post Your Happy

 Post Your Gripe


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## DianaMoon (Apr 5, 2018)

Well, how do you like that, I never would have looked up Neatsfoot oil on Soap Calc had we not been joking here about WD40 and such. First, I never realized that it's a natural product. I always thought it was some kind of contrived product. 

"Neatsfoot oil is a yellow oil rendered and purified from the shin bones and feet (but not the hooves) of cattle."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neatsfoot_oil

And it's in Soap Calc!! But it has no fatty acids (according to Soap Calc, which I find weird) & would make a bad soap. 

Boys in the US used to use it to oil baseball gloves. I don't know if they still do.


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## DianaMoon (Apr 6, 2018)

Re: neats foot oil.

I'm not going to try - yet - but I wonder if you can make your own saddle soap with neats foot oil. 

BTW, I did look it up and in some very old articles and books it says that it does have FAs, esp. oleic acid, but in Soap Calc I tried 100% neats foot oil and got nothing. 

Just joking around can stimulate ideas. Thank you Techie Joe!!


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## earlene (Apr 6, 2018)

*DianaMoon*, I think I recall a discussion somewhere on SMF how to make saddle soap.  Try a search and I am sure you will find something.

Other than here, there are also other sites with information on making your own saddle soap:
http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-keeping/tack-cleaning-active-ingredients.aspx
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Saddle-Soap
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saddle_soap

There are others, but I found this article fascinating (tongue-in-cheek):
http://www.espn.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=caple_jim&id=5173365
Some ball players may actually do that, but personally, I don't ever plan to put my softball glove in the microwave oven.


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## penelopejane (Apr 6, 2018)

earlene said:


> Some ball players may actually do that, but personally, I don't ever plan to put my softball glove in the microwave oven.



Are you worried it might end up smelling like sweaty yak?


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## earlene (Apr 6, 2018)

penelopejane said:


> Are you worried it might end up smelling like sweaty yak?


LOL  Sweaty yak smelling microwave oven, yuk!  Not that I know what that really smells like.  Do yaks even sweat?  What do I know about yaks?  Next to nothing!


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## Techie Joe (Apr 6, 2018)

I suppose this is a good opportunity to say quit your yakking, hehe

Yeah, go for it, find out what you can and experiment.
Don't wait for anyone's permission, or wait to be demotivated (like what happening to me on thread 2 at the moment)


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## penelopejane (Apr 6, 2018)

Techie Joe said:


> I suppose this is a good opportunity to say quit your yakking, hehe
> 
> Yeah, go for it, find out what you can and experiment.
> Don't wait for anyone's permission, or wait to be demotivated (like what happening to me on thread 2 at the moment)



I think they are trying to save you from a disaster.
Some people sail into Soapmaking and others struggle.
To test your soaps against one another you’ll need a simple HP and simple CP and a fluid HP all of the same recipe. If you change one component then you can’t really compare them.

I think the others are saying since you’ll eventually have to make all three start with the easy one and work your way up. But it’s only a helpful suggestion. Go your own road but tell us what happens with each try as we are all very curious. What works for me in hot Australia with my oils and climate and soaping environment and methods may not work for you in Ireland so it’s always interesting to hear how others go.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say “I told you so” we’ll all just dive in and help you sort it out if needed.


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## DianaMoon (Apr 6, 2018)

earlene said:


> *DianaMoon*, I think I recall a discussion somewhere on SMF how to make saddle soap.  Try a search and I am sure you will find something.
> 
> Other than here, there are also other sites with information on making your own saddle soap:
> http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-keeping/tack-cleaning-active-ingredients.aspx
> ...



Thanks, Earlene. I did look it up here (always my first source) and strangely the subject has not come up, or perhaps not strangely...

I've never liked most shoe polishes - I will say something more in the thread about soaping as a hobby, which Zany started.


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## Techie Joe (Apr 7, 2018)

DianaMoon said:


> Re: neats foot oil.
> 
> I'm not going to try - yet - but I wonder if you can make your own saddle soap with neats foot oil.
> 
> ...



I only know 2 things about saddles; 1 have it the right way round or you could give yourself a transbobfigulation, and 2 they are very expensive so you can't rub any old sh1te on them.
I don't know anything about Neatsfoot either, but I would get myself a bit of scrap leather, do some research and try a few recipes on it.
It seems to do nothing except 90 Iodine, unless it has a nice smell...
I would start from the saddle's perspective, what is good for leather, and shoes. Someone told me years ago that vaseline is good, but I would not know its effects over time or how often you need to apply.

PS I wasn't joking about wd40, but if I could get just the fragrance I would do that instead.


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## Zany_in_CO (Apr 7, 2018)

Techie Joe said:


> PS I wasn't joking about wd40, but if I could get just the fragrance I would do that instead.


Hmmm, maybe linseed oil? I just sniffed some side by side with my WD40... it's heavier but close... to my nose anyway. I use it to make Murphy's Oil Soap dupe and the odor stays. Just a random thought.


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## earlene (Apr 7, 2018)

DianaMoon said:


> Thanks, Earlene. I did look it up here (always my first source) and strangely the subject has not come up, or perhaps not strangely...
> 
> I've never liked most shoe polishes - I will say something more in the thread about soaping as a hobby, which Zany started.


I got these using the SMF search:
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/rules-saddle-soap-or-non-cosmetic-soap.61831/
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/beeswax-and-lather.58239/
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/soft-melt-and-pour.53361/#post-506234

None of them extensively addresses making saddle soap, in any detail.  If you do end up making saddle soap yourself, though, it would be great if you posted a thread about your process and experience.


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## Techie Joe (Apr 7, 2018)

Zany_in_CO said:


> Hmmm, maybe linseed oil? I just sniffed some side by side with my WD40... it's heavier but close... to my nose anyway. I use it to make Murphy's Oil Soap dupe and the odor stays. Just a random thought.


My dad used to soak our hurls in linseed oil to condition the (Ash) wood so that they would bend instead of breaking.
The sport of Hurling 
Sorry, I meant to just have this video as a link, not embedded


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Apr 7, 2018)

Ah, I miss watching hurling


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## Zany_in_CO (Apr 7, 2018)

Ohmigosh! I love watching lacrosse. (NOTE: Hurling, American Slang = Vomiting! LOL)

SHORT STORY:
Back in the early 80's when one of our sons, Peter, graduated from grade school, he begged us to send him to a private school because that's where his best friend was going. We agreed. He went there for two years, grade 7 & 8. That's where he learned to play Lacrosse, and loved it. He transferred to the public school for grades 9-12 and convinced the sports dept. to start a lacrosse team. They did. They played against private schools at first, but it was only a matter of time before other public high schools in the Denver metro area had Lacrosse teams as well. Within 4 years, Denver had a professional Lacrosse team and thus a new sports addiction made its way into our sports-crazy town. It is incredibly popular here today, with Little League players and older kids as well.

Thanks, Joe.   I thoroughly enjoyed sharing this  trip down Memory Lane.

To SMF members, please excuse the hijack -- I couldn't help meself.


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## DianaMoon (Apr 7, 2018)

earlene said:


> I got these using the SMF search:
> https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/rules-saddle-soap-or-non-cosmetic-soap.61831/
> https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/beeswax-and-lather.58239/
> https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/soft-melt-and-pour.53361/#post-506234
> ...



I certainly will.


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## DianaMoon (Apr 7, 2018)

Zany_in_CO said:


> Hmmm, maybe linseed oil? I just sniffed some side by side with my WD40... it's heavier but close... to my nose anyway. I use it to make Murphy's Oil Soap dupe and the odor stays. Just a random thought.



I adore the smell of linseed oil. It makes me think "oil painting." I'll add it to my neats foot oil soap....


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## DianaMoon (Apr 8, 2018)

I started another thread about neats food oil, and the reliability of Soap Calc.


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## Zany_in_CO (Apr 8, 2018)

Link?


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## DianaMoon (Apr 8, 2018)

Zany_in_CO said:


> Link?



https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/how-reliable-is-soap-calc.69774/#post-695905


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## Zany_in_CO (Apr 9, 2018)




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