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I unmolded my soap after about 32 hrs in the mold wrapped up in a towel. It came out easily but when I cut it, it was somewhat flaky, like when you cut a big block of fudge sometimes. I would like to re-batch it and add the avocado oil that I forgot when I made it... could I melt it and do...

Thanks for the advice! I think I'm going to love soapmaking as soon as I get it down :)

And I'm definitely getting rid of the Norma Coney book. The more I read it in comparison with advice on here and my other books, the less I like it.

It had already started setting up before I realized the mistake. I looked at it when I got up this morning and it is hardening, which is an improvement over my first batch! I'm thinking I'll try the same recipe today but remember the avocado oil... lol

Trying again I got a stick blender and KD-8000 scale over the last few months and done some more reading on here and in my books. I found a post on here that recommended using 60% olive oil, 20% palm oil, 10% coconut oil, and 10% avocado oil. I ran it thru soapcalc using a 500g total oil weight...

I ordered the KD-8000 from eBay and I got it today- haven't used it for soap yet, but I played around with it and I think I'm really going to like it. Great display and reads weight almost instantly- I also LOVE having the tare function!!

Thanks, and good luck! Can't wait to hear how yours turns out and hopefully see pics if you're able!

Hey everybody, sorry for the delay in updates. Well, my first batch never got past the "pudding" consistency so I finally threw it out this morning. Just going to count it as the first casualty of the learning process! Meanwhile: on Wednesday, I bought a stick blender with a removable...

Thanks for the warning!

Welcome! I love this forum and I'm sure you will too :mrgreen:

I really look forward to us talking more! To blend it again, would I re-heat it or just do it cold? The mixture is room temp now. A lady I know found a stick blender at Winn-Dixie a few weeks ago, hopefully they still have it on sale- I'll pick one up on lunch break.

I read almost all the way through "The Natural Soap Book" today and will start reading in "Soapmaker's Companion" tomorrow. It's not quite as liquidy as it was this morning, but still REALLY soft... I could easily dip it out with a spoon, about the consistency of well-set pudding. This is going...

I'm so glad I found this thread! I was looking at the KD8000 and now I've decided to get it. ^^^ I know how you feel! I just got married and we were given a Dyson upright, I think it's the Dyson DC-330... I always thought a vaccum was a vaccum, but the Dyson is wonderful!

Ok so here's what I did. I took the following recipe from this post: She said in a later post that it turned out good. I don't have any castor oil yet so I substituted the 25g castor oil for equal weight coconut oil. I doubled the recipe and converted it to ounces and got this: 17.637 oz...

Thanks y'all!!! :p This is what I love about this forum... everyone so far has been helpful and kind (not judgmental and know-it-all like some other forums I'm on). I'm surely going to try again... maybe tonight?? :lol:

That's definitely possible. I don't have a digital scale but after last night I realized that I really want one to take away having to "eyeball" it, especially when the conversion from grams results in 8.672 oz or something like that. Since everyone suggests a stick blender, does that mean...

I did stir it by hand... the Norma Coney book said to stir it slowly and gently when you're trying to get trace (I'm guessing that was another bit of bad advice?) Checked it today after 12 hours and it was still creamy... in fact, I don't think the consistency changed at all since I poured it.

So.... I did my best to follow instructions. I got both lye/water and the fats/oils to 100F at the same time before mixing. I ended up stirring lightly for an hour, only to get a light trace. So I went ahead and poured it into the mold, here goes:

I do love photography, especially involving all of my hobbies. I do quilting, gardening, canning, and make natural body care products (hopefully now adding soap to that list) :p

I did raise my brow when the book advised to add the water to the lye.... I paid enough attention in college chemistry lab that I remember you're supposed to add the caustic material to the non-caustic, because the bottom element is what tends to splash. Luckily I have a few other soap books...