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Tumeric is a common houshold spice that can be used as a replacement for phenolphthalein. Add a 1/4 a teaspoon or so of tumeric to 50ml or so of Isopropyl alcohol. Shake and allow the tumeric to settle to the bottom for a few hours or overnight. Decant the liquid and use as an indicator...

A magic eraser testimonial: A few years ago our youngest daughter drew on our satin finished maple cabinets with a black sharpie.... Yep you guessed it, my wife and her magic eraser cleaned it right off when nothing else would, clorox wipes, soap, etc . I'm a firm believer.

If the scum is really bad, muriatic acid and water, 50/50 mix agitated with a bristle brush or nylon scrubbing pad. I have a cast iron tub and stainless steel drain so there is no damage done there. Neutralize with a baking soda wipe after rinsing well. Vinegar for mild cleanings.

Yes, that's correct. I'm just not a wave maker by any means, especially as a newcomer.

Soap doesn't strictly split back into fatty acids when the Ph is lowered below 8.0 Some of the fatty acids may split off the metal but not remotely close to all. To split all the fatty acids from the soap the ph would need to be lowered to about 4.5. Furthermore week acids like citric, acetic...

First time here :lol: chemistry :D No problem. I'm here to learn about soaping as an art and aid in what ever way I can. I know alot about the chemistry side of tall oils but the artsy side of soaping is what I would like to know more about. Hopefully you guys and gals can educate me and...

That's not quite how it works. 1g of 100% KOH = 2.07g of 31.45% muriatic acid. I used 31.45% as opposed to 33% since that's what we commonly get around here in VA. 1g KOH contains .0178mol OH 1g of 31.45% muriatic contains .3145g HCl .3145g HCl contains .0086mol H .0178mol,g /...

I see what you mean in regards to determining how much caustic to use based on utilizing phenolpthalein indicator. The part I was unsure of was the 1/3 HCl and 1:3 caustic to water ratio. When I'm performing a sap test I use Isopropol alcohol instead of water, combined with about 50g of...

I'm not sure I'm following you on what that will tell you. Can you explain further? I have a rather fair knowledge of analytical chemistry, (as I'm sure others here do as well) perhaps I can help work out something if you're interested.

Lucky7's, Don't waste time boiling the oil with water. The temperature will only rise to 212F until the water is mostly gone, and boiling large amounts of water under oil can cause steam explosions that are messy and dangerous. Boiling oil with water also causes hydrolysis that will likely...

That makes sense. When I'm performing a Sap value test I typically come out with around a 5-10% lower Sap value than the charts indicate (after accounting for impurities in the caustic). Does anyone here titrate their caustic with an acid solution of known concentration to determine the purity?

Thanks for the speedy reply Hertzy. I have found a few Sap charts online at soap making sites but the charts don't indicate if the quantities given have been changed to reflect less pure caustic since that's what we end up with. I recall reading that some of the charts available have the...

Hello folks. First time poster here. :D I have a question so I figured I come to the experts. I'm interested in finding a Sap chart that uses 100% pure KOH in it's listed values. Not one that is corrected for impurities that are commonly found in KOH. Does anyone know where one can be...