HELP PLEASE!!!

[lavender.dreams.candles]

ok, I got my cp kit .....Now, I have in the kit:

Palm Oil 16oz.
Canola 16oz.
Coconut Oil 16oz.
Lye 2lbs.

it also came with a wooden mold that makes approximately a 3 pound batch..... Now, my question is ...

will this make a 3 lb. using all the oils ???
I know this sounds stupid this is going to be my first batch so I want to ask the stupid questions first and then if I need to ask questions later I can just look them up in the forum .....

I was told this will make two batches , but, I wasn't told if that the two batches ..... But, I don't understand if I use half of the oils and save the rest for the second batch or if I use all the oils and buy new oils for the second batch.

Does anyone have a easy basic cp recipe using the items I have???

I went out and bought the items I need and I am set to do this and would like to do this sometime this weekend.

OH... I have another question..... when I cut the soap to cure can I just lay them out on a card board slab or do I need something special for the curing process???

I do hope someone can help me out because I feel so stupid now after asking people about this process..... I kept getting different answers so PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!!!

 

[Dixie]

What are the inside measurements of your mold?

 

[SimplyE]

No stupid questions!!!

I would suggest you pick up "The Everything Soapmaking Book" by Alicia Grosso or similar. This will help you really understand what you should be doing. The kit did not give you any recipes???

That amount of lye (2#) should last you for quite a while. The oils are 3# of oils, so when you get us the dimensions of your mold, we can help with that better.

I like to cure my soaps on something with slats to help it breathe all around. Cardboard is fine. You will probably want to turn your soaps though to help with an even cure. The cure is where the water evaporates out of the soap. If it evaporates too much from just the top, it might have a tendancy to bow.

There is what is called a "lye calculator". It calculates the amount of lye needed with respect to the amount of oils and types of oils used. Every oil has a different Saponification value or SAP, which is how much lye it takes to turn the oil into soap. They are a bit daunting to use in the beginning, but every recipe must be run through a lye calculator in order to not end up with a lye-heavy soap or a soap that really is not soap because you did not use enough lye. We can run the numbers for you, but you need to get familiar with one. I like www.soapcalc.com It will also give you oil qualities and why you choose certain oils over others.

This is a quick version, but I hope it helps. Give us your mold size, and we will go from there. :wink:

 

[lavender.dreams.candles]

Dimensions 2.5" Wide x 3.5" Tall x 14" Deep

that's the dimensions of the soap mold

 

[Lindy]

Okay here is a recipe using these oils and that will fit your mold:

Palm 16 oz
Canola 16 oz
Coconut 16 oz
Lye 6.7 oz (using 8% Superfat)
Water 16.9 oz

This is from SoapMaker which is my Bible

HTH
Lindy

 

[LJA]

Good luck, Lav! Be careful with the lye (but don't be scared) and have fun. You'll love it.

Post pictures for us when you get it done. I always love seeing everyone's creations.

There are no stupid questions.