I think I want to try CP..

[Lil Outlaws]

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

First of all, where do I find lye? And how many thermometers do I need? I have one old candy thermometer but that's it..

Here's what I have on hand - any tips on what I need to get/where to get it/how much it costs, and an idea for an EASY first batch would be great!


soybean oil
corn oil
sunflower oil
crisco
coconut oil
AKO
GSO
lanolin
shea butter
vitamin E capsules
some herbs/spices
TONS of EO/FO, up to 1oz of each (except coconut lime verbena I have a few ounces)


Ideas anyone??

 

[AshleyR]

You can get lye at most hardware stores (in the plumbing section). If you can't find it, Soapmaker Man here sells it at his etsy store!

When I first started, this is what I bought:

- 2 candy thermometers (1 for oil, 1 for lye mixture)
- a large glass pyrex dish (I make small batches so this is perfect to melt my oils in and use to mix my soap in)
- a digital scale (got mine at Walmart for $20)
- rubber gloves, safety goggles
- some plastic/rubber spoons and spatulas
- a stick blender
- a wire whisk
- a tall plastic or glass container to mix your lye and water in

andddd I think that's about it!

 

[carebear]

it's almost impossible to find lye locally in the US - even Lowes just stopped carrying it. Online works - AAA Chemicals (www.aaa-chemicals.com/) has it in nice manageable bottles, The Lye Guy is having a sale (https://www.thelyeguy.com/store/store.php), Soapmaker Man carries it on etsy, and there are some other vendors too.

I don't use a thermometer (never have) - I just wait until the stuff is really just WARM before proceeding, but I suppose if someone doesn't have calibrated hands like mine are (years and years of stuff like this) then a thermometer is good. You can just get an instant read of any type from the grocery store - you don't need anything fancy.

I soap in a big mixing bowl, but a stainless steel pot is good too. You need a whisk, and will want a stick blender too if possible. A container to make your lye solution in (NOT pyrex, glass, or aluminum - stainless steel or heavy plastic). And of course a mold of some sort (tupperware or gladware are fine, shoe boxes work, anything really), a good spoon (not wooden, not aluminum) for mixing, and the other stuff Ashley mentioned.

Please don't mix your lye solution up in any sort of glass container. Scary stuff can happen. I have never used gloves, but goggles are key. Good scale is important too.

 

[topcat]

Hi - I am fairly new to CP after MPing for a year and found it lots of fun and enjoy it just as much, in a different way :wink:

I found this site very helpful. There are several great videos to watch on CP soaping

http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/soapm ... rpath1.htm

Take all safety precautions and you'll be fine.

My recipes need tweaking so I wont share them here - they are still too sticky to unmould really successfully - though that is only because I choose not to use PO, PKO or lard as yet! You can search this site and find what each soaper likes to use and then I suggest play with a lye calculator online, like MMS and soapcalc - have fun!

Tanya

 

[georgiastray]

I bought my lye at Lowe's for quite awhile, and also just discovered they no longer carry it. If you have Menard's (a store very much like Lowe's) in your area, you may want to check there. I just found it at my local Menard's store. Yippee - I'm back in business!

 

[ilovedoxies]

Sounds like you're well on your way. I highly recommend my friend, the stick blender.

I only have one candy thermometer, switching between oils and lye. Walmart has stainless mixing bowls for less than $5 each and the stick blenders for $10. I've always used a wooden spoon :?, didn't know I wasn't supposed to, why aren't you supposed to?

You have plenty of ingredients to make a good soap. Good luck!!

 

[Lil Outlaws]

I think the wooden spoon thing is because wood holds on to the stuff, right? Down in the particles.. ??

Okay I have a whisk, I have a big stainless mixing bowl (like from my stand mixer??), I have a couple of big stainless pots.. I have one thermometer and I have plastic/rubber utensils. I have goggles and other protective gear..
For molds, I have bread pans, will those work? (black metal but it may be aluminum and another I think may be stainless) I also have a tupperware made for velveeta storage - will that be an ok mold? Can you CP in the individual molds like for MP?

How do I figure out how big of a batch will fit in my mold??

and I can get lard, no problem - and when I'm not broke I can get the lye and a stick blender..


anybody have any easy first-timer recipes??

 

[heartsong]

soap

hi there!

may i suggest these sites if you are looking for a little info, inspiration and some recipes? there are many wonderful sites-these are the only ones that come to mind right now:

www.soap-making-essentials.com
www.teachsoap.com

http://nizzymoulds.com/whipped/index.html

also you can "google" whipped soap

 

[Lindy]

(edited to correct recipe)

You could make a simple Bastille:

32 oz Olive Oil
8 oz Coconut Oil
5.5 oz Lye
12.52 oz ( 1.5 C) water

I tend to not add EO or FO, I stick to adding herbs, spices, botanicals to create my scents. I know you didn't list Olive Oil but I love the moisturing qualities of it so you can switch to another oil, but it will change the Moisturing, Hardness, etc.

I used a 5.25% Lye Discount and 7.5% water discount in this one just to make the measurements easier.

Hardness = 5.8 Fluffy Lather = 4.5 Stable Lather = 6.9 Moisturing = 7.8

Hope this helps & Have Fun!!!

Cheers
Lindy

 

[Lil Outlaws]

Oh that looks easy enough! I do have EVOO as well, yes.

Okay if I can get a SB and some lye, I think I'll try something like that. Thank you so much! Hopefully I can do this in the next couple of weeks

 

[Lindy]

Reverse that!!! It should be 32 oz Olive Oil & 8 oz Coconut Oil. Sheesh!

Check out a second hand store for a SB or Walmart.

Cheers

(I'm changing it in the recipe as well - just so you know - but I needed to point out the error of my ways.... )

Lindy

 

[Lil Outlaws]

Oh great, thanks for the clarification - I hope to try this very soon. I've been watching soaping videos on YouTube all night LOL

Oh how big of a mold will a batch like that fill?

 

[ilovedoxies]

I also have a tupperware made for velveeta storage

That's what I use, and I use a 1 lb recipe, it could probably hold a little more but I like the smaller bars.

10 lard
3 coconut oil
2 veg oil
1 castor

2.2 lye
5-6 oz water or other liquid