Glad to hear that! I am still making it using this recipe and my husband still says it works really well.
Mechanic Soap
- Thread starter Bamagirl
- Start date
Help Support Soapmaking Forum:
Glad to hear that! I am still making it using this recipe and my husband still says it works really well.
Ivanstein
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2016
- Messages
- 116
- Reaction score
- 103
For those of you worried about the skin effects of gasoline, kerosene, or turpentine...maybe Naphtha (lighter fluid) will be nicer while still keeping the solvent action.
Another thought would be citrus based degreaser, which works as well as gasoline to cut grease.
As a former mechanic, I can say nothing seems to work as well as good dish washing detergent or laundry detergent. Gojo works ok, but cleaning a petroleum based gunk off with a petroleum based cleaner still takes a good washing with normal soap after.
This recipe seems to mimic LAVA soap. I may try it for giggles.
Another thought would be citrus based degreaser, which works as well as gasoline to cut grease.
As a former mechanic, I can say nothing seems to work as well as good dish washing detergent or laundry detergent. Gojo works ok, but cleaning a petroleum based gunk off with a petroleum based cleaner still takes a good washing with normal soap after.
This recipe seems to mimic LAVA soap. I may try it for giggles.
Please don't use naptha or gasoline. They are defined as flammable materials, meaning they have a low flash point and can ignite easily from a spark at normal room temps. It's really unwise to use flammable solvents for reasons of personal safety. That's the reason why I'm not attracted to the idea of making transparent soap that requires the use of high-proof alcohol -- alcohol is another flammable solvent.
If you want to do this type of soap recipe, stick with combustible solvents (meaning solvents that have a higher flash point, so they will ignite from a spark at temps higher than normal room temps) such as turpentine, mineral spirits, or kerosene.
If you want to do this type of soap recipe, stick with combustible solvents (meaning solvents that have a higher flash point, so they will ignite from a spark at temps higher than normal room temps) such as turpentine, mineral spirits, or kerosene.
Ivanstein
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2016
- Messages
- 116
- Reaction score
- 103
I would agree on gasoline. But Naptha isn't all that bad. It's used as shop solvent and there are usually a couple part washing stations in any given shop with 20-30 gallons of the stuff. Yes, it will burn, but it doesn't off gas vapors like gasoline and alcohol. It's a fairly heavy hydrocarbon so it's not (as) volatile like gasoline.
It also smells better than kerosene in my opinion.
Do what you will, but personally, I wouldn't cut safety corners with any hydrocarbon during crafting.
It also smells better than kerosene in my opinion.
Do what you will, but personally, I wouldn't cut safety corners with any hydrocarbon during crafting.
TBandCW
Well-Known Member
Silly Stuff.......warning label on soap, caution, flammable...:roll:
Ivanstein
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2016
- Messages
- 116
- Reaction score
- 103
Not silly...manly. if it's dangerous, it has to be good right?
I much prefer borax to all those flammables. My brother who is a blacksmith requested 'Lava-like' soap, but at the time I did not have any pumice, so a little research on some blacksmithing forums lead me to make borax soap for him to try until I could get some pumice to make the soap he wanted.
I later made him pumice soap and also a double whammy soap with borax and pumice. He loves the double whammy soap. My husband loves the borax soap. After working on our cars he used it and said a single washing got his hands cleaner (and not drying) than any of the mechanic soaps he has used before, including Lava, that orange soap paste stuff than comes in a can, etc.
So I suggest you try Borax soap and see how that does.
I have worked with Naptha for mold making and I have to say, I did not like the fumes. Even outdoors, it was just awful working with it. And the odor stayed in the mold far longer than one would like. So those smelly flammables are not for me.
I later made him pumice soap and also a double whammy soap with borax and pumice. He loves the double whammy soap. My husband loves the borax soap. After working on our cars he used it and said a single washing got his hands cleaner (and not drying) than any of the mechanic soaps he has used before, including Lava, that orange soap paste stuff than comes in a can, etc.
So I suggest you try Borax soap and see how that does.
I have worked with Naptha for mold making and I have to say, I did not like the fumes. Even outdoors, it was just awful working with it. And the odor stayed in the mold far longer than one would like. So those smelly flammables are not for me.
seven8soap
Active Member
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2013
- Messages
- 35
- Reaction score
- 22
Kerosene? huh. My husband would probably use that stuff in all the wrong places. I'll have to look into that. He also sprays his hands with this plastic melting can of goo called Jolt, so kerosene probably wouldn't hurt. Nice soapies.
loveandlather
Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2016
- Messages
- 8
- Reaction score
- 0
I was wondering this too about the Kerosene! 
^^
^^
Last edited:
I still just use a salt bar.
Works good enough for me.
I have contemplated Bamagirl's recipe though.
Works good enough for me.
I have contemplated Bamagirl's recipe though.
I used a salt bar in a pinch the other day after changing the tyres and was really pleased. My next kitchen/garden soap will be a coffee salt bar
duhil
New Member
Hmm .. looks simple, but it is quite difficult to do by me, a beginner in making soap ..
Maybe from you, anyone can recommend a thread that discusses the basic techniques of making soap
Maybe from you, anyone can recommend a thread that discusses the basic techniques of making soap
Check out the Beginner section of the forum and read back through. Very recently a lot of links to video guides were posted which might well help
Here, let me save you some time:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR6ttCSrLJI&t=69s[/ame]
There are four videos in this series, be sure to watch them all.
But you really, really need to read through at least 5 pages (including stickies) of the beginner section to avoid some common mistakes.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR6ttCSrLJI&t=69s[/ame]
There are four videos in this series, be sure to watch them all.
But you really, really need to read through at least 5 pages (including stickies) of the beginner section to avoid some common mistakes.
Last edited:
I agree with the others. Start with the stickies and then on to the beginners section. I think I read every post in the beginners section and others as well when I first joined the forum. Welcome to the forum.
