New to soaping, question before I tackle my first try.

[jbarad]

I've been reading, reading, reading, and reading some more about making soap and I'm just about ready to dive in and give it a shot.

One question before I do though. I know all oils, etc. are measured by weight, not by volume. Same with the lye.

I just want to be sure that the water is measured the same way, by weight or volume ????

 

[7053joanne]

Yep...you want to measure your water by weight. Good luck!!!

 

[jbarad]

Yep...you want to measure your water by weight. Good luck!!!

Excellent. I thought so, but just wanted to be sure before I dove in.

Crossing fingers,wish me luck.

It's snowing outside so I won't be going anywhere, so today is a good day to give it a shot

 

[jadiebugs1]

Welcome......

Let us know how it turns out, k? Pics are always fun! (hint, hint)

 

[jcandleattic]

Water is the same in weight as it is in volume. For some reason it just works out that way, but it's always a good practice to weigh everything.

 

[pinkduchon]

How about for fragrance oils? Weight or volume? Is there a big difference? and if so, which one is more, weight or volume? Gracias!!

 

[7053joanne]

For FOs and EOs I also do it by weight.

 

[IanT]

I do everything by weight... even plan to do my pricing when i set up my biz. I know how much I pay per gram of olive oil etc...

I think its got a great range of use too... and also heres a newbie science project for you...

if you have a scale (which you should if youd be doing everything by weight )...

After your soap cools (24-36hrs) and you cut it ... weigh each bar or just a few and mark those specific bars...


now you let your curing time set in... a good month or two. then weigh those individual bars at the end...

how much water evaporated from the bars???

:*

have fun, but be warned once you try it youll be addicted forever lol

so I expect your next thread to either be.... ALRIGHT... im addicted.. .lol


or.... Big disaster... HELP!! (which is o.k. because these disasters are ALWAYS learning experience... glad for every one ive had thus far and i look forward to more in the future . this will give you an opportunity to both play detective and find out what happened and how you can fix it... and also because youll find there is a wealth of info and peopole who are happy to help!)


good luck!!!


oh and need I say.. we want pics!!!

 

[reallyrita]

New to soaping, question before my first try

The thing about EOs and FOs is that, depending on the oil, it can be a heavy, dense oil or a light one. So you should measure out each one. If you get in an order of a bunch of scents you can look at the little bottles and see that some are more full than others. That is because the supplier is also selling them based on weight not volume which can vary all over the place.

 

[jbarad]

Ok, i'm in the waiting stage now

I'm an impatient sort so I opted to not try the CP for my first time and instead did a CPHP cause I really wanna play with my soap sooner rather than later.

So far I think I did "ok" - I'm pretty sure I overheated it a tiny bit right at the end before tossing it into the mold because I saw a few white spots in the gelatinous glob as I was molding it, but overall I *THINK* it will turn out ok.

 

[IanT]

lol and now we wait...

 

[jbarad]

OMG I all ready have another batch cooking !

I planned to wait at least till the first batch set up and I cut it, but I couldn't wait I started a new one with a slightly different recipe.

By morning I'll have two batches to show off LOL ( I hope )

 

[Lindy]

Yup another addict!!! 8)

 

[SoapMom]

Take some pics!! We wanna see them!!

 

[jbarad]

Ok, both batches are now in the molds and setting up.

When I pop them out I'll be sure to take pics and post them

I'm so freakin' excited ! I can't wait to see them and use them.

First batch I kept it simple, just a light lavender fragrance and that's about it, a touch of color but next to nothing really.

Second batch, I probably went a bit overboard for only my 2nd attempt, but what the heck. I did patchouli, oatmeal, and sage. and a bit more coloring...sort of black and swirled it in, so I'm hoping for something of maybe a marble(ish) ? ( is that a word ? ) type look

 

[LomondSoap]

Ian T re evaporation, I've worked out mine lose between 15 - 20%(weight) over a 6 week cure.

 

[ChrissyB]

Good luck to you on your first batches of soap.
It is a very exciting time.
I still get excited now, when I test out a bar of soap for the first time, when it lathers, I get such a high from that.
Yes Yes I know, I don't get out much....