I think I will have to order lye online. Lowe's didn't have it (not even the Roebic). And I also could not find a stick hand mixer. Can you believe it? I tried KMart, WalMart and Lowe's. I did go to Kohls and found one for $50 but isn't this a $19.99 item? I am so excited to begin but now I will have to wait a few more days...
Not finding what I need locally
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reallyrita
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Do you have a Target? Last time I was in mine I saw stick blenders for a reasonable price. If you have an ACE hardware store nearby, they typically carry small jars of lye for the plumbers. It has gotten really difficult to find lye anymore because I believe it is used to make meth so the big box stores have stopped carrying it. I get mine at my local independent ACE hardware store...they carry it for us soapers and they never have more than 6 jars at a time. Not an efficient or economical way to buy lye but if you don't do production soaping you can usually make do with just a few jars. Since they don't get in much at any one time, the lye is always fresh. Be careful with the really cheap stick blenders. I went through two cheap ones really quickly and ended up getting an expensive one (Cusinart). They can overheat on you really fast if they are the cheap ones. If you can find an older one at a thrift shop you will probably do very well. Things just aren't made as well as they used to be. 
HutCar92
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I know you said you tried Wal-Mart but thats where I got mine, cost like $25, other then that Im not sure where to get them. I have a really nice one for food but I wasn't going to ruin it LOL. As for the lye, I also usually get it at Ace Hardware, but I just purchased some from TheLyeGuy.com. If you want bulk its easy (I'm sure its easy if you only want one container as well) and he does a buy 6 for the price of 5 deal. I think I just paid a little under $50 for 6 (32oz) containers of lye for bar soap and I also ordered one for liquid soap as well, plus the shipping! Good Luck!
Amazon is awesome for soap making supplies.
Thats where I got my stick blender for $28-$29 (They have less expensive ones too) and I got free shipping on it.
I also got my lye from there too. By a shop called Essential depot. I had to pay shipping on the lye I bought but I got it for a special deal they had going on. It was something like buy 4 get the 5th free. So I ended up with 10 lbs of lye for under $50 (thats with shipping too). It was a good deal.
And if you need any other stuff, I found some stainless steel stockpots from there (2 with lids for just under $30). And some stirring spoons. I basically got everything I needed from Amazon, except the oils (The oils on amazon are WAYYY over priced and not much choice either) and my essential/fragrance oils.
Thats where I got my stick blender for $28-$29 (They have less expensive ones too) and I got free shipping on it.
I also got my lye from there too. By a shop called Essential depot. I had to pay shipping on the lye I bought but I got it for a special deal they had going on. It was something like buy 4 get the 5th free. So I ended up with 10 lbs of lye for under $50 (thats with shipping too). It was a good deal.
And if you need any other stuff, I found some stainless steel stockpots from there (2 with lids for just under $30). And some stirring spoons. I basically got everything I needed from Amazon, except the oils (The oils on amazon are WAYYY over priced and not much choice either) and my essential/fragrance oils.
I just placed an order with Brambleberry for lye and some non-bleeding mica colors. I did purchase some essential oils from GNC up the street. I got my olive oil, Crisco, distilled water and canola oil from WalMart today. Now I just have to get over to target for that stick mixer and I'll be set to go.
According to Aubuchon I have to special order it. So once I'm near the end of Brambleberry's lye I will place a call to my local hardware store. It's making me absolutely crazy to see all the soapers on YouTube and not be able to jump right in myself!
According to Aubuchon I have to special order it. So once I'm near the end of Brambleberry's lye I will place a call to my local hardware store. It's making me absolutely crazy to see all the soapers on YouTube and not be able to jump right in myself!
Tacoma
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You should be able to go to the local mom and pop hardware store and ask them to order you a case of lye. Tell them what you use it for and pay for it with a check or credit card. That way they know you are not afraid of having it traced back to you.
adoptapitbull
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When I went to Walmart, I only found 2 types of stick blenders. One was $15 and the other was $20. I ended up buying one on Amazon for $13.
From Amazon, I got:
Coconut Oil
Palm Oil
Scale
Blender
Lye
Shea butter
From ebay:
Almond meal
Dyes
EOs
Cocoa butter
Walmart/Sam's:
Olive oil
various odds and ends like spatulas and things
Coconut oil (in a pinch, it's pricey!)
I live in a small town, so if my walmart has things, yours should too. Try Walmart.com's free shipping site to store. I'm sure their site will have stick blenders.
From Amazon, I got:
Coconut Oil
Palm Oil
Scale
Blender
Lye
Shea butter
From ebay:
Almond meal
Dyes
EOs
Cocoa butter
Walmart/Sam's:
Olive oil
various odds and ends like spatulas and things
Coconut oil (in a pinch, it's pricey!)
I live in a small town, so if my walmart has things, yours should too. Try Walmart.com's free shipping site to store. I'm sure their site will have stick blenders.
I went to Target last night and got a stick blender for $21.00. Whew. This morning I checked my "fullamoon" e-mail and see that Brambleberry won't ship my lye until I fax back the waiver form. I don't have a fax machine a today's Easter and I don't feel like going out, so I took a picture of it and hopefully the e-emailed jpeg will suffice. Geesh! What other roadblocks will I encounter before I can finally get my first cp soap under my belt?! Honestly, it's like a puzzle you have to solve to unlock the secret.
adoptapitbull
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You'll be fine with lye from Amazon. No waiver or anything special required. Shipping time kicked my butt as I was ready to start but had to wait forever for everything to arrive!
judymoody
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Fullamoon said:
I'd order essential oils on line too, for prices much cheaper than GNC, I'd bet.
Good suppliers for EOs are Camden Grey, Brambleberry, New Directions Aromatics, and Essential Oil University.
I remember how frustrating it was waiting for my first orders of oils and lye! You will love it.
Fullamoon said:
I don't know if this will help you in the future Fullmoon but I've been making CP soap for over 60 years and have never used anything else than rainwater just as it falls from the sky.
I have a small tank joined onto my house downpipe to collect it these days but I know a few people that catch it by putting large bowls or buckets out on their lawn when it's raining as it saves worrying about distilled water buying
Beatty that's great! I've already purchased a gallon of distilled water so I'm all set there. I also found EARLY this morning - LYE! It was at a Taylor Rental/Hardware store nearby. SO I was able to make my first two batches today!! They smell heavenly and I can't wait for them to cure. They looked creamy and delicious like vanilla pudding. One is scented with lavender and the other is lemon.
MeadowHillFarmCT
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Fullamoon said:
don't forget to take pictures
I am going to collect water if I run out of goats milk.
cthylla
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Fullamoon said:
I had the same problem with Bramble Berry. My printer is stupid and getting something to print and then access to a fax machine is like a week-long affair. I ended up going to EssentialDepot.com.
Check out this link- 10lbs of lye for $32 and FREEEEE SHIPPING!
http://www.essentialdepot.com/servlet/the-75/10-lbs-Technical-Grade/Detail
MeadowHillFarmCT said:
I never run out of goat milk because I milk 30 of my own girls twice every day, but I use most of the milk for cheese and yogurt making to sell on farmer's markets twice each month along with my soaps and beeswax candles
MeadowHillFarmCT
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Beatty said:
Lucky you - here in the US my state CT allows raw milk but has to be all approved milking parlor and pasturizing equip which is a huge investment. I am feeding babies right now but put them to twice a day which leaves milk to make soap and cheese for us.
judymoody
Well-Known Member
Re: recipe anyone
Katie, welcome! I suggest you go to the introduction section of the forum and introduce yourself there and/or start a separate thread as your request is likely to get lost within this thread.
But to answer your question, a great place to start is www.millersoap.com
Enjoy!
katie said:
Katie, welcome! I suggest you go to the introduction section of the forum and introduce yourself there and/or start a separate thread as your request is likely to get lost within this thread.
But to answer your question, a great place to start is www.millersoap.com
Enjoy!
