Soap Pot Weekend June 28 & 29

[Tabitha]

Whatcha' making?

 

[Soapmaker Man]

I'm playing around on SoapCalc this morning tweaking a new recipe. Being lazy since it is pouring outside, again here. Record rains in SW Mo so far this year, this month.

 

[Chay]

I made 3lbs of CP, scented with Orange, Eucalyptus, Patchouli, and Ylang Ylang EO's. I am going to spend the rest of the weekend working on packaging and labels.

 

[cdwinsby]

Been trying to create a "no palm/no coconut" recipe without any satisfactory results. :cry: Made two batches using 1 lb of oils each so far and both times didn't get a gel! I didn't use my GSE as I usually do. Very, upset! Took about 30 minutes to trace and they are very soft.

First was Crisco, Lard, Olive with some salt for hardness....looks great....very white but really soft.

Second was Olive, Beeswax, Crisco and Castor....looks great too but again really soft.

Guess I'll leave them for awhile and see if they harden up. It's sunny and hot here so I'm going out to Play!

 

[kwahlne]

I found some shortening on massive sale this week so I want to incorporate it into some of my recipes to see what it does. So I will add Pearberry FO to one of those batches. If my new FO's come in today, I want to do an Apple scented batch. Cross fingers!

Still a newbie in experimental mode...

 

[Guest]

It's always fun to read what others are doing, and I think everybody will agree that reading what others are doing builds enthusiasm.

Cathy, I guess your "no palm no coconut" means not only no PO but also no PKO... Working up a recipe for PO/CO allergy sufferers?

I've been dillydallying most of the week for what reason I dunno, but I have no other plans for the weekend and just picked up 2# of CO, 2# of PO and 1# of castor (all my mainstays) and plenty of other base oils still in stock. I've still got several FOs I recently bought from WSP and SoapSupplies.net, so I've gotta test some of them.

I've been making single oil test batches: AKO, avocado, canola, CO, OO, PO, PKO and sweet almond. I think I might make soybean and lard and call it quits at an even 10, and then start comparing them. However, I think I'll reserve my 1# mini-molds for testing some of those FOs this weekend.

Inspired by Sonja and her magic pipe swirl I've made a pipe swirling tool and hope to try it out today or tomorrow.

I might try my second GM batch. The first time I used the divided liquid method where you use both fresh and powdered GM to make 200% concentrated GM, and then also make double strength lye mixture. However I've heard that you can add lye very slowly to the fresh GM and avoid the orange and avoid the ammonia smell, so I may try that. The idea is that you add your lye a little bit at a time over 30-60 minutes, never allowing the liquid to rise over 80-90 degrees. It sounds like it should work.

I have a feeling my weekend needs one more item.

 

[Lane]

I have got to get 4 2-lbs CP batches done... Lilac, Linen, Black Razz, Stargazer Lily...

Hubby is building me a nice big photo box! Wooooooo!

Oh and I am making Oatmeal MP, and possibly a coffee blend MP....

Should get some conditioner whipped up...

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Hubby is building me a nice big photo box! Wooooooo!

Ask him to make one for me too. 8) I have a very, very crude one, but need a much better one for sure.

 

[Lane]

Hubby is building me a nice big photo box! Wooooooo!

Ask him to make one for me too. 8) I have a very, very crude one, but need a much better one for sure.

http://jyoseph.com/blog/detail.cfm/post/18
I couldn't believe how easy this tutorial made it look!!!

(Thank you Marr!!!)
http://www.smellychicksonline.com/make- ... -lightbox/

 

[Laurie]

My dh and I made a small rectangulare wooden mold this week, inspired by Smelli. It is 6"L x 3 1/2"W x 3 1/2"H. Just big enough for 16-20 oz.

I made a 16 oz. batch of soap scented with Vanilla Lace from New Directions Aromatics. It came out great and of course it is very dark brown. By the way I lined the mold with foam I bought from Michaels. I just turned it over and it fell right out. Didn't have to take a knife or anything to it.

Laurie

 

[kwahlne]

OOoo, ooo! I forgot! I want to make a honeysuckle soap and also an Amaretto Sours scented soap this weekend.... I wish I had 4-day weekends.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Wherever you are, whatever you are doing this weekend, may you enjoy life to the fullest and share some love with someone around you!

 

[Guest]

Hubby is building me a nice big photo box! Wooooooo!

I just built mine from sprinkler pipe and fittings although I haven't started using it yet. If hubby hasn't bought his supplies yet here's some quick advice:

Use 3/4" schedule 40 PVC pipe. You'll probably need two 10' lengths. You'll also need 8 corner fittings (two 3/4" untapped connections and one 1/2" threaded connection on each fitting), and four 18" long 1/2" diameter sprinkler risers. This will make a nice light box with 20" on each side. There is no need to use any glue and also gives the benefit that you can disassemble your light box at a later time for transport or storage. Hubby can get all the parts at Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. I'll leave the translucent sides/top/back up to your inventiveness. The only required tools are a hacksaw to cut the 3/4" pipe into 18" lengths, and a file and/or sandpaper to smooth the cut ends. Get it all smooth and it will plug together without any need for glue, and in fact is fairly difficult to pull back apart.

I should probably post my light box in the projects area. Feel free to email or post if there's any additional help I can provide.

 

[Guest]

http://jyoseph.com/blog/detail.cfm/post/18
I couldn't believe how easy this tutorial made it look!!!

(Thank you Marr!!!)
http://www.smellychicksonline.com/make- ... -lightbox/

This discussion is moving very quickly! Or more likely I took way long composing my reply...

Obviously there are many ways to build a light box, and many have been made out of discarded cardboard boxes even. Obviously my pipe method is an alternative to the one depicted above. Anyway I think my explanation above is enough if anybody wants to make my version.

One suggestion: I believe that the back piece of the light box should be a single, curving sheet beginning at the top back and curving down to the bottom front. This gets rid of any possibility of having a back seam or crease visible in the picture. (Not my original idea.) The whole idea IMO is to get a picture of your subject with nothing but the subject in the picture, no background, no seams, no edges, no shadows. YMMV

BTW you can also get various different backgrounds to use: textured, colored, black, etc. for different effects.

 

[digit]

I made 3lbs of CP, scented with Orange, Eucalyptus, Patchouli, and Ylang Ylang EO's. I am going to spend the rest of the weekend working on packaging and labels.

I am going over to Chay's house to smell soaps.

I am making some goodies for the sampler swap. And maybe another batch of hemp soap for DH. I had a major flop with the last batch and had to trash it. There was no saving it.

Digit

 

[7053joanne]

I just finished making 4 pounds of patchouli with cocoa coloring, swirling with natural soap color, 3 pounds of hawaiian ginger and 2 pounds of bamboo somthing (can't remember the name) with a green swirl. I also make a bunch of lavender whipped shea butter. Now I am off to shower my friends with the fruit of my labor (yeah...like it's a real chore to make soap :wink: ).

Joanne

 

[Guest]

I am making some goodies for the sampler swap. And maybe another batch of hemp soap for DH. I had a major flop with the last batch and had to trash it. There was no saving it.

BTW I made the Hempster's Haven hemp soap recipe and I like it and recommend it. Ask me if you are interested and can't find the recipe.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

OK, had to make soap. I'm trying the new recipe I worked on this morning. I wanted to do an infused oil, so I infused Rosemary into a bit of OO, heat method. I used Spearmint and Peppermint EO's. We'll see.

I wanted to do a test again of my new silicone enhanced liner material.

 

[Guest]

Hey Paul, what's the rosemary for? I'm interested because I've got a huge rosemary bush and I haven't needed to buy rosemary in years. I could probably harvest a couple pounds of fresh rosemary and hardly even notice.

I'm still trying to make up my mind for today's project(s). :roll:

 

[Guest]

My dh and I made a small rectangulare wooden mold this week, inspired by Smelli. It is 6"L x 3 1/2"W x 3 1/2"H. Just big enough for 16-20 oz.

I made a 16 oz. batch of soap scented with Vanilla Lace from New Directions Aromatics. It came out great and of course it is very dark brown. By the way I lined the mold with foam I bought from Michaels. I just turned it over and it fell right out. Didn't have to take a knife or anything to it.

Laurie

COOL BEANS! Im glad it worked out for you! Wasnt hard huh!