The Time Has Come...

[donniej]

For months I've been working on mass producing a hand made, all natural soap with the goal of being the most inexpensive such product on the market. I've driven all over the region buying pumps, stainless steel tanks, agitators and motors. I've scoured every soap sight I could find looking for oils, fragrances and supplies... not to mention finding creative ways to package and label. I've made thousands of bars to test dozens of recipes, some successful, some not. I've made so much soap that my friends all already have lifetime supplies

Tomorrow the last piece of equipment I need will be delivered, 20 drying racks, each ~24" square. I figure this will give me a starting capacity of 2,000 bars per month and I plan to quickly double, triple and quadruple that figure. Every bar hand made, the only mechanical help is to pump the oils into the tank and an agitator to mix it... all else is done by hand.

As of now I have about 700 pounds of oil, 100 pounds of lye, 12 pounds of FO, 2,000 bags and several pounds of odd and ends like beeswax, Jojoba, etc... Tomorrow is when I get out the secret red recipe book where my months of toil have been wirtten and measure out those ingredients into that big mix tank for the first time. If all goes well, I'll have 2,000 bars to package and sell after sitting 4 weeks in my climate controlled curing area.

It's been a long stressful road, wish me luck

 

[zeoplum]

Good luck!

Don't forget to take pictures!

zeo

 

[oldragbagger]

Best of luck to you. It sounds like you are geared to success with all your supplies and equipment. Keep us informed, and please do post pics.

 

[heyjude]

Crossing my fingers and toes that all goes well for you!!

Good Luck!

Jude

 

[Guest]

Holy cow , that is a lot of soap .All the best of luck to you with your mass soap making endeavours .

Kitn

 

[topcat]

You don't need luck with all that preparation donniej......but I wish it for you anyway :wink:

Tanya

 

[Guest]

Hooray!!!! Donnie, you can do wit!!!!! (said in my best impression of that guy from the Adam Sandler movies )

 

[zeoplum]

Hey Donnie? Mr. Soapinator!? Where are you?

We wanna know if you've made the mega batch yet! Update please!

zeo

 

[kitkat_pro]

take lots of pics

and good luck

 

[Guest]

I'm nervous and excited for you *fingers crossed*

 

[donniej]

Thank you for still thinking of me!
Here's a little update for you...
I decided to take it easy and ramp up production from 50 to 100 bars... I'm glad I did this because the fragrance I was using magically siezes the batch to a gelatenous glop at that "high" a volume, even though it's the exact same recipe. Instead of using FO, I placed an order with New Directions for EO's. I got pink grapefruit, tangerine, lemongrass and Indian sweet basil. And I gotta say that after 3 or 4 blind scent tests, not a single person has liked the lemongrass. I sure hope it smells better mixed.

I'm also having problems with my packaging in high humidity, so that needs a little work too. I even setup a little system for humidity tests; a black 5 gallon bucket with some water soaked rags in the bottom, an elevated "platform" for soap and/or packaging to sit on and a lid. I set this contraption outside in the sunlight which makes it hot and humid inside. I also keep bars outside, in my shed and of course everywhere in my home. If it holds up in all these environments, then I consider it a decent recipe.

I also found that it takes my entire bodyweight (170lbs) to push my 50 bar slicer through ~30 bars at a time... so this is how many I can cut at once. There are 2 different wire diameters on the cutter and I've noticed that the thinner wire cuts noticably easier, and it doesn't appear to stretch any more than the thick stuff.

Meanwhile, I still haven't actually sold a single bar but I've given away lots of samples and am getting plenty of interest... enough that I feel very encouraged from the sales standpoint.

I have also come up with a problem, I have enough end pieces and bars with air bubbles that I'm generating a huge quantity of "waste". I'm not sure what to do with all of it, I'm talking about several pounds per day. I don't want to rebatch it because I fear it would effect the appearance of the bars... so I'm thinking about shredding it and selling it or giving it to homeless shelters or similar.

Finally, I'm also working on liquid recipes now. This is proving challengine because the liquid soap gels *so* thick that most mixing tanks can't handle it. I'm working on a modified version that is slower to saponify but stays thinner. If that doesn't work I think I'll look for an indiustrial floor-sized standing mixer.

Keep those fingers crossed folks, I need all the luck I can get

 

[topcat]

It sounds like you are well on your way to getting organised then! All these 'teething problems' need solving now, so now is when they need to be found :wink:

For the bits and pieces.....several soapers I have read on here grate them up and package them into a soap wash sack and sell them that way. They have proved to be popular. Once a customer has bought a filled soap sack then they buy refill shavings by weight until they need a new sack. Just a thought....

Tanya

 

[Vinca Leaf]

Donnie, this makes me smile so big. What a humongous task you've undertaken...and it sounds like a dream. Hard work, but well worth it.
And, fwiw, lemongrass EO *does* smell better after it's soaped!

 

[oldragbagger]

I have also come up with a problem, I have enough end pieces and bars with air bubbles that I'm generating a huge quantity of "waste". I'm not sure what to do with all of it, I'm talking about several pounds per day. I don't want to rebatch it because I fear it would effect the appearance of the bars... so I'm thinking about shredding it and selling it or giving it to homeless shelters or similar.

There is now a sticky for an organization called "Clean The World", a charitable organization that collects soap and remills it to be sent to third world countries where preventable diseases run rampant simply because of the lack of soap and hygiene. What a blessing your remnants would be to them!!! Check it out on the CP forum page.

 

[Milla]

I have tried lemongrass EO several times in my soap and I have to admit I'm not a fan of it. It's strong so maybe I used too much. Maybe mixed with some of the other ones? I do love lemon EO though! I have plans to do a lemon, orange, and grapefruit blend. Yummy!

Good luck with your tests. Sounds like a ton of fun (and work)!

 

[Guest]

<<<<I have also come up with a problem, I have enough end pieces and bars with air bubbles that I'm generating a huge quantity of "waste". I'm not sure what to do with all of it, I'm talking about several pounds per day. I don't want to rebatch it because I fear it would effect the appearance of the bars... so I'm thinking about shredding it and selling it or giving it to homeless shelters or similar. >>>

See if you can donate the soap ends "up state road" (the city jail system)
PIC, CFCF, etc....the reason being, the inmates have to use something called Lisa Soap, a cheap harsh soap...mind you these are folks charged but not convicted...the most miserable thang is to get locked up, with no lotion and have to use LISA soap till you get bailed out...all itchy...

 

[oldragbagger]

<<<<I have also come up with a problem, I have enough end pieces and bars with air bubbles that I'm generating a huge quantity of "waste". I'm not sure what to do with all of it, I'm talking about several pounds per day. I don't want to rebatch it because I fear it would effect the appearance of the bars... so I'm thinking about shredding it and selling it or giving it to homeless shelters or similar. >>>

See if you can donate the soap ends "up state road" (the city jail system)
PIC, CFCF, etc....the reason being, the inmates have to use something called Lisa Soap, a cheap harsh soap...mind you these are folks charged but not convicted...the most miserable thang is to get locked up, with no lotion and have to use LISA soap till you get bailed out...all itchy...

We all know that they're all innocent. But, it sounds like a good place to take your soap if it makes you happy. Or there's the Clean The World Organization (earlier in this thread).

 

[dagmar88]

some might be, you never know Philly, I hardly doubt jails will let anyone bring anything in there.

 

[oldragbagger]

some might be, you never know Philly, I hardly doubt jails will let anyone bring anything in there.

Well, Dagmar, God bless your pure sweet heart!!

I guess I just spent too many years married to a cop and working for the police myself. It left me somewhat cynical. Given my choice between a bunch of kids who might die from a purely preventable disease because they lack the means to practice good personal hygiene, or a cellblock full of guys who would just as soon cut my throat as look at me (minus that one innocent guy, of course)........ I'll take the kiddos.

 

[Guest]

some might be, you never know Philly, I hardly doubt jails will let anyone bring anything in there.

Well, Dagmar, God bless your pure sweet heart!!

I guess I just spent too many years married to a cop and working for the police myself. It left me somewhat cynical. Given my choice between a bunch of kids who might die from a purely preventable disease because they lack the means to practice good personal hygiene, or a cellblock full of guys who would just as soon cut my throat as look at me (minus that one innocent guy, of course)........ I'll take the kiddos.

PIC and CFCF are full of men, women and teens...some are the killers, rapist blah, blah, blah...but the majority, IMHO domestic situations, the woman who slaps her husband in front of the cops, minors caught after curfew on South Street, people who got into neighborhood fights...and parents who hit or threatened their kids...

okay so not the greatest crew but it's local and it's easy...and it's just a suggestion 8)

and I sooooo hate Lisa Soap :shock: