ricardo

Here is a good site for soap recipes. It has small

batches on it.

http://members.aol.com/oelaineo/directions.html

It depends on the amout of soap you are making

and the recipe that you use.

Like on the Miller's site. I am going to be using

Rachael's "Tried and True" Recipe a couple more

times. You should you 3oz. for it. For 3oz., do you

like more orange or ginger? It's up to you.

For a smaller batch you will use less. I'm going to

tell you experiment with this one. Start with 1/2

teaspoon, then go up or down on how you like it.

Good luck!

I have been so behind on housekeeping and organizing

that I have not even been able to wrap the soap that

I made before I went on vacation. The next soap I want

to make is the same recipe as before just change the FO

to mint and I want to make it a pale green. I long to

make soap.

We sponser a child in Thiland with World Vision. They

are a very nice company to work with. We have been doing

this for over a year now and are very pleased with this

company and will continue to work with them. But, It

will cost more than a dime.

Even after some small boo-boos, my soap turned out ok.

It is pale yellow and I used honeysuckle as the FO.

So, Rachael's "Tried and True" Recipe is a good recipe.

If you go to the Miller soap site, I *hopefully* made

some of Rachael's "Tried and True" Recipe. By hopefully

I mean I had some trouble. When you make soap. Make

sure there are no pets or children around when you are

doing the imporant stuff!

I took the lye and water outside, like always and as

I was pouring it into a safe container to take inside

a cat knocked into my arm and made me spill lye/water

on the deck! Now the deck looks really

clean in places. It could have been really bad but

it was only about a 1/4 cup that spilled. I am going

to make sure I do something different when I do my

lye/water stuff.

When I measured my olive oil I kept thinking it was

24 oz but it was really 21 oz so I had to scoop out

3 oz. Luckly it was before I melted the shortening!

Soapmaking is really dangerous and follow all

directions! Been there, done that!

What makes you feel good....being clean!

Taking a hot bubble bath makes a bad day go away,

a hot shower in the morning wakes you up,

coming in sweaty and dirty from the garden and taking a bath or shower and then sitting down with some ice tea, children sitting around in there pj's after a bath smelling so sweet, a husband after a shower, there's nothing better, than being clean.

I wrapped my soap today. I wrapped my soap in fabric

then I designed a wrapper/label. It felt like we'd

been wrapping soap all day, we sort of had been, we

wrapped 70 bars! My fingers are numb as I type this

and yet my mind is thinking about the next FO that

I am going to use in my next batch. It is SO addictive.

Spider, are you making soap or are you still working on

your school stuff first?

Molds can be made from wood. If you use wood line it

with wax paper.

I use a stainless steel loaf pan, so anything stainless steel. I grease my steel with shortening.

If you use PVC or plastic you need to spray it with

non-stick spray.

I've used each of these methods. I had a hard time

with the wood and the wax paper method.

You have alot of choices you just need to pick the

righ one for you.

Don't have coconut oil... try this recipe.

52 oz. olive oil

7 oz. lye

20 oz. cold water

Follow regular steps for making soap, but because the

recipe includes only liquid oils, the wrapped mold

must be checked twice a day. To do this, carefully

unwrap the mold and uncover the soap. You are likely

to notice a thin layer of oil on top. Using a wooden

spoon, carefully stir this layer of oil back into the

soap, then replace the lid and rewrap the mold. Repeat

this process once every 12 hours or so until the layer of oil no longer forms.

This soaps characteristics:

off white in color

mild

lathers quickly

plenty of medium size bubbles

source: The complete soapmaker

Don't have coconut oil... try this recipe.

52 oz. olive oil

7 oz. lye

20 oz. cold water

Follow regular steps for making soap, but because the

recipe includes only liquid oils, the wrapped mold

must be checked twice a day. To do this, carefully

unwrap the mold and uncover the soap. You are likely

to notice a thin layer of oil on top. Using a wooden

spoon, carefully stir this layer of oil back into the

soap, then replace the lid and rewrap the mold. Repeat

this process once every 12 hours or so until the layer of oil no longer forms.

This soaps characteristics:

off white in color

mild

lathers quickly

plenty of medium size bubbles

source: The complete soapmaker

That is high,

I am sorry you are having such a hard time.

Spider you might have to let your fingers do some

walking, through some yellow pages or over some

keys.

What about your other ingredints? Did you find lye?

The only ingredint you are missing is cococnut.

Do you have a Michaels? What about a Chinese takeout

place, you could ask them to sell you some. (if they

have any) If all else fails you will have to order it.

Bummer!

The other day I made two batches and I just got

finished cutting them. One of them did not turn

out right it was very crumbly, I am going to add

some water to it and boil it and use it for the

laundry.

The second batch turned out very nice. I used an

orange crayon and peach FO.

Unikemom, I have been telling you all about mine.

Tell us.... how many(batches) have you made and

have all of yours turned out well?

On my first batch (it was large) I cut it into bars

and they are still curing and then I am going to

wrap them into fabric. That way it is reusable, and

yet pretty and I can tell them apart if I don't label

them. The soap I make is just for us anyway.

My question is Unikemom, what are you going to keep your

soap in? Fabric, plastic wrap, both, etc.... After that

what will you keep your soap in or at. Cardboard box,

one of those plastic tote containers without the lid.

What would be the best way?

I'm like Unikemom, I go to Walmart. Spider do you

have a Walmart near you? I know that's a bad

question, but they seem to "have it all." I also

found it in the oil area. Spider go check out

soapmaking sites. I know of one but not off the

top of my head I'll get back to you on that one.

I'm sitting here thinking......... You might also

try a Chinese store because it is for stir-frying.

I wouldn't use the ziploc stuff. Stay with the

thicker stuff.

I made two batches the other day and I didn't

leave them in the mold for 48 hrs. I should

have. Shame on me!!! Make sure you do Spider.

Mine, both of them, had pockets on the outside

filled with oil. They were not lye. I can't

figure that one out. I made them differently

one with a spoon and one with a stick blender.

I bet it was the FO. I bet it didn't blend in

well. I checked on Mrs. Millers site and

and someone else had this same problem and she

said to let it sit and everything would be fine.

So far mine look fine too.

I hope to make more next week. Using a different

recipe. These will be large ones.

Thanks Unikemom, we'll see what happens.

Spider, you won't find any molds either. You will

find lots of molds on the net. Unikemom told me

of the greatest mold, if you can't find one, maybe

one of us can ship you one. You keep Veleeta cheese

in it. If you have a Walmart, they have them. They

are clear and they are about $3 for the cheese and

all. They work great for this small batch. Let us

know OK?

UNIKEMOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In this recipe...............

COCONUT OIL SOAP

6 OZ. coconut oil

6 OZ. olive oil

5 OZ. vegetable shortening

2.6 OZ lye

1 cup water

Did you pour the olive oil in a liquid measuring

cup or did you weigh it?

My first batch using this recipe I did not weigh

it. On my second batch I weighed it. It is going

to make a BIG difference.

Spider, I decided after posting that last post that

IT'S JUST SOAP!!! I'm ready to play. I am keeping

a log of everything I do so I know what not to do.

I'll never be able to read it all! LOL!!

Unikemom posted a recipe on here and I am making

some soap right now. It is really easy. Mix the

ingreadients and walk away, for about an hour.

Mine is almost up. We are making blue coconut.

I'll let you know how it turns out. This recipe

is small so you can't use one of those stick blenders

on it.

When I think of making soap I think of you Spider.

Are you getting any suppies or are you still in the

thinking about it stages?

I get so nervous when I make soap. I am so afraid

it will turn out bad. This last batch I made turned

out ok and it was a HUGE batch. Today was a small

batch and I am still nervous and it's just soap!

I better go and check my soap...............

Here is a really good site for soapmaking.

http://millersoap.com/

I have a question for soapmakers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Example Recipe (Sandy Maine's)

24 oz olive oil

24 oz coconut oil

38 oz shortening

Can I mix and match different oils and fats?

Like this.

New Recipe

24 oz veg oil

24 oz coconut oil

38 oz lard (or 1/2 lard 1/2 shortening)

As long as I have the 48 oz of oil and 38 oz

of fat all that matters?

Thank you for the recipe.

I wish you could have given me the recipe a few days

ago! The only recipes I could find were HUGE. Here is

the recipe I made yesterday. Let me tell you, you will

need a LARGE mold. I have the perfect mold for large batches but it is for bread but since my bread never

worked out for it, I let soapmaking have it. In case you

are wondering it is a pullman. Anyway here is the

recipe, but I will be trying several different ones,

this is turning out to be fun.

Simple No-Weighing Soap (I had to weigh stuff!)

Vegetable Shortening 6lb

Coconut oil 14 fl oz.

Olive oil 3/4 cup

Lye 12oz dissoved in 2-3/4 cup distilled water

FO 2 TB

My lye came in an 18 oz can and my coconut oil

(it's not oil!!) came in 31.5 fl oz.

I took the lye outside and dissolved it then put

it on a high shelf out of the kids reach. Then I

melted the shortening and the coconut oil then added

the olive oil and let it cool down to about 140 F.

I then added the lye. I stirred it for about 15 min.

I used a stick blender on it for 10 seconds on it.

Then it got really thick. I added my FO I used vanilla.

I stirred for about 5 more min. then it traced and then

I poured the mixture into a greased mold and covered it

with blankets. I peaked at it this morning. I looked ok.

I get to take it out about noon. I'll let you know

what happens.

I found a recipe for soap and it called for lemon

juice, why?

I went to the site and the reviews say that it's a really

good book with good values. I'm going to see if I can

get it locally. Amazon says it will ship in 1 to 2 months!

On the site it says that "As of January 17 no jewels have

been found". Humm........makes me wonder.