Dustpuuppy

I was just thinking that the earlier you start complaining, the longer you have that you can work on them. They probably have a standard policy for this type thing. I'm sure it's happened before.

Actually, I think I have that figured out. The old timers used to float an egg or potato in their solution. If an area about the size of a quarter showed above the water, the solution was the right strength. I doubt they'd ever heard the term 'specific gravity', but that's what it amounts to. So an older recipe that calls for ( just an example) 38 oz. of water and one can of lye, should come out pretty close if I use 50 oz of the lye solution. 38 oz. of water + 12oz. of lye. The older recipes I've found are all based around a 12oz can of lye. Apparently that's the only size it used to come in. Most of them call for around 35 or 40 ounces of water. I'm guessing that the egg/potato trick is gonna give you just a tad over a 3 to 1 ratio of water to lye. My thinking is that I could make the solution just a little stronger. Just to be sure. Then maybe add a little salt at trace to kill some of the excess lye? Or 'wash' with a makeshift saline solution made from salt water? Of course I could be full of shit. Wouldn't be the first time. And the links were just things I ran across... thought they could be useful to someone. If I'm gonna ask a bunch of stupid questions, I'll at least try to put something back.

I found this program, in my travels/research, thought it might be of use to some of you. It lets your computer calculate the amount of lye needed for different amounts of different types of oils/fats. And this site has a LOT of info and about a gazillion recipes. http://millersoap.com/

Don't know about a book. I get these silly stories in my head and they refuse to leave until I start typing them out. Then they vanish. Like a song that gets stuck in your head but when you try to sing it, you can't remember the lyrics.

Me too, obviously. LOL It's just this stupid little story that popped into my wee wittle brain. Just trying to find whether it's believable that this character could find the stuff to make a batch of soap the way our ancestors did. I've actually seen people make old fashioned lye soap from potash but wasn't all that interested in the specifics, at the time. Wish I'd paid more attention, now.:rolleyes2

So you were the neighbor of the beast? I think I'd call them and bitch a bit, right away. Start beating on them now, so you will be sure to get a deal. You might start off hinting for your money back. <shrug>

Thanks CareBear. I know all this is a bit silly. So thanks to all who are taking the time to answer. I'm wondering if saltwater could be used as that saline solution?

How about a little bit of a methane undertone to simulate the after math of a Christmas dinner that consisted of butterbeans and bologna?

ROFL! This is making me nuts. I'm going to a lot of trouble to research something to get one cheap joke, in one story that I may not even write, which I doubt anyone will ever read, if I do. Here's the deal. Some people get stranded on an island. They find someone's abandoned vacation cabin. There's a wood cookstove. Some canned goods, mostly beans. There's a bed and some very basic camping gear type things like cook ware and such. Rain barrels to catch water. Just a couple of steps above camping out with a tent. While searching the hut, they find some olive oil and the guy who's kind of taken charge decides to make some soap with it. When asked why the hell soap is a priority, he says, " Well, if we're here for more than a week, with no soap, no deodorant and a steady diet of beans... even if someone finds us, they won't want to take us home." :rolleyes2 Thing is I know how to make the lye solution from wood ashes. I know that in the old days they measured the lye content of the solution by floating an egg or potato in the solution. Not sure if what they considered potent enough was a 50/50 mix, though. Also, I know how to render fat into lard and how to get coconut milk from the 'meat' of the coconuts. Not sure if the amounts of olive oil, coconut milk and lard are all interchangeable. Like would using one more cup of coconut milk mean you could use one less cup of lard...etc. (I think somethingtoshopabout just answered that, if I think on it a bit.) And if you want to get right down to it, the only reason I'm being so anal about getting everything just right is that I'm so arrogant I don't want to leave anyone an opening to call me out on a mistake. Thanks guys. If you run across anyone's grandma's recipe, though, it would help.

Every customer is entitled to be as much of an ass, as they are willing to pay to be. In cash. Up front.

She doesn't know how to 'adjust' her paperwork to deal with the under the counter thing. She doesn't know how to deal with anything that isn't a straight purchase with invoices and tax numbers and such. If you have all your licenses and tax ID numbers and such, just change her to a straight purchase, COD. If you don't, you might want to drop her. She would be fine, I'd guess with a straight purchase, where she has an invoice and all the paperwork is in order. If she won't or can't do COD and you already have more biz than you can keep up with, then there's not much reason to deal with her. Alternatively, you could ask her what SHE wants to do. If she doesn't have an answer and she doesn't like yours... <shrug> ... some folks are just more trouble than they're worth. Tell her to give you a call when she feels more comfortable working with you, or some such. I'd try to be gentle but firm. Try to leave the door open for the future. You never know what next year will bring.

Has anyone seen a recipe for making soap using homemade liquid lye solution? I know how to make the lye from ashes, just have no idea where you would start as far as percentages of lard or oils and such if you were using it. Can't seem to find any recipe, anywhere. TIA

Oddly, Pineapple was one of my best sellers. I had a couple of regular customers who loved it. I always liked Peak's Stormwatch. Couldn't give it away, though. Strawberry was another big seller. I hated it, but it financed a lot of my other stuff. Both I and my customers loved the rose scent from Peak. I poured so much of that, the bathroom smelled like roses after I went.

That's OK if you only make one type and size of candle. Different story if you make several different sizes. Or when you're experimenting on something new. Then you need to know how much wax you have, so you can calculate how much FO and/or other additives to add.

What are the inside dimensions? And what kind of wood? Don't know if this would work but I had a thought. The metal bands they use to band pallets would make a nice handle. You could bend it to fit the mold, the curl each end to make handles. The handle would go between the mold and the liner, of course. Not sure if it would work or if it would do any good.

I do woodworking for a living and that looks pretty good to me. What did you use to join the pieces? Screws, nails or dowels?

Yeah, I used to just think they all would have the Tare thing. I almost bought one that didn't have it. Nobody ever told me. I only noticed that another one DID have it by accident.

I think half the board was making them at one time. Seems like that was one of our 'kids with new toys' moments. Like when a kid plays with the new toy nonstop for a week then throws it in the corner and never looks at it again. Like the water candles... ice candles... several other things. Once we figured out that we could actually make them, it wasn't fun anymore.

Make sure you get one with a Tare feature. Not all of them do.

Pegboard. http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-install-a-pegboard/index.html

Rustic Romance ?

And wet dogs. Can't forget the wet dogs.

This is odd, to me. I never needed nearly that much dye after I went to the good dyes. Might be because I always used a lot of vybar, though. Not sure. At any rate, your original question about this much dye clogging the candle: Probably not a problem. I think that's what you were asking before I started babbling.

Thanks, Meridith. That was what I needed. Now I know that what I was thinking is possible. Patty: Sorry for hijacking your thread.

This place has always been like that. A lot of the 'Old Hands' started out as newbies, right here. In a couple of years, you guys will be the experts who come in and save someone's day. I think I spent about 2 months just reading through the archives, when I first found the old Candletech board. I was silly enough to think this whole candle thing was gonna be really simple, when I bought that $30 kit, at the hobby shop. And always remember Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison tried 2000 ways to make a incandescent light bulb and he quoted "I did not fail 2000 times, I simply found 2000 ways not to make a light bulb"