Mnhorsemom

Very cute! I am just starting to play with hurricanes, I have been trying to embed pictures. I think it may take a bit of practice

Island, I use 100% soy and don't heat my jars. Every once in a while I will have a wet spot on a candle but not that often. As far as the time it takes between melting, heating jars and pouring you should have plenty of time. Everyone is a bit different in how they pour but with mine I pour at the slushy stage (I get much nicer tops that way) and the time I put the wax in my pour pot to the slushy stage can sometimes be 45 minutes+.

I use 100% soy and have had good luck with most of the FO's I have from Peaks. They are the main one I get FO from for my candles. I have some from other suppliers but those mainly go into soap.

Yesterday I posted to be careful with the lye when you are measuring it cause if there is a lot of static electricity it tends to jump around where you don't want it. Someone said they took a dryer sheet and wiped the measuring container inside and out and that it helped a lot with the static problems. I have not tried that so will have to buy some dryer sheets next time I go to the store.

What you do is wait til after the kids go to bed and lock the kittens in another room. Yes, lye is dangerous and you have to be careful but it really isn't that big of a monster. I don't have kids to worry about but I have 2 cats and 3 dogs in the house. I just make sure they are out of the room I am working in.

Yeah for you! I bet it will turn out very nice, even without those swirls.

Just a small FYI type of thing...I soap in my kitchen and have had problems in the past (specially in winter when the air here is really dry and we have a lot of static) when I go to weigh out my lye. If you have static electricity in your room the lye beads tend to go a bit berserk and jump to places you don't want it. I have since been putting my scale in the sink and measuring there. That way all you have to do is rinse out the sink and not have to worry about how much lye is jumping all over the counter and the floor and, and, and. Good Luck, it's a very rewarding (and addicting) hobby.

The stoves look nice but wouldn't a hot plate be just as good and then you wouldn't have to mess around with the propane. SInce you already have electric you could just plug it in and be good to go.

Here is the long version of what MSM is Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM, or dimethylsulfone) is an organic sulfur compound belonging to a class of chemicals known as sulfones. It occurs naturally in some primitive plants and is present in small amounts in many foods and beverages. MSM is also known as dimethylsulfone, or DMSO2, a name that reflects its close chemical relationship to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which differs only in the oxidation state of the sulfur atom. MSM is the primary metabolite of DMSO in humans, and it shares some of the properties of DMSO. MSM is sold as a dietary supplement that is marketed with a variety of claims and is commonly used (often in combination with glucosamine and/or chondroitin) for helping to treat or prevent osteoarthritis. Retail sales of MSM as a single ingredient in dietary supplements amounted to $115 million in 2003. However, clinical research on the medical use of the chemical in people is limited to a few pilot studies that have suggested beneficial effects. Contents [hide] <LI class=toclevel-1>1 Use as a solvent <LI class=toclevel-1>2 Effects on health<LI class=toclevel-2>2.1 Evidence from clinical trials 2.2 Pharmacology and toxicity<LI class=toclevel-1>3 Manufacturing and purity <LI class=toclevel-1>4 References [*]5 External links [edit] Effects on health The effects of supplemental methylsulfonylmethane in biology and medicine are poorly understood. Several researchers have suggested that MSM has anti-inflammatory effects (Morton et al. 1986; Childs, 1994; Murav'ev et al., 1991). Any health effects of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) may be mediated, at least in part, by MSM (Williams et al, 1966; Kocsis et al, 1975). Stanley W. Jacob, M.D., of the Oregon Health & Science University claims to have used MSM to treat over 18,000 patients with a variety of ailments (Jacob & Appleton, 2003). Clinical evidence for the usefulness of MSM is limited to animal studies and four published clinical studies in humans. These pilot studies of MSM have suggested some benefits, particularly for treatment of osteoarthritis. Further studies would be needed to test the usefulness of the chemical as a medical therapy. [edit] Evidence from clinical trials Osteoarthritis: After several reports that MSM helped arthritis in animal models, a double-blind, placebo-controlled study suggested that 1500 mg per day MSM (alone or in combination with glucosamine sulfate) was helpful in relieving symptoms of knee osteoarthritis (Usha and Naidu 2004). Kim et al. then conducted a double-blind clinical trial of MSM for treatment of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Twenty-five patients took 6 g/day MSM and 25 patients took a placebo for 12 weeks. Ten patients did not complete the study, and intent-to-treat analysis was performed. Patients who took MSM had significantly reduced pain and improved physical functioning, without major adverse events (Kim et al). No evidence of a more general anti-inflammatory effect was found, as there were no significant changes in two measures of systemic inflammation: C-reactive protein level and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The authors cautioned that this short pilot study did not address the long-term safety and usefulness of MSM, but suggested that physicians should consider its use for certain osteoarthritis patients, and that long-term studies should be conducted (Kim et al. 2006). Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis: Barrager et al. evaluated the efficacy of MSM for hayfever (Barrager et al, 2002). Twenty-five subjects consumed 2,600 mg of MSM per day for 30 days, and a significant improvement in symptoms was observed compared to those taking a placebo. However, the study was not blinded. Also, no significant changes were observed in two indicators of inflammation (C-reactive protein and immunoglobulin E levels). The authors suggest that MSM is safe for short-term use and recommend that a larger, double-blind study be performed to establish its usefulness in treating symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis. Snoring: Blum & Blum conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial of an MSM-containing throat spray for snoring (Blum & Blum, 2004).[edit] Pharmacology and toxicity The LD50 (dose at which 50% of test subjects are killed) of MSM is greater than 17.5 grams per kilogram of body weight. In rats, no adverse events were observed after daily doses of 2 g MSM per kg of body weight. In a 90-day follow-up study rats received daily MSM doses of 1.5 g/kg, and no changes were observed in terms of symptoms, blood chemistry, or gross pathology (Horvath et al., 2002). Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies have demonstrated that oral doses of MSM are absorbed into the blood and cross the blood-brain barrier (Rose et al., 2000; Lin et al., 2001). An NMR study has also found detectable levels of MSM normally present in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid, suggesting that it derives from dietary sources, intestinal bacterial metabolism, and the body's endogenous methanethiol metabolism (Engelke et al., 2005). The published clinical trials of MSM did not observe any serious side-effects of treatment, but there are no peer-reviewed data on the effects of long-term use in humans.

JMHO but a cup seems like a lot to me. Especially if you are using any kind of a course salt that would take a long time to "melt" so that it wouldn't feel like you were sitting on a bunch of rocks

I just got my wax from Peaks yesterday and tried my first cane. It's supposed to be for a friend but...I guess I didn't get the photo mashed up against the mold very good on the bottom right corner cause it's foggy looking. Can I fix that or should I start over? Thanks

Here are some neat lids http://shop.candlesandsupplies.com/candles/category.asp?catalog%5Fname=Candles&category%5Fname=Lids+for+Jelly%2FBall%2FMason+Jars&Page=1&path=Ball%2FMason+Jars%23Lids+for+Jelly%2FBall%2FMason+Jars

Mountain, see if you have any kind of farrier (horseshoer) supply place near you. They usually carry pine tar. If not you can call RT Duggan Farrier Supplies in Minnesota and they may be able to ship some to you. I think the number is 800-257-5850.

Ebay has several here's one of them http://cgi.ebay.com/PAW-PRINTS-Milky-Way-Soap-Candy-Craft-Molds_W0QQitemZ260077091216QQcategoryZ28116QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

I use the powdered goatsmilk (I can not find fresh anywhere) and I add mine to my oils then stick blend really well. So far it's worked pretty good.

Last time I ordered it was from BCN. You have to fill out a form and mail/fax it to them to buy lye from them. There are also a lot of people selling lye on Ebay. I have not bought from any of them...has anyone else tried lye off Ebay?

Do a search under Japanese Cherry Blossom, there are several threads discussing that fo and where to find it. i know Chemistry Store has it and so do several other places. I have a bottle of it the I got off the classys here but I am on vacation and can't remember who the supplier is sorry.

Depends on what kind of soap you want to make. Those kits look like they are melt and pour soap so if you are wanting to do cp the kit won't help you much. If you tell us what type soap you are wanting to do we might be able to make better recommendations.

I use the RRD's in my 8oz square masons. They work well, I get a good mp and a clean jar but I also get a mushroom. I put up with the shroom cause everything else works like it should, and my scent throw is good.

We have a guy down the road that keeps bees, LOTS of bees. Obviously you can not keep them here in the winter ( it's -17 here this morning) so they truck all their bees to somewhere in Texas and Louisana. I guess most northern bee keepers must do something like that so I imagine it wouldn't be too hard for stuff to spread from state to state.

I have the 16 bar Misty Creek mold. I know you have to line it, but with the template you get with it it only take a few minutes to line. I love having the big cutter and the lines in the mold so that you get nice even sized bars. (I liked the mold so much I had my BIL who is a cabinet maker build me two more) I know a bigger batch of soap is sometimes more intimidating to a beginner but you don't have to be quite so precise with your weighing as you would with a small (1-2lb) batch.

I really wanted to make it this year dang it. June 2nd is the date for our Ladies of Harley Poker Run and I am already commited to riding in it. So everyone has to take good notes and tell us all about what we missed.

There are so many good suppliers. For bulk butters and oils I would have to vote for Columbus Foods. For Fo's I have 3 that I would use the most Peaks, BCN, Solas. All of these companies have great products and outstanding customer service.

I understand testing, God knows I've done a lot of it myself. And, no if I was using a new wax,wick and whatever I wouldn't not test. But, if I was making something from a tried and true recipe, and could get insight on the item from people that had made it and used it I sure would. Bunny, I know your reply was not necessarily directed at me or my previous post and I didn't say she shouldn't test just that she could get some feedback info from others posts on the product she was asking about.

Is this Carmen's recipe? If it is, you should have a lot of testers right here on CT.. Do a search under silky suds and read some of the stuff people have posted. I don't remember anyone not liking it!!