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Newbie CP Soap Challenge!


magsglass

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Oh man I sooooooooo want to get in on this. I've been reading for months and wanting to make soap real bad even had a friend make a box mold for me. I am just so broke I can't pay attention :cry2: Maybe I can scrape here and there. Would rebatch count? I forgot to ask do I have to have a stick blender? I know it helps trace quicker.

Hi Ladysj!

Oh, I really, really hope you can get in on this, too!

There are some recipes with inexpensive oils that might fit your budget, such as (see post #20 at this link): http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21276

It's for a 2 lb. batch which may fit your mold, depending on it's size. The nice thing about that recipe is you can get the oils at a Wal-Mart Supercenter, or possibly even at a larger or ethnic grocery store. And I hear that Lowe's carries lye, so if you're near a Lowe's (or maybe an older hardware or grocery store?) you might be able to pick up the lye locally.

To answer your question, no you don't need a stickblender...it's just quicker. People have been making soap forever without stickblenders. ;)

So check it out and see if you can swing it. If so, we'd love to have you join us!

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LOL! Well I'm not Outlandish Lady (I swear she's got to have everything lol!) and I'm not Sherie or Kaybee with some exotic stuff, but I definitely don't know if this pup will make it into the challenge LOL!

OK, I soaped Amber Romance and ummmm ... well ... I learn something every time lol!

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OK, I soaped Amber Romance and ummmm ... well ... I learn something every time lol!

Hey, I was just reading your thread about that. It sounds like you got the ricing all smoothed out, but I've got my fingers crossed for ya just in case. :) Can't wait to see the cut pics!

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I have a question...

Can anyone tell me how long it takes to whip up a batch of CP from start to finish? I'm asking because I've got 5 kids to corral and keep away from me while I work-- I don't want any accidents or distractions. I can schedule it best if I know approx. how long it will take. Thanks!

(Edit: BTW, I'll be using a stickblender)

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Mags, you need roughly 15 minutes to mix your lye water, weigh your hard oils & melt them, then weigh and add your liquid oils to your hard oils. Then you wait for both lye and oils to cool down. So it's not done all at once.

When everything's cooled down to about 100-105 degrees F, you start the mixing process. Depending on your recipe (which fats you used), it usually takes a few minutes for the soap to trace if you're using a stick blender. If you're stirring by hand, it can take forEVER ... I mean hours. LOL So once you start blending and get it into the mold? Maybe 15 minutes or so for a beginner. HTH These are just estimates, BTW. Your mileage may vary. ;)

Edited to add: Also, on Mag's post #51, referring to my simple grocery store recipe post, here's a note. Just a reminder that I added a few notes to that on my next post, post #21. Which unfortunately landed on the next page. LOL! If someone chooses to go the all-vegetable route, you can sub palm for the lard. Just be sure to run the new recipe through the lye calculator again to re-compute the amount of lye needed. When I did that, the difference in lye wasn't huge, but just to be safe, I'd run it through again. I may have been under caffeinated that day. ROFL

Also, those of you searching for a mold? My first soap mold was an empty baby wipes container. heh heh For a 2-lb. batch you'd need a couple though.

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It probably took me about 2 hours from start to finish. Maybe a little less. And I was using senior blendo ;) This was the first time I made the lye water and didn't let it sit overnight. By the time the oils were melted and combined, the lye had come down to about 100. Colors were mixed, FO weighed. Well most of the color. Had I known what I was mixing would look like each other. (JUst don't pinch out any color with your fingers lol!) I still have black fingernails, so I'm looking gothic at work :rolleyes2

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AJ: Thanks for the reply, and for posting that great recipe! Glad to know it won't take as long as I thought it would. Of course I may still have to use soapmaking as an excuse for DH to take the kids somewhere for the day. ;)

Scented: Your Gothic fingernails cracked me up! Now I've got the "I Am Gothic" song stuck in my head. LOL! Thanks for the warning about that!

Now I'm off to look for some colorants. Saw a pic of some awesome soap Brenda made a few months back. OMG, the COLORS!! I'm in love!!!!! http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17109

I thought I read somewhere that powdered oxides produce these kinds of vivid colors. Is that right?

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Oh my gosh, soap making is sooooo addictive! Once I got past that fear of lye...and I've never lost that fear {good thing 'cause you will always be on your toes when using it} I went on to make like 50 batches! I had soap everywhere...had to eat by the computer as it was the only spot that didn't have bars of soap drying. Once you use what you have made... I promise you that you will never go back to using store bought soap! Have a blast everybody!:grin2:

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AJ: Thanks for the reply, and for posting that great recipe! Glad to know it won't take as long as I thought it would. Of course I may still have to use soapmaking as an excuse for DH to take the kids somewhere for the day. ;)

Now I'm off to look for some colorants. Saw a pic of some awesome soap Brenda made a few months back. OMG, the COLORS!! I'm in love!!!!! http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17109

I thought I read somewhere that powdered oxides produce these kinds of vivid colors. Is that right?

Well my timetable was under the best of circumstances. You know, when you don't spill oil all over the counter, dribble lye water on the floor, or accidentally glop raw soap batter all over the outside of your mold and onto the stove, etc. LOL If you're an uncoordinated klutz like me, double that time. hahaha

Some oxides do produce vivid colors. There's a blue-green one that's pretty bright. But most oxides produce earthy, muted shades. Red oxide, for example, isn't a bright stoplight red; it's more of a brick red. If you want bright, primary, clear, rainbow-type colors, without a lot of undertones, I'd recommend liquid colorants. ;)

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Scented, I didn't know it was okay to make your lye water the night before. Do you find that much easier, then to make the same day??

Usually. But you need to put it some place where no one will get to it, including any animals. That's what I don't like about it. Even though the boy king can't jump on the counters too well any more, I still need to keep it hidden from him.

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Okay I have my mold made, now tomorrow I am going to mix this soap....I need some good soap making vibes over here...lol. I am soooooo nervous that I am going to screw this up.

Crossing everything that I can cross!!!!

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Heather...

I'll be nervous with you!

After reading a bunch of articles about Lye, the DH wants to know why in the heck Im going to try CP, got him a little freaked out too!

Good luck to you, you'll do great!

I'll be making mine this weekend, hopefully.

I purchased 2 of those white no-liner molds from Ebay so I cant back out now!

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You know believe it or not this is not fear of frying my skin with lye, or causing a volcano, or anything like that it is having U~G~L~Y soap :laugh2:

I was going to make it tonight, but think tomorrow will be a better day ;)

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Go Heather, go Heather, go Heather!!! (chanting)

Hehe, I know what you mean about not wanting ugly soap. I could have chunks of my arms missing, hair singed off my head, and be cleaning volcano leftovers off my ceiling for weeks... as long as the soap looks good!!! LOL! :P

Just kidding. Wish I could make soap right now, but I'm waiting for the dyes to get here. Hopefully on Monday. Plus, I've had sick kids home for 3 days, and now I've caught this blasted sinus/throat/fever thing too. I feel too crappy to do much but stare at this screen and sleep. I hope it's not the mumps. We've got an outbreak in this area. :tongue2::sad2:

Scntdwik: You've got molds! :yay: They really don't need any liner? How cool is that!?!

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