You guys are killing me!!! (And a CP kit?)

[MissMary]

Well, I've been reading all the threads and the pics of such gorgeous soaps... and I swore when I posted about M&P that I couldn't stand doing anything else...

I've been bitten.

I blame you all.

You are no longer allowed to post pretty things.

Just kidding!!! :laugh2:

I love all the gorgeousness that you guys come up with. But I think I'm going to start with CP at some point soon, and a very easy recipe. (My husband is going to kill me, we have no room anywhere as it is.) I'm looking to start with a VERY slow tracing recipe as I'm sure I'll get confused enough as it is...

Is there a good place for a kit, or a kit builder that I can get instead of having to buy buckets of things for something I may not be any good at?

[pjb31apb]

I started with a kit that came from Kelsie's. It came with everything pre measured and ready to go except for the lye. That was like January I think. To this very day, I have STILL not been able to get my soap out of that mold. $64 down the drain. My point is this, based on that experience, I would have been forced to say that I was no good and quit right there. OR I could go out and get more lye and oils and find something else to use as a mold until I get that darn soap out! LOL

Give yourself a few batches to decide if you are any good. Try using grocery store oils like OO, canola oil, crisco and lard. Plus lard is a slow tracer. You could probably find Coconut oil locally if you looked. Maybe? That way if you really don't like it, you can still cook with it and use the coconut oil in your hair! LOL

For molds, I used plastic shoe boxes, drawers and pringles cans. After my first order from Colombus foods, I used the boxes that they send the gallon containers in cut in half lengthwise and lined with freezer paper. I found a place online where I can get 300 sheets of 24x24 for $40 including shipping. This has worked very well for me so far, but I took someone elses advice and started asking around among the people I know and lo and behold..... I find someone who does woodworking as her "summer hobby"! She is going to make me two wooden log molds to my specs for the cost of the wood!

It isn't that kits are bad, it is just that you find out all to quickly, they just aren't enough! LOL Welcome to CP soaping! I hope you enjoy it!

[Jcandleattic]

I started with a kit 5 years ago and unfotrunately the company is no longer in business, and I still have not found a place that really sells a kit. That place came with enough oils to make 3-3lb batches of soap (no lye) the mold and instructions from start to finish, with 3 recipes. One of the recipes I still use today - well a little bit of a tweaked version, but the basic oils are still there.

(Sorry I don't know where I was going with this train of thought - LOL really there was a point when I started! LOL)

Oh yeah, here it is, for me - and this may differ from most others - but for me I just felt more comfortable starting with a kit. I don't think I would have started without one, but that's how I am.

(I also like guided tours when going to new foreign places because I'm always afraid I'm gonna end up in a really bad part of town and get mugged! LOL :rolleyes2 )

Anyway if Kelsei's sells a kit with the mold that may be the way to go, but even if everything is pre-measured I would still measure again, and run the recipe thru a lye calculator.

Okay, I'm done babbling.

[Jcandleattic]

It isn't that kits are bad, it is just that you find out all to quickly, they just aren't enough! LOL Welcome to CP soaping! I hope you enjoy it!

I agree with this statement too.

Even though I did start with a kit and as explained in my previous post, I probably wouldn't have started at all without the kit, once you get started, it's so much fun that you want to try all sorts of different stuff, and if all you have around is what was in the kit - well that isn't gonna cut it. LOL I think in my first month alone I ordered every soaping oil known to man... lmao

[Meridith]

Kits are a great way to get started. I got mine from TDF but I don't think they sell them anymore. I do know that Brambleberry sells them. You can rest assured that if you buy from there, you will get quality ingredients and great CS. Kelsie makes great molds and they also have great CS and products.

[so-soy]

BCN sells a cp kit, has everything you need even the lye. There is also a great tutorial on their forum if interested, otherwise follow E's tutorial here.

[MissMary]

Thanks guys!

I might try a kit from both, to get a feel for the supplier too.

It's not that I want to be lazy at first, I just like a nice grocery list to plan it out accordingly. I want to get the process down first, before I need to worry about which oils I can get from where, cost of this one versus that one, etc.

I'm actually getting kind of excited!

[Carrie]

MissMary, you should be able to get lye in Colorado but if you can't find it, they sell it at Colorado Organics in Littleton, southwest part of Denver.

[Jcandleattic]

MissMary, you should be able to get lye in Colorado but if you can't find it, they sell it at Colorado Organics in Littleton, southwest part of Denver.

Yeah, it's pertty readily available here. I've never had a problem finding it. I usually get it at a chemical supply company, but when I run out and they are closed or I need it right away and can't make the trip to get it from them, I can find it at the co-op, ranching supply places and even our local Lowe's and Home Depot still have it.

[pjb31apb]

You are lucky! There are to many effing meth heads here in MN so we can't get it locally.