Recent content by Obsidian

Our region finally passed a mask mandate, the first since this all started. I really didn't think many people would actually follow the mandate since masks are pretty political here and its a red state but surprisingly, about 90% at the grocers were masked. I was really glad to see it but at...

My test came back negative. I'm relieved not to have exposed my family. It was a big wake up call that I need to be more careful.

Brown can be nice if its done right. This is my last brown soap, used oxide. It has a bit of a red undertone which I really like. If I need a deeper brown, I add some black oxide. Used a tiny bit in the base for a light tint since my base recipe is quite white. I keep meaning to do a granite or...

I would do uncolored base, some wisps of two tone grey, a little chestnut brown and gold. This was my bourbon street, looked pretty good but really needed more golden browns. Sorry I don't have cut pictures

Science has came a long way since then and the covid vaccines have been tested, no one has died. I personally can't wait to get in line for vaccines and I hope the government makes them mandatory.

Could be a combo of waiting too long to cut and the butcher knife. The thick spine of the knife acts as a wedge, causing cracking at the bottom of the bar. Try a really thin knife or even better, a wire cheese cutter

That really helps lol. The couple times I tried, it was a disaster. Most all the soap dissolved in the water and what was left felt waxy and wouldn't set up.

I do believe cutting early can contribute to more ash, especially if the soap didn't gel since its lye reacting with air that creates ash. If your soap gels, cutting while softer really shouldn't cause ash.

Why not just make soap with a small negative SF so you can skip the salting out all together or do you also want the glycerin removed for laundry soap? It would have been interesting to see your samples used on a greasy stain. Cleaning ability seems to be more important then suds.

When you render your deer fat, don't over heat it and wash it a couple times if its smelly. I got bear fat this year that was absolutely awful but after rendering, it was scent free

Looks like a decent soap. Its a bit high on the cleansing but I find most guys don't have mind too much. If you have dry skin, you might want to drop the coconut oil down to 20-25% Soapcalc has the default water setting as water to percent of oils and its really not the best way. Go back to...

I've been melting my oils in a microwave for years now. Plan on small batches and nothing too intricate so you don't have to pack a bunch of colors and separate containers. Enjoy your alone time, sounds wonderful.

That was very unpleasant but at least it was quick

Thanks everyone. Sitting here at the DR waiting to go in, nerves are so bad I feel nauseous. I'm really beginning to question my need for a test, besides a lack of taste, I have no symptoms. I did manage to burn my tongue a couple days ago with acid fruit, maybe thats the whole problem.

I get to go in for a corona test today and I'm not happy about it. I wear my mask, stay away from people and wash often but a good 90% of the population here doesn't. I have anxiety and its running full bore, I'm scared and trying not to freak out. The test itself has me freaked too, I have a...