Recent content by RacerSpuffy

I did have concerns at first, but it turned out to not be an issue. I was able to mix it well.

I’ve had success with warming up the pine tar to around 100-105 (for ease of sucking into a large syringe). I prep all the oils and lye water first and then mix them and stick blend. Just when I think it’s emulsified I stop stick blending and get out a hand whisk. Then I take the pine tar...

I weigh my lye into small plastic tubs (like those for cottage cheese, butter, sour cream) and do notice static, if some lye granules escape I just wipe up with a wet paper towel. I usually mix up my lye water outside with room temperature distilled water and mix 30% concentration, that seems...

I also agree with those above that said partial gel. Thats really easy to have happen in individual bar molds. Soap will be fine, if you want to avoid it in the future either put it in the fridge after pouring (preventing gel) or cover it up (shallow box is what I've used before) and insulate...

I don't think that the old ways are "lost", just very few people make it that way anymore and those that do probably don't post to internet forums. So I did a google scholar search with a time frame of 1600-1935 and got a lot of results. I haven't read any outside of a cursory glance, but this...

@shunt2011 - Yeah, maybe I'm not fully understanding this 'masterbatch'. I make a 1000g at a time of 30% lye and just always soap with that, I don't do 50% and then add more water later because that seems like a step I'm trying to avoid at soap making time by making the 30% solution beforehand...

I made a couple with dowel rods and some thin strips of wood I picked up at Lowes or Menards. Sorry I don't have a better pic but you should get the idea. Ideally I set the bars on end, but this was taken to show off those molded soaps. I usually make plain rectangular or square bars...

If you forgot to add the necessary water to dilute it down to 33%, did you add the same amount of weight of water+lye as if you did dilute it? If so you have too much lye and either reduced your expected superfat or have some unreacted lye in there.

Yes. That is EXACTLY why I'm going to be doing some dual lye soaps. I bought my KOH over a year ago (still sealed) before I really read what goes into making liquid soaps.

I think it looks pretty good. I've had a few of my soaps have those exact same spots in it, but it never bothered me. Heck, maybe all of mine do because I more often pour into individual bar molds than make a block and cut. If you can get it poured before you have to spoon it in, then drop...

I also live in Missouri. I had no idea skunk taxidermy was so prolific, seems like it would take an insane amount of skunks to get 100 lbs of skunk fat. I'm impressed by those numbers :cool:

I made one for my niece's 1st birthday that was pretty well received. 8% avacado oil 5% shea butter 34% lard (pig) 33% vegetable shorting (crisco, with palm) 12% olive oil 5% castor oil 3% coconut oil Soapcalc recipe attached

I use it in my Keurig. I've had it for 8 years and I don't believe I've ever ran anything through it that wasn't distilled water. Absolutely no issues with it, still works the same as the day I unboxed it. For everyone else that has hard water and does or does not use it in soap? Do you have...

I also do not mix micas with oils separately, I just add the micas to the oils as a whole before adding the lye-water. Never had any issues doing it that way, and I have done it like cmzaha said and added it after the lye-water when doing more than one color.

Wait until you try making Pine Tar soap!