Recent content by Rob K

I've made log molds with hinges, hanger bolts, and pegs... Hinges don't fit tight, wing nuts on hanger bolts stick out and catch on things, and pegs either loosen up when you don't want them to, or stick when you do. As long as you line your mold, all these construction methods turn out to be...

The Primo 5 might be ok for melting wax to make candles, but despite Soapmelters claims it is completely unsuitable for making CP or HP soap. PM me if you want specifics. Their customer service leaves a bit to be desired as well. I have no experience with the soapequipment.com unit, maybe...

I don't think OO is particularly DOS prone, although there are some other oils I avoid for that reason. Just keep your soap cool, dry and out of direct sunlight and it should be fine. As for the blends, the best recommendation I can make is what I did when we started - make up some small test...

You might try adding the charcoal earlier, like at light trace. If you wait until the soap has gelled, I don't see how the charcoal could be mixed properly into the soap. So I think what's happening is that it is that the charcoal is just washing out whenever the soap gets wet. And FYI...

We've bought from them without any problems - they have a great selection and very thorough descriptions. Quality has been fine too.

While I don't know about Canadian rules specifically, here in the US the water content would be labeled as "water". As for the percentage of water in cured soap, you can calculate it by subtracting the cured weight from the poured weight of the soap. This difference is the amount of water...

We use a lot of mica that lists tin oxide as one of the ingredients, and have not seen any correlation between tin oxide and DOS. Sunlight on the other hand seems to be a surefire path to rancidity. I'm curious to see what others have to say...

Mixing up lye solution in advance is very common, no problems there. As for the pre-sized quantities, this might or might not work, depending on if you always use the same oil blend or not. Remember that different oils need different amounts of lye to saponify, so what is the right amount for...

Whoops! Sorry... :oops:

Yes, you can trademark your brand, assuming that someone else hasn't already done so. Go to www.uspto.gov to search for existing marks, filing & registration, etc... pretty much everything you need to know!

Black is tricky, all right! If the lather is still white, it is probably ok... the black on the washcloth may just be the black soap, which will wash off just by rinsing the washcloth. If the lather is gray though, or the color doesn't come off the washcloth, then yes you used too much... sorry.

Forgot to add, don't forget weights for the legs. Most places will require them, and it's a good idea anyway. For about $30 you can get a set of four weight bags that will hold 25-30 lbs of sand each that work well.

If you just expect to use it 3-4 times a year, the $99 tents ok. Ones with legs that are straight up and down are better than the kind where the legs spread out at the bottom. If you are planning more use than that, the $200 EZ-Up or Caravan are hard to beat, and will probably last the season.

Maybe I should write a book... :wink:

Yes, a little oxide goes a long way... :wink: