Beginner Advice Needed!

[BritSoap]

Hello I am completely new to soap making - haven't even made my first batch yet - I want to make sure I do it properly, so I am reading and reading before trying it, but very excited about it all! Could you please answer some questions I have:
1. I want to make loaf soaps - slightly smaller at the top and larger at the bottom. Does anybody know a good place to get these type of molds? Also what is the best material mold for MP and also CP?

2. Does anyone know a good organic glycerin MP base? and where to get it from?

3. With CP soap making - is this very very smelly? I want to do this in my basement, but I am worried about fumes and smell.

4. Where did most of you get your supplies? Seems it is expensive to amass a lot of them - such as scales, molds, cutters etc - are there any tips you can give me, pointers to places to get them etc?

Thank you so much - these may seem like silly questions but I have a lot of them starting out!

 

[soapbuddy]

Hello I am completely new to soap making - haven't even made my first batch yet - I want to make sure I do it properly, so I am reading and reading before trying it, but very excited about it all! Could you please answer some questions I have:
1. I want to make loaf soaps - slightly smaller at the top and larger at the bottom. Does anybody know a good place to get these type of molds? Also what is the best material mold for MP and also CP?
You can use wood, silicone for CP, or plastic if it's MP (not CP)
2. Does anyone know a good organic glycerin MP base? and where to get it from?
I seriously doubt you will find an organic MP soap base, unless you make it yourself.
3. With CP soap making - is this very very smelly? I want to do this in my basement, but I am worried about fumes and smell.
If you mean like lye smelly, lye fumes can be dangerous, that's why you would want to mix lye and water outside.

4. Where did most of you get your supplies? Seems it is expensive to amass a lot of them - such as scales, molds, cutters etc - are there any tips you can give me, pointers to places to get them etc?
I know of no place where you can get everything. some suppliers have great oils, others; nice molds etc...

You might want to check out http://www.millersoap.com/

Thank you so much - these may seem like silly questions but I have a lot of them starting out!

You're welcome!

 

[paupau]

Brit i am new to this as well, here's my imput though.

1.For the shape large top, small bottom-check your local hardware store and look for a mud pan in the drywall area. I know Home depot have this in metal and plastic $5-10. I know they have this shape, i didn't buy it because I wanted a rectangular shape

2. I have no idea

3. I mix my lye outside, just don't inhale while mixing it. The smell clears quickly. I know GM has a distinctive smell but I believe it clears quickly to. I'll be making my first GM CP tomorrow so I'll find out for sure.

4.Ebay is where I purchased my digital scale. I got a new 35# for >$30.00. Cheapest I have found. Inventory your home, you'll be surprised at what you can use for molds, I am building my tools slowly. walmart and walgreen's have inexpensive stick blenders.

Hope this helps

 

[Tabitha]

Stephenson & SFIC are the 2 largest suppliers of M&P soap bases & they both make an organic base. I would have to say 75% of the supply houses that sell to us carry either Stephensons or SFIC bases. I would phone one (or both) of those places & see who they are selling their organic bases to.

New Direction, Lavender Lane & Brambleberry are the first places I would check.

As for M&P molds, look around your home, do you have small tupperware containers, childrens beach toys, jello or muffin mold, bread loaf pan? Ice cube molds? Popsicle molds? The sky is the limit as long as there is a bit of flex to them so you can get the hard soap back out w/ ease. If your soap gets stuck, freeze it for 20 mintes & take a hair dryer to the bottom of the mold for easy release.

 

[CPSoaper]

I would also suggest you do lots of reading if doing cp or hp soap. Soapmaking and working with lye is something that should be taken seriously and understood the dangers and the precautions necessary to keep you safe.

Here is a great link for some interesting and educational reading.

http://millersoap.com/

Once you are ready to make soap, have fun. It is a lot of fun and very addicting.

 

[Tabitha]

BTW: The loaf molds that are narrow at the bottom & wider at the top really are bread loaf pans you can pick up at the dollar store.

 

[BritSoap]

Thanks everyone!

Thanks so much everyone for answering my questions. I really appreciate it. Now to amass everything and make that first batch! I can't wait!