ewenique
Well-Known Member
I have a slab mold that holds 4.5 lbs of soap. I haven't made that large a batch yet. How much oil do I need to make 4 lb soap? Thanks!
How much oil?
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cwarren
Well-Known Member
Soaplady22
Well-Known Member
Where I get confused in all this is that the result is the amount of oils needed to fill the mold ... but what amount of water is being used with the lye? Double the amount of lye for the amount of water (33% solution), or "full" water which is 2.7 times the lye??
So yes, this tells us the oils, but not the amount of water needed.
Does anyone have a solution to this??
Who has used the formula and then made the soap and what did you find out?
Thanks!!
So yes, this tells us the oils, but not the amount of water needed.
Does anyone have a solution to this??
Who has used the formula and then made the soap and what did you find out?
Thanks!!
funnyfarm319
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If you have a 4lb mold, then use 4lbs of oil. If it is a store bought mold all of that is figured in already. I have always done this and have never had a problem. **knock on wood**
Soaplady22 said:
I found out that the water is included in this formulation to some degree. I use the recommended water amount that is listed on Soapcalc (I think it's 38%). You may have a little bit extra batter sometimes, you just put it aside in an extra individual mold and make a little less next time.
Hope that helps.
Soaplady22
Well-Known Member
And here I was thinking you had to add the water weight into this fomula!
Well - I've done some calculations and I think I'm ready to give it a go here too!!
Thaks all!
'
Well - I've done some calculations and I think I'm ready to give it a go here too!!
Thaks all!
'
ewenique
Well-Known Member
The Upland mold measures 10x10.5x2, so if I use the volume x .4 formula, it would be 84 oz or 5.25 lbs. This must be the total volume of the raw soap? So I'm back to how much oil to use. I'm so confused!
Even though I've soaped several batches, I'm confused by this too. I've got a couple of recipes that I use that I just know (after much trial and error) fit into my molds.
BUT: I would like to try a couple of different recipes and am confused as to why you don't add the water volume to the calculation. I mean, if you're working off volumes...and you've got lye water and oils, the overall volume calculation should be one plus the other, right? But then what I get confused on is the "you need this amount of oils for your mold" Where did the water volume go? :?
For example: This is the info I pulled of the link posted on here....
"Hi everyone.I wanted to post this as a sticky so all could learn how much oils are needed for your mold. Here is the way to figure it.
Lets use a log mold that is 12 inches long, 3-1/2 inches wide, and you want to pour to a depth of 2-1/2 inches.
You take length X width X height of pour, that number X .40. So;
12 X
3.5=
42
42X
2.5=
105
105X
.40=
42 ounces of oils needed for this mold.
Apply these same numbers for your mold size, weather a log, slab, or block"
Apparently you just don't calculate the water in. Right? But then if you're filling your mold with a batch of soap...and haven't figured in the water volume, aren't you in danger of over filling?
And just for the record...I hate math. Me and numbers just do not get along. I avoid it all costs. Soaping is not for the mathmatically challenged, is it?
BUT: I would like to try a couple of different recipes and am confused as to why you don't add the water volume to the calculation. I mean, if you're working off volumes...and you've got lye water and oils, the overall volume calculation should be one plus the other, right? But then what I get confused on is the "you need this amount of oils for your mold" Where did the water volume go? :?
For example: This is the info I pulled of the link posted on here....
"Hi everyone.I wanted to post this as a sticky so all could learn how much oils are needed for your mold. Here is the way to figure it.
Lets use a log mold that is 12 inches long, 3-1/2 inches wide, and you want to pour to a depth of 2-1/2 inches.
You take length X width X height of pour, that number X .40. So;
12 X
3.5=
42
42X
2.5=
105
105X
.40=
42 ounces of oils needed for this mold.
Apply these same numbers for your mold size, weather a log, slab, or block"
Apparently you just don't calculate the water in. Right? But then if you're filling your mold with a batch of soap...and haven't figured in the water volume, aren't you in danger of over filling?
And just for the record...I hate math. Me and numbers just do not get along. I avoid it all costs. Soaping is not for the mathmatically challenged, is it? cwarren
Well-Known Member
that formula gives you total RAW soap.. water & lye and oils .. when you are plugging numbers in to lye calc ... make sure total is same .. play with it a bit ... you'll get it
Soaplady22
Well-Known Member
Well I added up the dimensions of my molds (3) and it came to 16 X .4 so that is 6.4 X 3 molds = about 19. I then went to a lyc calc and put in 16 oils which it showed me needed 2.2 oz lye and about 5 water. Which is just over what I need to fill these 3 molds. I could probably go down an ounce and get it exactly, but am going to work with this formula tomorrow morning and see just how much soap I have left over.
Will report back on findings.
And yes - I have found that soaping requires math. Sometimes I get totally confused by it. Especially when different mold makers go by different sizing.
But that's what this forum is for, right?
Anyway - that's what I wanted to say; that you put in an amount of oils (all one type to get number) and then see how much water is recommended. Then adjust accordingly till you get to the volumn you need for your molds. Supposedly mine, with a 1# recipe, will be an ounce or two over what is actually needed for the molds. We shall see ~ ~
Will report back on findings.
And yes - I have found that soaping requires math. Sometimes I get totally confused by it. Especially when different mold makers go by different sizing.
But that's what this forum is for, right?
Anyway - that's what I wanted to say; that you put in an amount of oils (all one type to get number) and then see how much water is recommended. Then adjust accordingly till you get to the volumn you need for your molds. Supposedly mine, with a 1# recipe, will be an ounce or two over what is actually needed for the molds. We shall see ~ ~
Soaplady22
Well-Known Member
Ok - this didn't turn out right at all.
Between husband's ball game and doing up the pickles I didn't have time to soap today. So what I did was pour water into the mold and then weigh it - and it came to exactly 11 ounces. 33 for the 3 molds.
But when I do the math, 2 X 8 X 1.25 the answer is 20. Then multiply that by .40 and it comes to 8. :shock:
What is wrong with this picture????
Between husband's ball game and doing up the pickles I didn't have time to soap today. So what I did was pour water into the mold and then weigh it - and it came to exactly 11 ounces. 33 for the 3 molds.
But when I do the math, 2 X 8 X 1.25 the answer is 20. Then multiply that by .40 and it comes to 8. :shock:
What is wrong with this picture????
cwarren
Well-Known Member
What are your measurements??Soaplady22 said:
cwarren
Well-Known Member
it only weighed 11 oz ??? with water in it?
Soaplady22
Well-Known Member
Those are the measurements - it's a sample mold from Wholesale Supplies Plus. I thought it would come in handy.
But on paper it comes to 8 volumn each, 24 total. But it holds exactly 11 ounces of water. Soap is heavier, so maybe that's something to consider.
???
-------------------
Okay - I've reworked my recipe to make 18 oils and 6 water to equal 24 oz. That is supposed to fill my 3 molds exactly. I'll do this tomorrow and report back.
I think I'm getting closer ....
But on paper it comes to 8 volumn each, 24 total. But it holds exactly 11 ounces of water. Soap is heavier, so maybe that's something to consider.
???
-------------------
Okay - I've reworked my recipe to make 18 oils and 6 water to equal 24 oz. That is supposed to fill my 3 molds exactly. I'll do this tomorrow and report back.
I think I'm getting closer ....
Soaplady22 said:
the equation gives you the oils weight which is 8 oz. then water (3 oz) and lye 1.3 oz) gives you a total of 12.3 oz. (Now that's assuming 5% lye discount and a 30% lye concentration). the 0.4 multiplier is something you can adjust to your formula.
Soaplady22
Well-Known Member
Thank you carebear = we posted at the same time!!
I've added an edit to above post.
I'll report back tomorrow on my Great Sample Experiment!!!
Shoot ~ I forgot to add in lye weight. Figures .......
ye gads - at WSP it says that the size of the soap will be approximately 11 ounces!! This is getting better all the time!
But when I'm done I should have a scientific explanation for why the .40 and how to figure amount of oils needed for a specific mold. Once and for all!!!
---------------------
For the 4# mold that started this whole conversation, my findings show that 45 oz oils is needed. That and about 5.7 lye plus 14 water = 64 oz of raw soap. ~hth
I've added an edit to above post.
I'll report back tomorrow on my Great Sample Experiment!!!
Shoot ~ I forgot to add in lye weight. Figures .......
ye gads - at WSP it says that the size of the soap will be approximately 11 ounces!! This is getting better all the time!
But when I'm done I should have a scientific explanation for why the .40 and how to figure amount of oils needed for a specific mold. Once and for all!!!
---------------------
For the 4# mold that started this whole conversation, my findings show that 45 oz oils is needed. That and about 5.7 lye plus 14 water = 64 oz of raw soap. ~hth
Soaplady22
Well-Known Member
I made up a recipe using 20 oils (or was it 18?), 6 water and about 3 lye. But it did not fill my third mold - it was at least a 1/4 inch short. Maybe if I had slightly shorted the other molds it would have made it ~~
So - still confused.
Tomorrow I will find out just what these soap logs weigh. Maybe that will tell me something.
--------------
The soap came out as 11.3, 11.4, and 7.8 ~ so the ad on the mold site is correct stating that the soap would be "about 11 oz" but the formula isn't working.
Anyone else running experiments on this?
Please post your findings - I would love to have a "formula" for making soap that fits a pre-defined mold. End the guess work each time.
Help~!
So - still confused.
Tomorrow I will find out just what these soap logs weigh. Maybe that will tell me something.
--------------
The soap came out as 11.3, 11.4, and 7.8 ~ so the ad on the mold site is correct stating that the soap would be "about 11 oz" but the formula isn't working.
Anyone else running experiments on this?
Please post your findings - I would love to have a "formula" for making soap that fits a pre-defined mold. End the guess work each time.
Help~!
