I made my first soap yesterday, Hi, I'm Mike.

[hushnel]

Thanks for the kind words, I believe we all have great skills, some of us are just lucky enough to have the time and inclination to find them.

One of the very exciting things about owning and moving into the 1886 Florida Cracker Farm is the huge concrete barn. This building will be set up in a way where all of our varied skills will have their own space. In the next couple of months we will be installing doors and electricity, we will also be putting in a car lift and motorcycle lift, both of which have been given to us. Then all my woodworking tools, kiln and potters wheel, forge, anvil, iron working tools, grinders, leather shop and a special office/instrument shop with climate control for my stack of tone woods. It' all very exciting for us. I want to teach people to do stuff, I hope to inspire people to discover their hidden talents and skills. Everyone will be encouraged to come by and play or just hang out, and even that will serve to encourage them to do something, make something.

The truth is I have had this dream for many years and I am in shock that it has become a reality. Music will be played in the living room and front porch every evening by me and who ever wants to come by and join in.

The barn,

The living room, before picture,

The house behind a pecan tree, before,

The drive way,

The front yard,

The pasture,

The back yard,

It took the combined effort of all the idiots in congress and the greed of walstreet and bankers to mess up the economy so bad that simple middle class people like us could afford a place like this "o)

 

[kbuska]

Great stuff and welcome! Its nice to have more men on this forum.

 

[heyjude]

Thanks for sharing all the pictures. They are fabulous.

Welcome to the Forum!

 

[hushnel]

Thanks guys.

My wife wants me to show her how to make soap this weekend, I can barely get the fundamentals down before some one wants me to show them how "o) I know she wants to add smelly stuff to the soap and give it out at Christmas. I've read that most of this kind of stuff is added at trace, I guess it would be a good idea to have it at the same temp or at least room temp when I add it in.

I guess fragrance around these parts is more appropriate than "smelly stuff" I can learn quickly but change takes more time "o)

My wife and I canoe camping on the Ocklawaha River.

 

[Sixfooter]

Hey Mike. Your correct, the "smelly Stuff" gets added after trace, right before going into the mold. Temp isn't realy a big deal in my experience. I think because its a small part of total volume. You want to put it in late because most fragrance and essential oils have a pretty low flash point and will boil off quickly if added to early. I generally stir them in right before I pour into the mold and I don't pour until I get a heavy trace.
I remember that trip, to bad we are not up with the boys this weekend

 

[hushnel]

I know, it's killing me but I got a lot packed up today. I'm loading up the old Softail tomorrow, we'll be heading up to the farm next weekend and I want to drop the bike off at my mechanics shop to replace the ignition module and rebuild the carb, then I'll have a ride in Wellborn and Homestead.

Thanks again for your help and encouragment in soap making. The soap should be ready for Christmas.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Is there anything you can't do?

Well I've never been satisfied with my effort at painting with water colors. I may take lessons some day if I can ever find the time.

Wanna see my leather work "o) I've been doing this stuff for near 30 years.

Stunning piece of work. Thanks for sharing. :wink:

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I love your property and what a dream come true, even though it may be bitter/sweet due to current economic crisis. Wish I could come and hang out with y'all.

 

[hushnel]

I love your property and what a dream come true, even though it may be bitter/sweet due to current economic crisis. Wish I could come and hang out with y'all.

Love to have you come visit, a couple of close friends are moving back to your part of the globe.

Eventually, after the work shop is finished and all the downed wood has been turned into lumber we want to build a one pen Cracker House that will be Historically accurate. No electricity and heated with wood. This will be our guest cottage and serve for historical interpretation.

The economy will get better, everything has it's season and this one too will pass, meanwhile we are getting this work done at a time when our hard earned savings seem to be doing some good and going far in the way of local materials and labor.

 

[mom2tyler]

Wow, you really have some talent!