What Equipment Do You Use?

[maria6]

Hello there, guys!

As I am preparing for entering the world of CP soap making, I would really like to hear about the equipment you use to create your soaps.
I think a stainless pot would do just fine, right?

In which kind of pot do you prepare the lye solution?

About the measurements, I have a digital scale, but it is not sensitive to measure decimal numbers.
It would measure from 1 to 5000 g.
Do you think it could do the job for 500-700g of soap?

Also, for stirring the reaction mixture, should I use a mixer fixed somehow, so that it remains stable as long as the reaction lasts, in order to avoid stirring the mixture manually?

I have read that after the reaction is complete, people want to keep the reaction mixture's temperature for a few more hours.
So, using towels to cover it would be fine?

Is a silicon mold suitable for pouring the mixture in after the reaction is complete?

I apologize for the long post and the many questions!
Looking forward to hearing your opinions!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Here is an article I wrote on the subject http://www.soapmakingforum.com/basicequipment.html

But if you are planning on using the Bicarb rather than the NaOH, can you expand on the process? For example, in "normal" CP, the reaction is not complete until it has been in the mould for at least 24 hours which doesn't fit with what you are saying here. Also, knowing the process will help people to relate to terms like "reaction mixture" which is, I think, the first time I have ever heard it called that. I imagine you just mean the soap batter, the mixture of the oils and the lye, but I want to be sure.

 

[KatsKreations]

I am a new soaper. I started just over a month ago. I took a trip to walmart and got a very basic 8 quart stainless steal cheepo pot for 6.95. I also got a an 8 cup Anchor glass measuring cup about 6 or 7 dollars. It has a lid. I use that for my lye water. I have a hand blender you can get usually 30 or so dollars. I have a plastic spoon to only mix lye with. I used an old spoon without slots. I got my long rubber gloves several months ago for handling peppers but they were about 4 dollars. I also have safety goggles and a mask. I do not know cost of those as I have had them a while. I used lined boxes as my first molds then I found a mold I love and happened to be on sale. I got it at Essentail depot and it is the natural silicone mold with the wire rack. Best thing I have bought. I find I really like CPOP and this mold lets me do that easily. You need an accurate scale. Forgot how much mine costs. Also a 5 dollar thermometer that you do not use for anything else. All your soap stuff is just soap stuff from here on out.
Something you can do is watch a lot of videos but realize most people on the videos do not use basic safety practices. Learn good habits to start with. I learned by first watching hour after hour of soaping 101 videos, Soap Queen and so many I can not count. Protect your eyes you can not replace them! I feel like I have a million hours more of learning before I get to almost where I want to be! Welcome and listen to everything the experts tell you. I hope to learn right beside you! Good Luck

 

[houseofwool]

Please do not use glass for your lye water. The glass will get etched and could easily shatter creating a potentially dangerous situation.

 

[shunt2011]

Do not use glass for your lye solution. Use a plastic pitcher #5 or stainless pitcher. Glass can become etched and fracture from the lye over time. There are many posts on this forum in regards to this. A stainless pot, stick blender, spatulas, good scale are some items needed for soapmaking. I'm also don't quite understand quite what your process is.

 

[KatsKreations]

I take away the glass then. Sorry

 

[Susie]

KatsKreations- this is how we all learn. I was using similar until told the same thing. Don't feel bad. Just learn better, then share that knowledge with the next person.

 

[maria6]

Thank you for the link! I found it very very useful! Regarding the term "reaction mixture", saponification is a chemical reaction, and the ingredients used for a chemical reaction put all together are called areaction mixture. One question tough! You suggest not to put the lye in a glass container. How about a pyrex container? About the plastic container, NaOH is caustic, so won't it react with the plastic?

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I have the good old fashioned Pyrex at home, but don't use it for soaping. One of the big dangers is the thermal effects causing shattering. Lye solution all over the place.....

While saponification is indeed a reaction, here in the world of soaping we tend to call it the soap batter.

Eta- with the reaction (saponification - again people tend to refer to the reaction by name) saponification has barely started when you pour it in to the moulds. This is important to remember - the bulk of saponification happens in the mould, not in the pot that you mix in.

 

[Susie]

I have Pyrex measuring cups I weigh my oils in. NOT heat the oils in, and not mix the lye into, but weigh. I use the heat transfer method on my bar soaps, so that is all I really need, something to weigh in.

 

[goji_fries]

Please do not use glass for your lye water. The glass will get etched and could easily shatter creating a potentially dangerous situation.

Do not use glass for your lye solution. Use a plastic pitcher #5 or stainless pitcher. Glass can become etched and fracture from the lye over time. There are many posts on this forum in regards to this. A stainless pot, stick blender, spatulas, good scale are some items needed for soapmaking. I'm also don't quite understand quite what your process is.

Does pyrex or kymex work though? I use two lab beakers for the mixes. Is that bad?

 

[cmzaha]

A rubbermaid pitcher works great for lye. I have been using the same 2 pitchers for 5 yrs. Even when I make 1.5 quarts, 50/50 lye to water, at a time in them they do not melt down. I do keep the pitchers in the sink when I am filling them up with my solution. Be aware of pitting in cheap stainless steel pots it usually happens in time. Even one of my better stainless steel pots has started to pit. Several years ago I started using #2 hdpe buckets for soaping. You can get them in various sizes from industrial supply houses, such as McMaster Carr, Uline etc

 

[CiCi]

The Dollar Store and/or the 99 cents store is your friend. You'd be surprised at the stuff you can find in there...plastic mixing containers, spoons, plastic measuring cups, buckets, etc. I had purchased a cheese slicer off ebay for $3.89 and found it two weeks later at the 99 cents store. I've learned to check there frequently, being that their inventory changes. They had some rolls of nice, decorative shelf vinyl so I bought 5 and that is what I use to cover my counter when I am working. Wipes clean very easily. The only problem with the vinyl, however, is that if you spill fragrance oil on it, it bubbles up the plastic. So, I simply put paper towel under my scale. Welcome to the soaping world. Demolding your soaps is like Christmas. You never know what you are going to get out of the package (mold). The anticipation is full of excitement!

 

[houseofwool]

I wouldn't recommend the inexpensive SS pot from Walmart. I gave it a go tonight and there was some kind of reaction because it caused some kind of black crud to form, ruining a large batch of soap.

 

[Susie]

Ouch! Just so I will know for sure(and stop telling people to go buy it) did you magnet check it first?

 

[KatsKreations]

So far I have no problem with mine at all. no flaking, no reaction. I made sure it was SS not aluminum. Not saying in time I will not have a problem. I was just trying to go cheap at first to see if I even liked doing this. I had not discovered the forums. I had watched a lot of youtube. I know if this continues past another month or so I will trade out things with better things. Also I have now started acquiring suitable plastic buckets from the purchased oils so I can switch out the lye water container. they have the correct rating that you guys recommended

 

[houseofwool]

I did not use a magnet beforehand (I did later, it didn't stick). It was labeled as stainless, and not all stainless will attract magnets.

 

[KatsKreations]

I am sorry you lost your batch of soap! It takes so much work to get everything right then to lose it that way. :sad:

 

[houseofwool]

It was a huge batch too, 48 bars. Thankfully I hadn't added the essential oils yet...

 

[cmzaha]

I wouldn't recommend the inexpensive SS pot from Walmart. I gave it a go tonight and there was some kind of reaction because it caused some kind of black crud to form, ruining a large batch of soap.

Yep, that is why hdpe buckets are so much better! I learned that lessons several years ago with cheap stainless steel. Even heavier gauge stainless can start pitting over time, but the stuff from China will pit much quicker, also many times the handles are not attached with stainless steel studs so you do not want to get lye or batter on the studs.