I bought most of the supplies needed to make soap last year, but I haven’t done it, yet. Does anyone here want to get into soap making with me?
I’d like to learn to make soap
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I have just about everything I need, except for some small pieces that would make the process easier. Oh, and a gallon of pure ethanol, I think.
Do we have something like a stove?
I think there is a hot plate in the 3D printer room (used for acetone vapor bath). Would that work? Though I believe the process is exothermic when the NaOH is added so you may not even need an external heat source.
Where do you get the ethanol, local Liquor store? and I have a hot plate if we need one
Most of what I know about soap making is from a pair of books that I bought from “Mother Earth News” last year. The books are, “Making Transparent Soap: the art of crafting, molding, scenting & coloring,” by Catherine Failor (2000) and “Soap Crafting,” by Anne-Marie Faiola, “The Soap Queen” (2013). I am most interested in making transparent soaps; that’s why I need glycerin. Think “Neutrogena” bars in any color or scent you like.
Soap can be made in a variety of ways. The cold process is popular, but the hot process has advantages, too. Of course, being what I am, I’m trying to start out with the most difficult processes, first.
The instructions say that we will be heating a fats and oils mixture to about 140 °F, matching the temperature to which we would be allowing an alcohol and lye mixture to cool (yes, that last one is exothermic when mixed). After these mixtures are mixed together, they will be boiled for about two hours.
I’m a complete newcomer to this stuff, but the idea of making exotic transparent soaps caught my imagination. Imagine these with lasers! Glowing, transparent soaps! Illuminated soap dishes! I have ideas! I also have a few pounds of pure, industrial-strength lye that I had shipped from Chicago. The books include lists of suppliers; I still need to source the glycerin, alcohol, fats and oils. I subscribed to a soap-making website that includes kits and newsletters.
We could meet together, and then you could see my books. Or, I could just list what we need, then we could collect everything and then meet together. I really don’t know what I’m doing, but this could be fun. Just don’t get any lye in your eye.
Oddly, enough, a stove–an actual, true-life, kitchen stove–appeared in the main workshop some time ago. Andrew LeCody asked, “What’s that doing here?” when he saw it. That’s the same thing I wondered. So, we have a stove. We need to find a place to put it. Perhaps Bio could help?
My friend Deanne DeWitt used to run Soapy Hollow (her home based business) for over a decade. If there is enough interest I could ask her to run a class.
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That would be nice. I’m so close to being able to do it, but I’d welcome the help.
I’d be interested in a class on soap making as well.
I would also be interested in a class
I will be joining soon (May likely) and since I am allergic to all commercial soaps (coconut oil) I would be very interested. Some years ago I did make some hot process soap in a group class.