Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[U_Stormcrow]

Lye on order, should arrive Friday. I'll clarify the fats before then - I have enough Lye coming for about 8# of soap at 4 oz per pound. No molds for it, or any other supplies. WIll have to brave civilization for a silicone tray or two.

Unsure how (if) I'm going to scent it. Nothing in the garden (currently) is suitable, may see what I have for essential oils under the sink.

 

[SheaLoner]

Can always use an herbal tea bag to scent it. Adds some exfoliant and fragrance at the same time.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Can always use an herbal tea bag to scent it. Adds some exfoliant and fragrance at the same time.

"COFFEE"

 

[SheaLoner]

"COFFEE"

Definitely worth a try! Get that caffeine fix in the shower!

 

[3KillerBs]

Lye on order, should arrive Friday. I'll clarify the fats before then - I have enough Lye coming for about 8# of soap at 4 oz per pound. No molds for it, or any other supplies. WIll have to brave civilization for a silicone tray or two.

Unsure how (if) I'm going to scent it. Nothing in the garden (currently) is suitable, may see what I have for essential oils under the sink.

Sounds like a cool project.

When I did soap at a historic site as a teen we used shallow plastic tubs meant for food storage. I don't remember if it was hard to get out or not.

I personally don't object to soap simply smelling like soap. But then I'm allergic to most perfumes and some essential oils (lavender is safe and everything else is suspect).

 

[NatJ]

WIll have to brave civilization for a silicone tray or two.

[note: I have never made soap, so I don't know exactly what qualities a soap mold may need.]

Depending on how picky you are about the shape of your soap bars, you might use some kind of container that would otherwise get thrown away. If the soap doesn't come out easily, you can destroy the container to get the soap out.

I'm thinking of the containers sour cream or lunchmeat come in, or cutting the bottom off something like a milk jug, water bottle, peanut butter jar, dish soap bottle, orange juice carton, etc. I've done this frequently when I want a container to hold wet mash for chickens, or a pot to start seeds, or a container to hold the beans I'm picking, or somewhere to put a kids' marble collection.... Milk jugs are plentiful at my house, so they're my default, but I get more creative when I need another size.

Cardboard boxes might be a possibility, too.

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

Lots of things work well for soap if you aren't making it pretty for selling.
Pringles can, just peel off the cardboard tube.
Cartons- milk, cream, juice. Just cut off the top and wash. Peel off the carton. Cut to bars.
I've used like butter and sour cream plastic containers but it's a weird size to try to cut to bars.
Do you ever have flats from the boxes soup/veg cans are in at the store? They are short and you can easily rip off the box and cut it down to bars.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

[note: I have never made soap, so I don't know exactly what qualities a soap mold may need.]

Depending on how picky you are about the shape of your soap bars, you might use some kind of container that would otherwise get thrown away. If the soap doesn't come out easily, you can destroy the container to get the soap out.

I'm thinking of the containers sour cream or lunchmeat come in, or cutting the bottom off something like a milk jug, water bottle, peanut butter jar, dish soap bottle, orange juice carton, etc. I've done this frequently when I want a container to hold wet mash for chickens, or a pot to start seeds, or a container to hold the beans I'm picking, or somewhere to put a kids' marble collection.... Milk jugs are plentiful at my house, so they're my default, but I get more creative when I need another size.

Cardboard boxes might be a possibility, too.

This is brilliant - particularly as I hate wally-world. I have some shallow tubs from lunchmeat. We use them to start seeds. Food grade, like all plastics, they are a bit slick, the corners are rounded, and narrower at the bottom than the top. It will make a large "bar", but no reason I can't cut them smaller, first time around.

I might have some smaller tubs as well, will need to look.

Thanks!

 

[Fallenone05]

This is brilliant - particularly as I hate wally-world. I have some shallow tubs from lunchmeat. We use them to start seeds. Food grade, like all plastics, they are a bit slick, the corners are rounded, and narrower at the bottom than the top. It will make a large "bar", but no reason I can't cut them smaller, first time around.

I might have some smaller tubs as well, will need to look.

Thanks!

I also hate wally-world. Amazon for delivering soap molds and cutters would be handy.

https://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Cut...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

This has a silicone mold you can tump upside down and simply turn it inside out, then cut it into bars in the little wooden piece. No plastic waste and everything is reusable.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I also hate wally-world. Amazon for delivering soap molds and cutters would be handy.

https://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Cutting-Wooden-Bamboo-Scraper/dp/B08613N5NN/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=25MONLC1YWMY5&keywords=soap+cutter&qid=1647887651&sprefix=soap+cutt,aps,210&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyVTVZUzdXWTk0OTlSJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzI3MzQwM1VOV001Ukg3WjhQSyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODQwOTk5MUNTRUhCNkRYQUY4WCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX3Bob25lX3NlYXJjaF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

This has a silicone mold you can tump upside down and simply turn it inside out, then cut it into bars in the little wooden piece. No plastic waste and everything is reusable.

I did look at that one while ordering the lye on Amazon. Honestly, my entire lifestyle would be impossible w/o Amazon - too many things I just can't get locally - even stretching "local" to a 1 hour drive in any direction. Even a 90 minute drive (one way) doesn't much improve things.

If it turns out I enjoy this and like the results, I'll upgrade my equipment.