Trying to make soap...

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Trying to make soap...

Posted: 5/9/2012 5:52:30 PM EDT

And cannot find a local source for pure lye. Am I missing something? Everything seems to be a blend. It really shouldn't be this hard to make friggin soap.

Tried:

Walmart

Lowes

HomeDepot

Sutherlands (a local hardware place)

Anyone able to help out?

Posted: 5/9/2012 5:59:25 PM EDT

[#1]

Blended with what?

Posted: 5/9/2012 6:02:22 PM EDT

[#2]

Several other chemicals. One in particular was sodium nitrate

Posted: 5/9/2012 6:13:35 PM EDT

[#3]

Roebic Laboratories Heavy Duty Crystal Drain Opener. Lowes, Sears and Ace Hardware carries it near me.

Posted: 5/9/2012 6:15:17 PM EDT

[#4]

Yeah... So amazon has it shipped Prime for 8 bucks a pound. I'll do that til I find something local

Posted: 5/9/2012 6:15:46 PM EDT

[#5]

I saw Roebic, but wasn't sure if it was pure or not.

Posted: 5/9/2012 6:20:11 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:

Roebic Laboratories Heavy Duty Crystal Drain Opener. Lowes, Sears and Ace Hardware carries it near me.

Thanks. I'll pick some up tomorrow

Posted: 5/9/2012 6:20:33 PM EDT

[#7]

In before "the first rule of fight club"

Posted: 5/9/2012 6:35:59 PM EDT

[#8]

OP, Please take some pics if possible.

Posted: 5/9/2012 7:44:19 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:

OP, Please take some pics if possible.

Will do

Posted: 5/10/2012 5:53:51 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:

Quoted:
OP, Please take some pics if possible.

Will do

In that case, tag.

Posted: 5/10/2012 6:00:36 AM EDT

[#11]

It is getting harder to find just sitting on the shelf. I think it is used to make meth, so alot of places are not carrying it. Look for a place that carries supplies to make bio-diesel.

Posted: 5/10/2012 6:04:32 AM EDT

[#12]

Lye is a component of Meth. I wouldn't doubt that is why it is harder to find.

Posted: 5/10/2012 7:25:38 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
Lye is a component of Meth. I wouldn't doubt that is why it is harder to find.

We have a winner!

You can thank all of the meth addicts for this. Most businesses just stopped carrying lye altogether to keep the thieving dirtbags away.
This is also why you can't buy cold medicine, original formula metabolite, or anything with ephedrine in it, off of the shelf anymore either.

Posted: 5/10/2012 1:14:30 PM EDT

[#14]

I make hot process soap and while I have found the best price on amazon prime, our Ace Hardware does carry it. However you have to go in and talk with them because they don't put it out on the shelf. At first they told me they didn't carry it and then when I said I was making soap and did they know where I could purchase some, they suddenly had some I could buy. So if you call them, don't necessarily take the first "no" you get!

Posted: 5/10/2012 3:51:15 PM EDT

[#15]

Aight, picked up some Lye from Tractor Supply Store. It was the Roebic brand, and said right on the label, 100% Lye (Sodium Hydroxide). 2lbs = 12.99 + tax

I made the first bath and I will end up with just over 1 lb of product by weight give or take. I took a bunch of pictures and will try to post them up in a bit.

The batch is in what the book called, "the bed". The authors term for a 24 hr setting up period. Tomorrow, if it sets correctly, I will cut it into 4 bars roughly

4oz each. Then the soap will have to cure over a 30 day period, per instructions.

Posted: 5/10/2012 4:28:36 PM EDT

[#16]

You mean you can't go to Lowes or Walmart and buy Red Devil lye anymore? It's a drain cleaner.

Anyway, you could make it yourself. You percolate water through a good quantity of hardwood ashes. It makes lye PLENTY strong enough for soap. It will burn your skin. I figure, if you're going to the trouble of making soap to be more self sufficient, you should be able to make all aspects of it.

Posted: 5/10/2012 4:40:10 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

You mean you can't go to Lowes or Walmart and buy Red Devil lye anymore? It's a drain cleaner.

Anyway, you could make it yourself. You percolate water through a good quantity of hardwood ashes. It makes lye PLENTY strong enough for soap. It will burn your skin. I figure, if you're going to the trouble of making soap to be more self sufficient, you should be able to make all aspects of it.

I agree with that, but I have never made soap before. I am using a recipe from an E-book that was shared here. The recipe calls for Sodium Hydroxide, not Potassium Hydroxide. So I didn't feel comfortable using Potash. On top of the fact that I live in an apartment, on the road, for work, in Texas. No fireplace here for me, let alone oak trees to make Potash like I have before. Nothin but mesquites out here and the last thing I want is any soaps I make to smell like mesquite.

If I had to make my own Potash, I would have never got off the couch to make soap.

Posted: 5/11/2012 5:28:20 AM EDT

[#18]

I am just working on this formula too with bacon grease. I'll document and post pictures when I can as well

Posted: 5/11/2012 9:54:22 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
I am just working on this formula too with bacon grease. I'll document and post pictures when I can as well

Doin' somethin's better than nothin', Dramsey.

As far as bacon grease goes, you really have to clarify the grease because of all the particulate. I'm sure there's instructions on the net on how to use baking soda and water.

I've always prefered beef tallow. It makes a harder soap. But that's just personal opinion. Also, use the tallow mixed half with beeswax for a dozen other uses, patch lube, gun rust preventative, lip balm, water proofing on my mocs, etc.

Posted: 5/11/2012 1:42:07 PM EDT

[#20]

Alright, soaps out of the mold and on a rack drying. Here are the pictures I promised.
PICTURE UPDATE:
Ingredients:
Coconut Oil
Safflower Oil
Canola Oil
Olive Oil
Lard
Roebic Brand 100% NaOH

Distilled water
Equipment:
Assorted mixing bowls (I bought new so I could keep them seperate. I used the reusable glad brand in quart and gallon size with lids because they were on sale cheap)
Several Silicone Spatulas in different sizes
Food Thermometer
Kitchen Scale
Immersion Blender (not pictured)
A couple different size Silicone cutting boards
Home made wire draw knife
Large but short storage tote with lid
Safety:
No Splash Goggles
Reusable Nitrile Gloves ( Paint department, not kitchen)
Vinegar
Sink was running any time I was messing with the lye solution

Lye solution was done in the tote because it was handy, and was done to prevent any running spills that could have occured. On the range under the fume hood

Verifying the setting on thermometer

Coconut oil is a solid at room temp, 20 seconds in the microwave is enough to liquify

All of the 4 oils totaled 15 oz

Continued...

Posted: 5/11/2012 1:42:17 PM EDT

[#21]

The Ebook was consulted often

All of the oils mixed, waiting on the lye mixture

Action shots
Using the immersion blender, I found that short pulses were best, and often lift the IB out to release the portion that has got a kind of suction and allow the IB to continue on. (Don't raise it out if it is still spinning)

Starting to see some solids forming

I thought I was still waiting on the soap, but it was waiting on me to notice that it was done and had already gone to "trace"

I opted to wait on building a dedicated box to set the soap in. I ended up having to cut the sides of this container. glad it was less than a dollar. I should have smoothed the top of the soap, but I didn't realize how solid it was.

Put to "Bed". The soap is roughly 100 degrees (Exothermic reaction of lye, and warming of coconut oil in the microwave) and needs to stay warm to set up. It was recommended to layer the container with towels so I used old terry cloths. I ended up setting the soap in the corner of the apt complex laundry room because it is always much warmer than my apt.

Continued...

Posted: 5/11/2012 1:42:28 PM EDT

[#22]

The next morning, roughly 12 hours later

Just shy of the 24 hour mark

Could not get the soap to release from the sides, so I slit the container. No big loss, it was 2 bucks for a 4 pack.

Out of the mold

Note: Sorry I didn't take pictures while cutting the soap, but I didn't want to get my Ipod all jacked up.

The drawknife I made did not work well. It cost 4 dollars to make and I figure I could make it better if I want. I ended up using a carving knife which had serrations which you can feel on the soap.

Using the lid to the tote as a drying rack, I took the books advice and purchased plastic needlework grid (?) to keep the soap from being flat on the lid.

Using some of the scraps cut off to be recycled, I was able to get a good lather up. It was interesting to use soap with no artificial scents. It smelled mostly of olive oil and coconut oil.

Aight guys, only 30 days to cure and I'm sure I'll be making a ton more batches in the mean time. I'll try to update with pics as I figure one thing or another out. Thanks for reading

Posted: 5/11/2012 1:57:23 PM EDT

[#23]

Ask a mob guy. They use it when they hide bodies.

Posted: 5/11/2012 2:16:26 PM EDT

[#24]

Nice write up and pics, xcpt no toes... Thanks.

Posted: 5/11/2012 3:22:00 PM EDT

[#25]

Very nice. Lot more scientific than me.

I did put oatmeal in mine, once. That's about as fancy as I get.

Posted: 5/11/2012 7:43:49 PM EDT

[#26]

So what's the cost per oz come out to?I have about a galon of expired canola I need to do something with. Was contemplating an oil lamp, but this might be more fun.

Posted: 5/11/2012 7:58:04 PM EDT

[#27]

This is the best tutorial that I have seen.

Posted: 5/11/2012 9:08:29 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:

So what's the cost per oz come out to?I have about a gallon of expired canola I need to do something with. Was contemplating an oil lamp, but this might be more fun.

Bad oil makes bad soap so the book says. If it is or close to being rancid, use it in the lamp. The actual materials were very very cheap. I spent money on equpment.
As for price, Costs of oil + NaOH + H2O + additives = totalcost then just divide by weight of batch made.

Posted: 5/11/2012 9:18:23 PM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:

This is the best tutorial that I have seen.

Mennonite, Amish, or Pentecostal? She has a funny sense of humor

Posted: 5/12/2012 6:23:12 AM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:

Quoted:
This is the best tutorial that I have seen.

Mennonite, Amish, or Pentecostal? She has a funny sense of humor

Not real sure about their affiliation but her online name is something like shooter223 or something223 and her husband carries at least one pistol and has made comments about zombies in another video.

Posted: 5/16/2012 8:39:18 PM EDT

[#31]

Awesome write up and pics.

I have never tried this before, but after reading through your pics/write up I just might give it a try.

Posted: 5/17/2012 3:42:53 AM EDT

[#32]

If you are looking for lye and most of the other chemicals look at ebay. And for lye get the flake not the pellets. Much much easier to dissolve.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Trying to make soap...

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