Making Soap

[Greatestsin]

So, was at the inlaws for Easter dinner, and the monster in law gave me a bar of soap she made. Being the inquisitive survival PAW minded individual that I am, I expostulated a strong desire to obtain the knowledge-bits tucked away in her purple brainymeats about soap making. Turns out, she just does this generic melt and pour into mold soap. Byes a brick of 'glycerin'(as she calls it?), melts some, pours it into a mold, adds color and other girly crap, and voila! Soap that sparkles like a vampires chest.

Needless to say I was severely disappointed by this 'discovery'. I was hoping for a recipe to make my own soap starting from the barest ingredients to the final product, and instead got an arts and crafts imitation. Weaksauce.

But alas! I might have weak google skills, but in this case they were enough. I learned a little about cold and hot process soaps, the process of saponification, and of course ran across many articles on the generic melt and pour crap.

The best I could come up with requires the use of fatty acids, like beef tallow or olive oil, to make the soaps. Any one who can delve even deeper would be welcome to add to this thread

For the moment, i've not been able to test these recipe ideas, but i thought I would share them here for general knowledge spreading being that in PAW, you might not be able to just go buy soap. Following are links and basic ideas on the principles of saponification. I hope to try it soon but it won't be very soon.

The main differences between the two types I talk about here are that one takes usually 6 weeks to cure(Cold Process) and the other is ready for use when its finished cooling(Hot Process).

The main goal of each method, which is accomplished a different way with each, is for the oils and lye to mix together and become soap. With the cold process, the saponification happens slowly over about 6 weeks. With the hot process it happens while you stir the mixture, and then you boil off the remaining water.


Basics
Cold Process: These recipes require oils and lye
Hot Process recipe

Cold Process:

The type of soap Grandma made is called “Cold Process” soap (commonly referred to as “CP” soap). It is made by combining fatty acids and sodium hydroxide (lye) together. Fatty acids can be almost any oil – from beef tallow to olive oil to hemp oil. The combinations for making your own personal recipe are endless.

Cold process soapmaking is a combinations of an art and science. The condensed version of this type of soapmaking is that there is a certain proportion of lye (sodium hydroxide) and water to fatty acids that forms a chemical reaction called “saponifaction.” During saponification, the oils and lye mix and become soap – the process takes approximately six weeks to fully complete.

Cold process soapmaking requires the use of lye and the use of safety equipment, such as goggles and gloves. Please do not attempt to make cold process soap without researching the method thoroughly. Cold process soap is known for its hard, long lasting quality. Depending on the oils used, the bar can have great lather (coconut oil has excellent lathering properties), be incredibly mild (olive oil is renowned for its gentle qualities) or be very moisturizing (with the addition of oils, such as shea and cocoa butter or hemp oil).

Hot Process:

There are variations on the cold process method. Hot process soap is an interesting take on the cold process method. The simple explanation is that you take all your ingredients, and add them to a pot (that is then placed over a heat source, such as a stove) and stir frequently until the soap goes through various stages. The excess water is evaporated off and the soap is ready to use once cooled.

 

[smokingman]

Everything you need to know
Pioneer Living Survival Magazine - Soap Making

 

[42769vette]

my girlfriend works for SoapEquipment.com | Soap Making | Soap Making Tools | Soap Cutters | Soap Molds | Custom Designs


she makes equipment and soap related items. she also makes tons of soap. i know she had done tons of youtube type videos for them and they are on the website.

on the home page of the web site under "NEW" click on small production video. if you are really interested in learning about it send me a message and ill give you her number. im sure you wont have a question she cant answer.

she is in the process of making soap from a deer i killed in november

 

[Eddie]

The Foxfire books (1-3) have a good description of soap making in them.

 

[Greatestsin]

she is in the process of making soap from a deer i killed in november

Tis the bad@$$. way to fully utilize your kill.

 

[evansvillethompsongunner]

I thought you meant 'soap' and was going to tell you that no, no in fact, concentrated orange juice and gasoline do NOT make napalm.

Glycerin is good, helps with consistency and helps the skin.

Glycerin isn't readily synthesized, but it can be made and has a ton of uses.

Humectant, skin protectant, and used in Potassium Permanganate/Glycerin igniters.

Fat/tallow methods seem interesting, though...
Might have to give them both a try.

 

[Indy500]

If you can find somebody that makes bio diesel from fryer oil, they will have a constant supply of glycerine as that is a by-product of the bio-diesel process.

 

[Greatestsin]

Someone on another forum said he uses corn oil that he has used to deep fry. He uses it with the hot process mixing it with a lye/water combo with ratios gleaned from this site:
How much lye to use

Here is a link on how to make lye:
How to make lye

Here is a link on rendering fat:
How to render fat

 

[84VETTE]

This thread kinda makes me want to watch Fight Club.

 

[perminator]

This thread kinda makes me want to watch Fight Club.

Thats all i could think about from the begining. i couldnt believe it took 10 posts for some to say it.

 

[yotewacker]

I make all of my soap and detergent. I like the heat-lye process

 

[SKSnut]

This thread kinda makes me want to watch Fight Club.

ROFL you sir are gonna be repped!

 

[riverman67]

This thread kinda makes me want to watch Fight Club.

Thats all i could think about from the begining. i couldnt believe it took 10 posts for some to say it.

The first rule of project mayhem.........

 

[DougBarnes101]

Would anyone like to learn to make their own soap?

Not sure if I did this correctly. Here is someone asking if people would like a PDF on how to make soap. Looks like there could be some very good info here.

 

[84VETTE]

The first rule of project mayhem.........

"Don't talk about Fight Club"

 

[Mr.Hoppes]

We make and sell soap made at home from all local ingrediants all organic. We use goat milk to make it a moisturizing soap that is good for exema and other skin ailments. We use the CP and also make laundry detergent as well. One of my children has a milk allergy and the other has exema so this was a progreesion of the "cures" for these to problems.