So you want to be a Soapmaker?

You`ve decided to take the plunge. You want to make your own soap, something else to add to your list of skills.  So you`ve studied and read, watched all the videos you can stand, even bought a couple of books.  Now what?

Well you`ve got to get some supplies together, there’s lots of stuff they say you have to have to make soap, and to a certain extent they`re probably right. Every book you`ve read, every video you`ve watched, they all seem to have been doing this for a long time, so they should know what they`re doing, right? It`s a pretty good chance that most of what you see and read will be biased towards that particular soap makers methods, but if you look past the hype, you`ll see that the basic methods are relatively similar. You`ll need to get your ingredients together, based on what type of soap you want to make. You`ll also need to start looking for a soap pot and all the other miscellaneous items that you`ll need along the way. Since you`re just starting out, visit your local Goodwill or thrift shop, this is a good place to find a lot of the basic tools you`ll need. Look for measuring cups, spatulas, large spoons (wooden ones are my favorite!), glass or stainless steel bowls, and anything else you might think you`ll need (a thermometer is real handy, I`ll explain why in a minute…). 

Next you need a pot. #1 rule, avoid aluminum. Making soap involves using lye (sodium hydroxide), which is a very volatile caustic. When lye comes in contact with aluminum, it makes hydrogen gas, not a good thing to have in your house as it`s extremely flammable! Use either stainless steel or a granite ware (enamel) pot. My recommendation is to go with the enamel, the extra mass in the pot helps to hold in heat, you`ll see why in a bit….

Now you need a scale, something to weigh your ingredients. Why a scale you ask? Why can`t I just use a measuring cup and be done with it? Well, most recipes that you`ll find are based on weight, not measure, and you`ll get a more exact quantity by using weight. And if you`re making a small batch, being off an ounce can mean the difference between soap and grease….(yuk!). Buy a good digital scale, avoid the spring loaded variety, they`re just not as reliable. The small postal scales work great, and most have a tare function (very important…), you`ll use this a lot once you start to experiment with different recipes.

Mixing. Yep, you need something to mix with, unless you really want to go old school and stir, stir, stir, and stir some more with just a spoon. Avoid the normal mixer, instead go for a stick blender. There are several reasons for this, #1 it`s easier to control with one hand, #2 it avoids getting a lot of air in your soap, and #3 it doesn`t splatter things all over (a good safety point when working with lye).

About lye…..

Lye is a caustic, very volatile and hygroscopic, meaning it readily takes to water. It`s so sensitive it will pull moisture right out of the air, just set a few granules of lye out and watch, you`ll be amazed at how fast it will change from a solid little chunk into a small pool of liquid. So when you’re making your lye measures, pour only what you plan to use immediately and keep the rest in a tightly closed container.

When shopping for lye, avoid the drain cleaner type, unless the ingredients list only sodium hydroxide. Drano and other types of drain cleaners have some lye in them, but they also have other chemicals that you really don`t want in your soap. Companies that supply the bio-diesel industry will be good sources of lye, and you`ll get a very reliable product from them.

Now a bit about safety. Always wear gloves. And safety glasses. Once the lye mixes with the water it will reach 250 degrees in about 3 seconds. You don`t want to get a caustic burn, that`s no fun. But…if you do get some on your skin, rinse it under cold water for at least 15 minutes, then air dry. This will neutralize most of the burning, but if it doesn`t stop, get to a hospital, they know how to handle these things. Don`t wait, don`t be the tough guy because caustic burns are the gift that keeps on giving. Until it`s fully neutralized, a caustic will continue to do what it does until it or you are gone.

Ok, so you`ve got your pot, now what to put in it? Here`s where the fun starts, you can mix and combine lots of different oils, botanicals, fragrances, and colorants to make many different types of soap. Everything from basic lard/lye soap just like granny used to make all the way up to French milled will be possible once you figure out the basics!

So let`s get started. We`ll go with a basic lard/lye mix that will make a very simple, long-lasting soap, and is fairly foolproof.

To start off, get all your tools ready, and make sure everything is organized and neat so you can see everything at a glance. Let`s start out by getting your lye ready. We`re looking for 6 oz of lye crystals, so here`s where the tare function of your scale comes into play. Using a small cup or bowl, place it on your scale and note the weight. Now, hit the tare button. Your weight will go to zero, this is how the tare works. Pour the lye crystals slowly into the container until you hit your weight. Depending on how fast your scale reacts, you might want to stop a bit short of the total , then add the remainder, this is easier than trying to repour some back. Get another container, this is going to hold the complete lye/water mix, so size it appropriately. Tare the container, then add 16 oz of water. Take these two ingredients to a well ventilated place (outside is best) and combine by pouring the lye slowly into the water. Never mix the water into the lye, this could cause the lye to react too fast, and possibly explode! Make you don`t lean over the container while mixing, the fumes that the mix gives off are very caustic, and will take your breath away. So avoid the coughing fit, mix outside and stay as clear of the mix as possible. Let this stand, the fumes will die down fairly quickly, but the heat will still be there, you`ll need that.

Next, we`ll measure out the lard. Using the same tare process as above, set your scale up and weigh out 3 lbs of lard. A quick word about lard, it should smell clean. If it doesn`t, then your soap won`t either. If you can`t find lard, or prefer not to use it, shortening can be used in its place (animal or vegetable, your choice). Move this to your soap pot and place it on low heat, just enough to get it melted.

Now retrieve the lye/water mix, being careful not to spill any of it. Place this in the sink and fill the sink up with cold water, enough to match the level of the liquid in your lye container, this will help cool the lye a bit faster. Now get your thermometer (told you I`d get to it) and check the temp of the lye. Swirl the mix about to blend the cold outer parts with the heat on the inside to balance everything. Dip the thermometer in and see what it reads, you`re looking for around 110 degrees. If it`s too hot, let it stand a bit longer, if it`s a bit cold, set it on the countertop, it`ll heat up a bit once out of the cold.

Rinse off the thermometer and check your lard. You want it to be around 100 degrees, but it`s probably a lot hotter than that by now. Here`s where that sink full of cold water comes in handy (you did leave the water in the sink didn`t you?). Set your pot in the cold water and swish it around a bit, pulling it out to check the temp of your lard every few minutes. This process will allow you to bring both ingredients to the temperature range you want very reliably.

So now we mix. Slowly pour the lye into the lard. Keeping the mixer on the bottom of the pot, start blending in short bursts, giving yourself a chance to get the feel of the mixer. Once the mix starts to come together, blend continuously, making sure to work around the edges, keeping the mixer submerged the whole time. If you want to add fragrance, now is the time to do it. 2-3 oz of fragrance oil, or a bit less if using essential oils will be just about right for a batch this size. This is also a good time to add extras. Finely ground oatmeal makes for a good exfoliant, and helps heal itchy skin, lavender buds add aroma therapy and color to the mix, the choice is yours. Oh, and there`s color too. Ground mica makes a good colorant, some vegetable pigments will work as well, or you could even try food coloring or even crayons! This is where the fun comes into soaping, trying different scents, experimenting with colorants, adding botanicals, it`s totally up to you as to how your soap turns out.

Ok, so you`ve got this mixture, and it`s starting to get a bit thick, thicker than when you started out. This is what is called trace. If you can make a line in the soap and it stays, then your right where you want to be. The soap will act just like pudding at this stage, so be prepared to pour it into your molds.

“Wait, you didn`t say anything about molds yet!!!!” Your right, I didn`t. This is another one of the parts of soaping that`s up to the individual soaper. Some people like to keep it simple and make their own molds, some prefer to buy them. For this type of soap, your best bet is to go with a silicone mold, the type they use for baking works best. This recipe will make a very hard bar, so plan on using a mold that will be in a shape you like. I`ve seen pumpkins, leaves, footballs, and many other shapes available, shop around a bit and see what you can come up with!

Pour the soap into the molds, filling them to the top. Placing the molds on trays so you can move them is always a good idea, the soap will still be soft for a day or so. Set the molds someplace out of the way and forget about them for a day or two, this will give the mix time to saponify. Saponification is the chemical process that takes place when you mix the lard with the lye, it creates a reaction that converts the mix into soap. This creates heat, so if your soap feels hot to the touch at this stage that`s okay.

Once the soap cools and had had a day or so to saponify, you can turn it out of the molds. The bars will be a bit soft still, so handle them carefully. Place them on a tray or shelf to cure, they will need about a month to fully cure out. After that, you can wrap the bars in whatever you choose, and store them in a cool dry place, or give some out as gifts. Once you`ve gifted someone with your homemade soap, they`ll be back for more!

So have fun, be safe, and make some soap! Be bold, experiment, see what you can come up with!

Materials List/Quantity:

Lard/Shortening -3 lbs.

Water – 16 oz

Lye -6 oz

Interesting fact – lye soap helps cure poison ivy, and also helps to remove cuss words from the mouths of children...

US poverty on track to rise to highest since 1960s

This was on Yahoo today, kinda reafirms what I`ve been seing around here for some time...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The ranks of America's poor are on track to climb to levels unseen in nearly half a century, erasing gains from the war on poverty in the 1960s amid a weak economy and fraying government safety net.

Census figures for 2011 will be released this fall in the critical weeks ahead of the November elections.

The Associated Press surveyed more than a dozen economists, think tanks and academics, both nonpartisan and those with known liberal or conservative leanings, and found a broad consensus: The official poverty rate will rise from 15.1 percent in 2010, climbing as high as 15.7 percent. Several predicted a more modest gain, but even a 0.1 percentage point increase would put poverty at the highest level since 1965.

Poverty is spreading at record levels across many groups, from underemployed workers and suburban families to the poorest poor. More discouraged workers are giving up on the job market, leaving them vulnerable as unemployment aid begins to run out. Suburbs are seeing increases in poverty, including in such political battlegrounds as Colorado, Florida and Nevada, where voters are coping with a new norm of living hand to mouth.

http://news.yahoo.com/us-poverty-track-rise-highest-since-1960s-112946547--finance.html

Not to be a doom & gloomer, but I`ve been watching this trend rise for quite a while now. Not sure what the tipping point will be, but it`s coming. The We/They....Have/Have Not society is being ushered in at a rapid pace, better get your ducks in a row....

Spreading my wings....

OK, so I really can`t fly, really...I can`t.

Don`t ask either, I won`t try.

But...I`ve started a new venture, trying to expand my reperotoire of skills, I`ve started writing. Nothing fancy, just a simple article for a new e-mag that`s starting up. They approached me through the APN some time ago, asking if I would be interested in doing an article about soapmaking (one of my passions), so naturally I jumped at the chance! Who wouldn`t? You don`t get chances like this every day, so I figured I better go for it!

Happy to Survive, that`s the name of the magazine, it`s currently available only through iTunes, but Dave says that will change in the future. They`re going to put my article in the next month`s edition, gonna have to track down somebody with an Ipad so I can see it!

Happy to Survive

The storm of the year.....

Headed to Dayton around 2:00 PM, bright and sunny, and plenty hot. Had the car packed, medium cooler full of drinks & ice, extra food rations, etc...good weather for driving, clear & sunny.

We were at Wright Patterson for the summer Tattoo when this rolled in. The security folks told everybody to stay in their cars until the "storm" passed, they expected it to last until 5:30 or 6, and then the show would get started...

The storm rolled in...hard and fast, real fast. It shook everything in sight, we watched as many of the displays and attractions in the vendor area took flight...I put the car radio into seek to find a local station, just happening to run across one that was on site doing a live broadcast. They were trying their best to keep people informed of what was happening around them, but the situation was changing too fast for them to keep up. They finally went with telling everybody to just stay away until things calmed down.

The wind and rain let up pretty quick, but hit again just as fast and just as hard. The radio crew buzzed in & out until the sky finally started to clear a bit. We waited for news. The radio crew gave us updated as quick as they could, trying to keep up with the security details and the medical crews. Once the grounds were secure again the site personnel did a damage control estimate, and found that the main stage was bent about 6 feet to the right. From that point they cancelled the event, so we headed for the gate. An ambulance wwas hot on our heels, so we pulled over to let them pass, then hounddogged them through the gate and onto the surface streets. Everything was a mess, lots of debris and trees down everywhere. Picking my way through the traffic, I managed to find an alternat route to I-75, so we slipped off the main road. Traffic was slow, but still moving. We finnaly made it to the highway, then headed north.

The road was busy, but things were moving along at a pretty good clip. Every time we encountered a town we would pull off, only to find no power, lots of damage & debris. Piquia, Sidney, Troy, and all the other smaller towns up the I-75 corridor had been hit. Once we hit Wapakoneta and saw the same damage, we knew this was going to be bad, really bad. Pulling off at one of the Lima exits, we made our way through town, only to find more of the same we had just left.

And lines. Gas stations swarmed with people, long lines of people. Any restaraunt that stil had power was packed, with people waiting outside to get in. Stopping at the local Meijer`s, we went inside to check how things were, and the results were incredible. People grabbing everything they could (except water....imagine that..) and storming the checkouts. We made our way out of the meley and hit the road again, heading for home. Most of the territory was dark by this time, not a light to be seen. We stopped briefly outside of Columbus Grove to reconoiter on the situation, then took the back way into town.

It looks like a bomb had just gone off. In fact more like a lot of bombs had gone off. Trees, signs siding, you name it it was in the street. I carefully picked my way through town, trying to avoid the worst hit areas. We were heading for SR 65, but there was a train off the tracks in the middle of town....once again we took the back way, up old 65.

I tried to cut across after the first couple of roads, but the state patrol was blocking entrance to 65. A truck was on it`s side, along with a stretch of about 20 power poles that had gone down. So we turned around, back to the backroads...

We finally made it home a bit later, and could see the damage from a distance. Part of an outbuilding had lost its roof, shingles, pylwood and all, stripped down to the bare rafters. The house itself lost some shingled, a bit of flashing, and part of a wall was blown in. A brick wall. Solid brick. Two courses deep. blown into the attic. An awning over one of the windows was trashed, a could of trees down. And the plywood floor of our larger trailer was gone....just gone?

We checked the building and grounds over thoroughly, did as good of a damage assesment as we could in the dark, trying to button things up as good as we could. Then we headed back to town. I had let the gan cans run down ( poor planning on my part) so we needed to find fuel. I took a different route on the way back, still sticking with the backroads. I pushed hard until I found a Shell station outside of Cairo that was pumping. Only cash paying customers, no plastic. People were getting turned away, and not happy about it, not happy at all. We filled our cans and topped off the car, then made our way back along the same route.

I fired up the generator, plugged in the fridge & freezer, then hit the bed. Woke up early the next day, did a more thorough assesment, took lots of pics, then called the insurance. They set up a contractor to come out and secure everything, so we started setting up camp, figuring we were in this for the long haul.

The contractors showed up a couple of hours later, and did a quality job of taking care of things. I left them with fresh ICE cold bottled water and sent them on their way, then we go to work ourselves. We cut, we cleared, we stacked, finally got the yard back in shape. Then it was time to head inside. Opened every window in the house, got the fans running, and finished setting up camp. The grill was set up, camp stove in place, all the tools and utensils that were needed were at hand. Inside, we set up a water station, somewhere to corral all the empties sothey could get refilled. The weather radio got new batteries, all the flashlights and lanterns were accounted for, everybody was assigned their own personnal light (to keep on themselves at all times). All the extra appliances were moved out of the way.

OK, time for a deep breath....camp was set, fuel was procurred, now how long will this be "normal"? I called AEP, let them know about the lines down in front of our property, the girl on the phone was very glad to hear from me, a friendly voice in the midst of chaos. She explained what was happening in detail, what they were doing and when we could expect to see the crews out our way.

July 7th.

July 7th, this was June 30th. Weatherman on the radio said 90+ temps with a heat index of over 100 as far as you could see.

Not good. Time to hunker down, figure out our daily priorities. We worked in the early morning, cam in around 10:00. Slept in front of the fan for a bit, then headed for the basement. Played games and napped most of the mid-day, waiting out the worst of the heat, then went back out after the sun went down. Hauled water. I had a stash in the basement, after we used that up we started on the water heater. Took turns filling the jugs and bucket, hauling it upstairs to stage for later use. Fixed something to eat later after the heat died down, by this time it was past 9 or 10:00. Went to bed and reset for the next day.

This was life for the next few days. We did get some work done around the house wn had been putting off, so all was not lost, but the day to day chores took a lot out of us in the extreme heat. Things happened slow, nothing was rushed. We did venture into town tw odays after to check on the clean-up progress, things were statrting to look a bit better.

The we went by Arby`s. Only place in town open. Cars paked IN THE STREET and people waiting in line to get in....we went home. Back where it was safe.

Went out to check the genny last night about 2:30, the road just east of us had power! Lucky bastards (I do remeber saying a few choice words in their direction...must have been the heat...). Topped off the fuel and went to bed thinking we would be next.

Today. 3:00. Got power back. Rather a nice feeling, having the AC running again.

Learned a few things along the way..

You can never have enough water. Never.

You can do without a lot when you put your mind to it.

You can survive through a lot if you plan well, and adjust your plans along the way to meet changing circumstances...

So that`s my story and I`m sticking to it....

the meditation garden...

It`s not big. It`s not flashy, but it`s a good spot when you need a quiet moment.

Everyone should have a meditation garden. A dedicated space just to zone out for a bit, take a bit of me time. A place where you can stop, stop all the daily endeavors and just be....

This took us about a year to finally get to this point, lots of planning, lots of patience. The main outline was laid out a year ago, the stones were ones that were collected over time as they became available. Whenever I drove past a field or construction site and saw a pile of rocks, I would stop and ask if I could take some. Most folks were more than glad to get rid of them, especially the farmers.

The area was tilled, and mulch  was collected from the city building for the base layer. Our town has a dump station where people can drop off their yard waste, so when they collect enough they hire in a grinder to reduce it to mulch, and give it back to the community. Irises and lilies were collected from the old home place and given new homes along the border. Creeping junipers  were planted around the base of each tree. Columbine and more lilies were added at the base of each tree, and thyme was put in place to anchor each end of the park bench. Solar lights from the Dollar Tree were added at roughly five foot intervals around the perimeter to add a warm glow in the evening.

Large pavers were purchased from the local Lowe`s and used to create a pathway to the old park bench. The white garden bench was a shop project, just some used lumber found in a junk pile and repurposed into something useful.

The angels are gifts that I have purcahsed over time for my wife, they now have a fitting home. So for minimal cost, and a bit of time, we now have this oasis of tranquility right outside our door. When you need a time out from the world, just step across the threshold and enter a new world.

Here`s the link to the pics on Flickr...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/edthepilgrim/sets/72157630289951276/

I`ll add more as time goes by, this project should take on a life of it`s own after a bit....

What Are the Symptoms of Heat-Related Illnesses?

What Are the Symptoms of Heat-Related Illnesses?

Heat exhaustion symptoms include:

·         Severe, sometimes disabling, cramps that typically begin suddenly in the hands, calves, or feet.

·         Hard, tense muscles

·         Fatigue  

·         Nausea

·         Headaches

·         Excessive thirst

·         Muscle aches and cramps

·         Weakness

·         Confusion or anxiety

·         Drenching sweats, often accompanied by cold, clammy skin.

·         Slowed or weakened heartbeat.

·         Dizziness

·         Fainting

·         Agitation

Heat exhaustion requires immediate attention but is not usually life-threatening.

Heat stroke symptoms include:

·         Nausea and vomiting

·         Headache

·         Dizziness or vertigo

·         Fatigue

·         Hot, flushed, dry skin

·         Rapid heart rate

·         Decreased sweating

·         Shortness of breath

·         Decreased urination

·         Blood in urine or stool

·         Increased body temperature (104 to 106 degrees)

·         Confusion, delirium, or loss of consciousness

·         Convulsions

Heat stroke can occur suddenly, without any symptoms of heat exhaustion. If a person is experiencing symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, GET MEDICAL CARE IMMEDIATELY. Any delay could be fatal. Seek emergency medical care for anyone who has been in the heat and who has the following symptoms:

·         Confusion, anxiety, or loss of consciousness

·         Very rapid or dramatically slowed heartbeat

·         Rapid rise in body temperature that reaches 104 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit

·         Either drenching sweats accompanied by cold, clammy skin (which may indicate heat exhaustion); or a marked decrease in sweating accompanied by hot, flushed, dry skin (which may indicate heat stroke)

·         Convulsions

·         Any other heat-related symptom that is not alleviated by moving to a shady or air-conditioned area and administering fluids and salts

Galtstrike...

Ok, so you wanna know what a Galtstrike is don`tcha ?

Go here....and read the ***READ THIS FIRST*** post, this will explain a lot.

http://www.galtstrike.com/forum/index.php

It`s a way for people to reduce what the government takes from them, and do it in a legally. Something we all need to work on, as the powers that be take way too many liberties with our money. Reduce what they can take and reduce their power. They need money to fuel the political machine, so lets cut their supply lines...

Small steps, you don`t have to go underground or anything like that (unless you wanna...). Anything you can do to reduce your "tax footprint", from taking your money out of the bank to reducing your taxable income.