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Sarah D
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584
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tahir
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45676
Location: Essex
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Sarah D
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584
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cab
Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429
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 Posted: Tue Jan 11, 05 5:43 pm Post subject: |
 
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| Sarah D wrote: |
| Yes, I could try that, would obviously be better in a lot of ways. Soaps made with poils tend to be a bit softer than those made with animal fats, but that should be sufferable. Might have a go with the oil tomorrow if I get around to it. Will have to look for British rapeseed oil - any brands you know of? |
It's good to blend oils to get the result you like. I tend to use a base of 400g coconut oil (cheap in Chinese supermarkets), 400g sunflower oil, and 200g olive oil. Comes out hard enough. I've used goose fat, which eventually gave a lovely, mild soap, but took a long time to go hard.
Coconut oil tends to make the bar harder, if you're using oils rather than animal fats. |
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tahir
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45676
Location: Essex
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wellington womble
Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands
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alison
Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon
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Sarah D
Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584
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| Posted: Wed Jan 12, 05 12:43 am Post subject: |
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| wellington womble wrote: |
| Sarah D wrote: |
Sorry, just a bit surprised at my own luck, there............  |
I don't know why, everythings just up the road from you! [/i] |
Well, can't help it....................... Will notice a difference when I move house, though........... will have to be resourceful. 
I like Tahir's idea of using oil that is produced in the UK; my conscience now won't let me buy in coconut oil or whatever, and that's the way it should be. Even if it is expensive (in monetary terms at the very least), then I can make a little last longer, and when it's finsihed, go without until I get some more. What downsizing is all about, really. |
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alison
Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon
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cab
Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429
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| Posted: Wed Jan 12, 05 8:58 am Post subject: |
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| Sarah D wrote: |
I like Tahir's idea of using oil that is produced in the UK; my conscience now won't let me buy in coconut oil or whatever, and that's the way it should be. Even if it is expensive (in monetary terms at the very least), then I can make a little last longer, and when it's finsihed, go without until I get some more. What downsizing is all about, really. |
I prefer to use British sourced materials, but sometimes (say, with pepper or cocounut oil, for example) we don't have the capacity to make something in the UK.
But sticking to British materials, there's alwys good old fashioned lard, tallow and the like, as you've discovered.
My gut feelign is that venison fat should make a hard soap, but I'm not entirely sure.
The problem with using mostly oils, and getting a hard bar with all of the other properties you like, is all to do with what fatty acid compoents you have in them. I recently cquired a copy of Susan Miller Cavitch "The Soapmakers Companion", an excellent book, and has a good guied for how to balance out different oils to get the properties you like.
Looking throught the list in that book, I've yet to see a good example of a combination of vegetable oils that you can source from the UK that would be just right, so you're probably better concentrating on animal fats in combination with, say, sunflower or rapeseed oil. |
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cab
Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429
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Joey
Joined: 03 Nov 2004
Posts: 191
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wellington womble
Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands
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judyofthewoods
Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire
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sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales
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