The soap making guides

• How to Calculate Lye for Soap Making by Hand (and How Much Lye per Pound of Oils) - No single lye-per-pound number exists. Multiply each oil weight by its NaOH factor, sum, then multiply by (1 - superfat). Worked example plus per-pound chart.
• Saponification Value Chart: SAP Values for 24 Soap Making Oils (NaOH and KOH) - SAP values in mg KOH/g for 24 soap making oils, with the NaOH factor (SAP / 1402.5) and KOH factor (SAP / 1000) for each, plus worked lye math.
• What Superfat Percentage Should I Use? A Chart by Soap Type - Superfat is the oil left unsaponified in your bar. Most makers work at 5 to 8 percent. Full chart by soap type, plus what each level costs you.
• How Long Does Soap Need to Cure? Cure Times by Soap Type, and How to Zap Test - Cold process soap cures 4 to 6 weeks; castile needs 6 months or more. Cure times by recipe type, the weight-stable test, and how to zap test safely.
• Water Discount vs Lye Concentration: What the Numbers Actually Mean (With a Conversion Chart) - Lye concentration and water as percent of oils describe the same solution. Full conversion chart, water:lye ratios, and the right band for each technique.
• Soap Qualities Chart: What Hardness, Cleansing, Conditioning, Bubbly, Creamy, Iodine and INS Really Mean - The seven soap calculator numbers decoded: what each is computed from, SoapCalc's normal range, and which fatty acid drives it. Plus an oil fatty-acid chart.