Thanks, Stanlie and Molly, for your cautions-- I'd normally totally agree with your suggestions, but our life at this moment is very conducive to "getting it done" quickly for the following reasons: 1) We have our first baby right now (10 months old), and will probably have 1-2 more in the next five years. In other words, we'll be baby- or toddler-occupied for quite some time, and not wanting to expose them to dust or lead or other hazards. We'd normally love to DIY, but given the baby, that's a little unrealistic. 2) We are currently living rent-free in my parents' basement, and can stay there while the drywallers, floor refinishers, etc. work. Our belongings are all in storage. This actually makes estimates cheaper, as they don't have to cover or maneuver around all kinds of furniture and such. 3) The house we're buying has ugly walls but has been VERY well maintained electrically-- they've been changing wiring out as shorts develop, but the house is grounded and safe, etc. Current owner estimates 80% of wiring has been replaced, and the rest is not causing problems. (Of course, this is prior to inspection, but I'm inclined to believe her- she's a family friend.) 4) We're moving from a downtown metropolitan neighborhood to small town Arkansas. This gives us a little cash to work with. 5) Utility bills are cheap for this house. Last year's January gas bill was $108. Nothing creaks, the wallboards are 1" thick and laid side-by-side-- solid walls of wood. Given that, and the fact that there's still some original wiring inside the walls, I don't see a real need to insulate. Finally, this is our third old house (and our oldest-- previous were 1928 and 1948), so we do have some idea what we're getting into here. Thanks again for your input. I'm still thinking over the drywall matter. I'd hate for the house to look altered, and it seems like it might even if we use the thinnest type of drywall (3/8 inch, I think? or was it 1/4?).

Yes, it is called rebatching, and I will avoid it if at all possible. It's time consuming and tedious. To let you know, I make cp soap by the 10 pound recipes. I presently have 2 buckets of soap scraps, I would guess about a 2 or 3 cubic foot container. Instead of rebatching it I will add it to a new recipe of soap. Unlike what you have, this is still virgin soap scraps, not previously used. I will make soap and give these away or use them ourselves. What I would do if I had these previous used scraps, I would just add it to a new bar as they are being used; they do stick fairly readily, and they rarely come off. If you are going to still rebatch, I would grate them, then lightly mist them (not dripping) the night before, then add them to a crockpot on low or medium heat. You will need to set aside about 4 hours or so, depending on how much soap you need to do. The trick is to add just enough water (by the tablespoon) to keep the soap pliable and not dry, while you are trying to mash it, until it is thoroughly melted. Be careful, this soap is very hot while in the crock! Any scent of the scraps will disappear in the final product, so if you want it scented, then let the soap cool down a bit and mix in scent just before pour/mashing it into any molds. hth

she hasn't updated the site lately, but when i emailed & said i wanted the 8 cavity mold (told her i had seen the 12 cavity on ebay, but didn't want to wait for the auction to end) she emailed back & said: "Well I'm making them all 12 cavities now.. Like I had said.. LOL I'm WAY behind in my site..so you can have a 12 for the same price.. " Sorry, should have clarified that in the other post..... Hazel

The tube mold idea sounds like a good one! You could make a lot that way... I did a quick google and found these: http://www.spiritcrafts.net/flowsoapslic.html (flower tube) http://www.pvsoap.com/mold_groovy_carflower.asp (flower and vw bug) http://www.craftcave.com/candle/metalsoapmold.shtml (more tube molds, but lots of choices) http://www.pvsoap.com/mold_blossom.asp (9 cavity, but they are only 1 oz. and don't sound exactly like you need) Good luck! (and, hope your eyes heal quickly!) Tara