aving for every pound of soap employed, and must lay for at least
twenty-four hours to be absorbed before the perfume is added.
When it is determined what size the cakes of soap are to be, what they
are to sell for, and what it is intended they should cost, then the
maker can measure out his perfume.
In a general way, soaps scented in this way retail from 4_s._ to 10_s._
per pound, bearing about 100 per cent. profit, which is not too much
considering their limited sale. The soap being in a proper physical
condition with regard to moisture, &c., is now to have the perfume well
stirred into it. The pestle is then set to work for the process of
incorporation. After a couple of hours of "warm exercise," the soap is
generally expected to be free from streaks, and to be of one uniform
consistency.
For perfuming soap in large portions by the cold process, instead of
using the pestle and mortar as an incorporator, it is more convenient
and economical to employ a mill similar in construction to a cake
chocolate-mill, or a flake cocoa-mill; any mechanical apparatus that
answers for mixing paste and crushing lumps will serve pretty well for
blending soap together.
Before going into the mill, the soap is to be reduced to shavings, and
have the scent and color stirred in; after leaving it, the flakes or
ribands of soap are to be finally bound together by the pestle and
mortar into one solid mass; it is then weighed out in quantities for the
tablets required, and moulded by the hand into egg-shaped masses; each
piece being left in this condition, separately laid in rows on a sheet
of white paper, dries sufficiently in a day or so to be fit for the
press, which is the same as that previously mentioned. It is usual,
before placing the cakes of soap in the press, to dust them over with a
little starch-powder, or else to very slightly oil the mould; either of
these plans prevents the soap from adhering to the letters or embossed
work of the mould--a condition essential for turning out a clean
well-struck tablet.
The body of all the fine soaps mentioned below should consist of the
finest and whitest curd soap, or of a soap previously melted and colored
to the required shade, thus:--
ROSE-COLORED SOAP is curd soap stained with vermilion, ground
in water, thoroughly incorporated when the soap is melted, and not very
hot.
GREEN SOAP is a mixture of palm oil soap and curd soap, to
which is added powdered smalt ground with wate
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