# Pail heaters?



## nappint (Jun 26, 2008)

Does anyone here use pail heaters? The kind for 5 gallon buckets? I'm to the point that I almost hate soaping because of the time involved in just getting the oils together, it takes so much time and effort! I keep thinking it shouldn't be this difficult. So I've looked at a few of the band heaters that wrap around the buckets and have adjustable heat settings but before I spend a bunch of money I thought I'd ask here first what people thought about them. Thanks!


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## jdranch (Jan 31, 2010)

Judy-

don't know much about the heaters, but I have thought about one of these for a long time for my hard oils/ butters...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Soap-Wax-Me...636?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item415231ad84

I imagine having all my liquid oils premeasured into buckets. Then I'd have these deals on my countertop (elevated) where I could put the bucket on the scale and under the valve, and just pour/ weigh out my melted stuff directly in the bucket.

That being said, it would be nice to have everything premeasured in a bucket and just heat the whole enchilada.


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## nappint (Jun 26, 2008)

Thanks Jennifer. :biggrin I've looked at those too but they only hold a gallon of oil which won't work for the 50 lb palm from columbus because of the steric settling to the bottom of the pail. I'd still have to melt the pail first, mix it together and then pour. Now that I'm making larger batches it's not making sense to master batch my oils anymore so melting the larger pails then pumping out of those appears to be the only way...unless someone has a better idea


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I don't use palm to know what it melts at, but my 5 gallon buckets and 1 gallon jugs sit on a farrowing/whelping mat. Think big heavy duty heating pad. My 33 gallon drums have the inside of an electric blanket (tapes) strapped to it. My soap room really cools down in the winter so I will throw a blanket over all of it when the nights are going to freeze.

I know it's not palm but I break up my cocoa butter and put the big shards into an old lard bucket that fits into my microwave, I simply heat it up in the microwave, pour out and measure the amount I need and put the lid back on it to use it again. With it not really touching the sides of a bucket when you put it into one, it doesn't actually melt enough on the farrowing pad.

Know that this part of soaping in the biggest pain you have, even with those who soap large commercial. Bigger containers sometimes doesn't save you money when you have to deal with labor/electricity etc. My shea comes in my 33 gallon barrells so I have no choice. Vicki


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## nappint (Jun 26, 2008)

Thanks for the reply Vicki. Yes, it's the labor that's killing me right now. I'm spending an entire day just melting and mixing my oils which is neither cost effective nor fun! 
I like the idea of the whelping mat. I've looked those up and they look like they would work or even maybe a heated pet bed wrapped around the buckets. I looked up the melt point for palm and it's 95 degrees, the mats say they heat to 100 so it should work. I just need the hard oils soft enough to pump out during the winter. I do use my microwave for my shea but it's so small that I can't fit a big bucket in there plus all the mess with scooping and pouring etc... and then all those darn buckets to clean... ugh! My soaping room is really too small already so for now the biggest bucket I will have is the 6 gallon buckets from Columbus, I can't even imagine dealing with a drum. 

Thanks again for the ideas!


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Oh don't be hating...my drums are in my husbands shop  I went looking for a microwave that would hold a 128 ounce lard bucket, it wasn't easy but I found one (and yes I took the empty lard bucket with me), it is the biggest time saver.


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

I've decided when I get my dedicated soap space I will have two microwaves as I'm often waiting on mine with another tub to melt.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Ooh, good idea!


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## Faye Farms (Sep 14, 2009)

Yep, I'll go with the mondo huge microwave (two would be better) when I get my soap shop too. It may take a while, but someday!


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