Tengu finds more junk

[Tengu]

a nice 20p stall at the car boot.

so I got a massive block of carbolic soap.

I remember Nan telling me that in her childhood you could tell the rich from the poor; the poor smelled of carbolic soap, the rich of Pears.

(I have my very own bar of Pears, I get it out for guests. What I use everyday is fiddly little bars filched from PCs and the like...)

(now you stop sniggering)

The carbolic soap is a fetching red, (I hate poncey pastel shades which is one of the reasons Im proud of my Pears) and has a smell reminiscent of saddlesoap.

Its obviously not suited to everyday use (unless the PCs cotton on) but Im told it has a strong antibacterial property.

any suggestions? and should I use it as is (its a long stick 8 inches long rather than a bar) or cut it up?

is it such a good find that I should keep it all to myself or would anyone else like to trade something for it? I elstimate I have about eight mini bars worth.

--------------------------------

another item I got for 20p was a sheet of rubber (think of like inner tube material, but a sheet) about 2.5 by 3.5 feet square. Any suggestions as to possible use?

 

[redcollective]

another item I got for 20p was a sheet of rubber (think of like inner tube material, but a sheet) about 2.5 by 3.5 feet square. Any suggestions as to possible use?

Wet weather fire lighter.

 

[swyn]

Old people tell of smoking soap (no not rolled in a rizzla!) the bar was hung up the chimney and left for a while. This ensured that the block was hard and lasted much longer. Possibly where the coal-tar idea came from, also I have a feeling that natural soap does not smell very nice.... perhaps Toddy can enlighten us as I would imagine that She knows how to make soap.

 

[beachlover]

My Grandmother used to threaten to wash out my mouth with carbolic soap

 

[Toddy]

You found a bar of old school soap Bombproof, always seemed to have sharp edges and guaranteed to destroy any buggit that any kid could ever come across

Seriously though, old fashioned soap was sold in bars for cutting into handsoap sized chunks, came red or green, (Pears was a posh gold colour) and really was Soap! Bought for schools, farm yards, pit heads.....anything that had to be *clean* not just given a gentle wash.
A very good find for 20p

Imperial leather and Pears always made my skin feel as tight as a drum, and reminds me of the smell of my Granny's kitchen( the scullery one). We made fancy soaps from plain white Castille soap base.
I do make soap but I use modern suppliers for some stuffs. Eric Methven posted his granny's recipe for real soap making a little while back. I'll see if I can find the link.

See post no. 4
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=5902&highlight=soap+making

Meanwhile, carbolic soap is still for sale
http://www.carbolicsoap.com/bhousehold-soapb-c-241.html

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[British Red]

I make soap from lard, caustic and water - smells okay to me...not of much really

Red

 

[Tengu]

I wont share it then. Hee hee

nor will I be burning my rubber sheet, I have inner tubes for that.

 

[British Red]

Might I suggest "sheet of rubber" as opposed to "rubber sheet"?

 

[OldJimbo]

If the rubber is flat and same resiliancy as inner tube then it would be great under emery paper for convexing blades.

 

[Simon E]

I was on holiday in Carins this summer and being married, I was dragged around all the shops and stalls in the tourist traps.

My wife made a beeline for a moisturizer and soap place, I stood around trying not to look bored. Anyway, she gets this soap that is made with all natural ingredients like Macadamia nut oil and what not. Gets it home and it doesnt smell as advertised (Rose) I used it one night and bloody hell, what a fantastic soap, you are literally squeeky clean, but none of that Pears 'Tight as a drum' feeling. I wish I had kept the label from the package with the web address on it.

I dont know what was in it, but after a hard workout and sweating all day and stinking to high heaven by the evening it was a real pleasure to use

 

[Singeblister]

You could use your "rubber sheet" as an anti slip mate for routing ( if you have or use a router ) or to reduce vibration under any bench mounted power tool like a grinder

 

[woodwalker]

or, if you like making knives perhaps mounting it in the jaws of a vice would allow it to grip the blade better.

woodwalker