@jca
It is pretty easy and quite inexpensive (for basic soap), but it involves accurate measuring and using lye.
This is the recipe I used- I used to have dairy goats and made a lot of soap! Forgive the typos- it’s from a mailing list I was on and the writing is not mine :>)
Basic Goat Milk Soap
12 oz Coconut oil
16 oz Olive oil
20 oz vegetable shortening (criso)
6 oz distilled water
10 ounces of frozen goat milk
6.5 ounces of lye
This makes about 3 pounds of soap, a good soap mold to use if you
don’t have alot equipment is drawer organizers that you can get at
any department store for about 99 cents. Just spray to Pam to grease
and your soap will drop right out.
Use only stainless steel and plastic, the lye will react with other
metals
Basic Soapmaking Instructions
While wearing safety goggles and gloves, combine solid lye and
liquid very slowly, stir well. Set aside and allow to cool (100° F
to 125° F). make sure that you have some ventilation, as the fumes
can be harmful to your lungs
Combine oils and heat gently. Once the fats and oils are melted
allow the temperature to drop to 100° F to 125° F.
Combine lye solution and melted oils. Be careful not to splash while
combining the mixtures. Stir until the mixture traces. If tracing
takes more than 15 minutes, which it often does, stir for the first
15 minutes, then stir for 5 minutes at 15 minute intervals. Tracing
looks like a slightly thickened custard, not instant pudding but a
cooked custard. It will support a drop, or your stir marks for
several seconds. Once tracing occurs…
Pour raw soap into your prepared molds. After a few days the soap
can be turned out of the mold. If the soap is very soft, allow it to
cure for a few days to firm the outside.
Cut soap into bars and set the bars out to cure and dry. This will
allow the bar to firm and finish saponification. Place the bars on
something that will allow them to breathe.