20050523
Hi Colin,
Using the wiki is like using the yahoo website to post a reply to a message. You just click on the "Edit Page" link and the page opens again, with the same text you see on the page, but it is now shown in the edit window and some of the invisible formating is also shown. But there is not too much of that. Once you try using it you will find that it soon becomes quite natural and easy. You can write or paste text into the edit window, then click on SAVE at the bottom of the window. This is like clicking on "send" to post your reply. When you SAVE the page it goes back to the normal page display. You can also preview to see if you like what you did. You can use your browser "back" button to reverse out of the edit window without saving. Therefore it is fun just to click the Edit Page link on pages to see what they look like in the Edit Window. This will show you how the wiki language works. Just for fun I will post this message at my log page.
The attitude that you have found from the soap supplier is not unusual. They would like you to buy formulated product because there is a big markup on the price of the ingedients. The SLS is about 50 cents per pound when you buy a drum from Stepan Inc. I have information on the manufacturers (not "formulators") at the yahoo/solaroof forum in the Files section. The problem is that the manufacturer wants to sell a tanker truck load not a barrel or two. However, you must be able to convince these suppliers to get involved - as we have more purchasing going on from our community it will get easier. (I hope :-))
--- Colin <djcol1@yahoo.com> wrote: > Hi Rick, > > I`d be happy to contribute the results of any experiments if i could figure out how to use the Wiki,it`s seems very technical for the non computer literate ;) > On a different note it also seems some chemical suppliers are of the opinion that soap solution formulation is a job for highly skilled technicians.. > > Here`s part of an email sent from the chemical supplier to the retail outlet regarding my enquiry: > > "I would suggest your client has very little formulation ability and in all honesty they will find it much easier to just buy a finished product (such as our base shampoos etc) or one of the base concentrates (such as our LCC base) that simply need diluting with water and viscosity adjusting with salt. Cocamide DEA is only 1 ingredient in a possible formulation. People think that they can just buy these ingredients when in reality this will present them with all sorts of problems they dont understand potentially." > > I didn`t imply i had any "formulation ability", i simply enquired about a supply of SLS and Cocamide DEA :) > > Is it that difficult to mix 2 ingredients together i wonder? > > Regards Colin