Franklyspeakin:
is your factory in umuahia i would love to put your product in my super market

Thank you so much. I am presently in Umuahia, but I don't have samples with me. But I wouldn't mind coming around to met you to discuss business. I can make my products available as soon as you want it. I will travel to my factory tomorrow(located in Isuikwuato) and get you samples by next tomorrow. But I wish if we can meet tomorrow. Can I have your contact please?

My counselor and fabricator,Finally sir,pleased that you found the strength to do this so others can learn. I'm happy to have benefited from your advice's and also doing business with you.I remain humble sir. May the great knowledge and experiences shared here be a source of strength and encouragement to those who are truly yarning for it...To greater heights!

Mistymash:
My counselor and fabricator,Finally sir,pleased that you found the strength to do this so others can learn. I'm happy to have benefited from your advice's and also doing business with you.I remain humble sir. May the great knowledge and experiences shared here be a source of strength and encouragement to those who are truly yarning for it...To greater heights!

I am glad you are here to follow the gist. Your level of risking taking amazes me. You are strong and that will take you far. Thank you.

good day.. thanks for your good info but I will like to see the video also

chimauga:
good day.. thanks for your good info but I will like to see the video also

the size of some of the video clips are big and I am finding it difficult to upload on YouTube here are links to the ones I uploaded...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lKRtw8okms

Good morning.

the story continues...

Just like we did in the first phase of fabrication that saw us build the plodder, boiler and cutting table, we commenced the fabrication of the crutcher/amalgamator. Prior to this fabrication, I have been to some firms and discovered that it is more economical to have a manual cutting table. The first one we did was electrically driven. so while we fabricated the crutcher/amalgamator, we made provisions to get another cutting table, a manual one.


picture 1 and 2: Fabrication of the crutcher/amalgamator ongoing
picture 3: the crutcher/amalgamator almost completed
picture 4: the new cutting table almost completed

nice one sir , following this thread keenly

...after about three weeks, everything was done. So the plodder, crutcher/amalgamator, boiler and cutter were now ready. One may want to ask what these machines do.

The boiler is where the caustic and oil are mixed in the right proportion to form the soap.

The crutcher/amalgamator is where other ingredients are blended into the soap. The texture of the soap is also refined in the crutcher. The crutcher has an inbuilt dryer for drying the soap.

The plodder is where the soap is moulded into desired shape through extrusion via the die in the conical head. It has the hopper through which the soaps are charged into it. In the other end is the conical head which houses the die or eyelet. The shape and design of the die/eyelet is the shape and design the soap takes.

The cutting table, just like the name implies, is where the extruded soaps are cut into sizes.


picture 1: the crutcher/amalgamator after completion
picture 2: the boiler after completion.
picture 3: the new cutting table
picture 4: the plodder

The next stage was to build starters for this machines. Starters are switches used to control the machines. These starters are not just ordinary switch. There two major starter I built, the "Direct Online starter"(DOL) and "Star Delta starter". The DOL are used on machines with electric motors of lower HP mostly below 10HP while the star delta are suitable for electric motors above 10HP. However I have seem factories use DOL on 30HP motors. You can google about these starters to know why, how and where each one is used.

All these while I was doing this, the internet has been my tight friend. YouTube was where I watched and learnt whatever I needed to do. Everything is just there. So I got several videos from youtube on how to build starters. I also got articles and books from the internet. I made a schematic drawing of these starters, listed the items I needed and headed to the market to pick them.

picture 1: in the market getting the necessary components of the starters
picture 2: Back in the factory, ready to build the DOLs
picture 3: the DOL almost completed
picture 4: building the star delta starter.

This your project looks like a DIY (do it yourself) project. There should easier and simpler ways to install a soap making factory.

EMMAACHILE:
This your project looks like a DIY (do it yourself) project. There should easier and simpler ways to install a soap making factory.

Exactly, it is a DIY project. The major reason behind doing it myself is to reduce cost as I had limited fund. Take for instance, the least i got for Star delta starter was #50 000 but i did it myself at #26 000. If I tell you the price difference between the least I was charged and what I actually spent for the machines, you will scream down the earth. Are you getting the gist now?

... the machines, the starters, everything is now ready. What was now left was to install them, do electrical wirings and connect everything to source of power and then test run the factory. I did that too.

hahahaha, I remember one funny thing that happened. I hired a local electrician to come assist me in the wiring. When we starter laying the cables, the guy kept complaining that what I was doing was wrong. I just instructed him to do as I told him. At a point the dude wanted to leave the job, but since I was going to pay him, he stayed till we completed the job. He was just complaining that everything will blow up. He insisted I pay him before I test the wiring. So I paid him and he ran away. He didn't want to witness the catastrophic blowup that will happen. hahahahahaha. I tested my thing and everything worked well. I was happy my factory was set for operation. So what was this guy's fear? This electrician is not used to industrial wiring where you have to take three live lines (three phase) into the machines. He is just good at domestic wiring, one live and neutral. lol. Me too, I never knew that there is a kind of wiring where you will have to take three live lines into a machine. During the period of my IT back in 2009, I took out time to go learn electrical installation. We did surface and conduit wiring of buildings and never did this three phase wiring before i went back to school. I learnt the three phase wiring in my previous place of work and then subsequent soap factories I visited. In my previous place of work (a pharmaceutical firm), the Engr was a difficult person. when there is fault, especially an electrical one, he won't come to fix it. If you shout at him, he will shutdown the factory. If you hand him a sack letter, the MD will wage in and ask you if you will be able to get another Engr that can take what he is being paid and do the job he is doing. He only went to a technical school, i don't even know if he has an SSCE. He always complained that he is under paid, but who is not under paid in the firm? I was the Manager but I couldn't deal with this Engr. The Engr was literarily controlling the MD somehow. So I decided to sideline him in my duty and that turned to be a blessing in disguise. When it was time for maintenance or there is fault that needs an Engr, I will report straight to the MD and an external Engr will be contracted. Engrs usually come down from Lagos every two weeks to do maintenance and repair works but our own Engr wouldn't want to work with this contract Engrs to learn, even if it is just maintenance work. So I took it upon myself to always stay around and watch those Engrs any time they were around. I followed them up, asked questions and jotted down things. At my free time, I usually go back to study what they did, follow the electrical lines, check the replaced mechanical parts, dismantle and reassemble machines just to understand their working principles. After about two months, I took over every maintenance and repair works in the firm. After about another month, our MD called the supervisor to inquire why we haven't had the need to call in a contract Engr. She told him that I was now doing the maintenance and repair myself. The MD was astonished. He was like, he is doing the electrical and mechanical... and the supervisor was like; everything, I mean everything Sir! The next day my MD personally handed the Engr his sack letter. So the stubbornness of our Engr offered me the opportunity to learn the rudiments of industrial wiring and also learn the working principles behind every machine we had.

Today I am using every skill I learnt to my own advantage. Try to learn anything you can, even if it means learning just to do other people's job. You may need the skills tomorrow.


Picture : electrical wiring ongoing

hmmm, your posts are really inspiring

Franklyspeakin:
is your factory in umuahia i would love to put your product in my super market

please I am still waiting to hear from you. Thank you.

...I managed to setup the factory. Now I can ease a sigh of relief. Its time to start production. I procured other necessary things; weighing scales, hydrometer, caustic dissolution container, oil bleaching container, cartons, oils, caustic, etc... Before we talk about my first production. let us take out some time to see how I learnt soap making.


My journey into soap making could be traced back to 2009 when I did my Industrial training (IT). I was opportune to secure an IT place in a soap making firm, International Equitable Association, No 1 Nicolas Rd, off Brass Junction, Aba, Abia State. The company produced the famous "Truck Soap". Unfortunately my training was short lived as the firm faced a deadly management war that saw it being shut down. I don't know if they ever resumed operation.

Saying that I am impressed is an understatement... following..

What's the return of investment in the industry?

Pls ur contact or email so we can reach u privately

HappyScent:
Pls ur contact or email so we can reach u privately

07066705594

iHart:
... the machines, the starters, everything is now ready. What was now left was to install them, do electrical wirings and connect everything to source of power and then test run the factory. I did that too.

hahahaha, I remember one funny thing that happened. I hired a local electrician to come assist me in the wiring. When we starter laying the cables, the guy kept complaining that what I was doing was wrong. I just instructed him to do as I told him. At a point the dude wanted to leave the job, but since I was going to pay him, he stayed till we completed the job. He was just complaining that everything will blow up. He insisted I pay him before I test the wiring. So I paid him and he ran away. He didn't want to witness the catastrophic blowup that will happen. hahahahahaha. I tested my thing and everything worked well. I was happy my factory was set for operation. So what was this guy's fear? This electrician is not used to industrial wiring where you have to take three live lines (three phase) into the machines. He is just good at domestic wiring, one live and neutral. lol. Me too, I never knew that there is a kind of wiring where you will have to take three live lines into a machine. During the period of my IT back in 2009, I took out time to go learn electrical installation. We did surface and conduit wiring of buildings and never did this three phase wiring before i went back to school. I learnt the three phase wiring in my previous place of work and then subsequent soap factories I visited. In my previous place of work (a pharmaceutical firm), the Engr was a difficult person. when there is fault, especially an electrical one, he won't come to fix it. If you shout at him, he will shutdown the factory. If you hand him a sack letter, the MD will wage in and ask you if you will be able to get another Engr that can take what he is being paid and do the job he is doing. He only went to a technical school, i don't even know if he has an SSCE. He always complained that he is under paid, but who is not under paid in the firm? I was the Manager but I couldn't deal with this Engr. The Engr was literarily controlling the MD somehow. So I decided to sideline him in my duty and that turned to be a blessing in disguise. When it was time for maintenance or there is fault that needs an Engr, I will report straight to the MD and an external Engr will be contracted. Engrs usually come down from Lagos every two weeks to do maintenance and repair works but our own Engr wouldn't want to work with this contract Engrs to learn, even if it is just maintenance work. So I took it upon myself to always stay around and watch those Engrs any time they were around. I followed them up, asked questions and jotted down things. At my free time, I usually go back to study what they did, follow the electrical lines, check the replaced mechanical parts, dismantle and reassemble machines just to understand their working principles. After about two months, I took over every maintenance and repair works in the firm. After about another month, our MD called the supervisor to inquire why we haven't had the need to call in a contract Engr. She told him that I was now doing the maintenance and repair myself. The MD was astonished. He was like, he is doing the electrical and mechanical... and the supervisor was like; everything, I mean everything Sir! The next day my MD personally handed the Engr his sack letter. So the stubbornness of our Engr offered me the opportunity to learn the rudiments of industrial wiring and also learn the working principles behind every machine we had.

Today I am using every skill I learnt to my own advantage. Try to learn anything you can, even if it means learning just to do other people's job. You may need the skills tomorrow.


Picture : electrical wiring ongoing

i have truly learnt from this. thanks much for sharing bro...

iHart:
...I managed to setup the factory. Now I can ease a sigh of relief. Its time to start production. I procured other necessary things; weighing scales, hydrometer, caustic dissolution container, oil bleaching container, cartons, oils, caustic, etc... Before we talk about my first production. let us take out some time to see how I learnt soap making.


My journey into soap making could be traced back to 2009 when I did my Industrial training (IT). I was opportune to secure an IT place in a soap making firm, International Equitable Association, No 1 Nicolas Rd, off Brass Junction, Aba, Abia State. The company produced the famous "Truck Soap". Unfortunately my training was short lived as the firm faced a deadly management war that saw it being shut down. I don't know if they ever resumed operation.

Do you employ a sales representative to supply your soap to customers? Or you also handle the supply and marketing of your soaps to customers by yourself?

iHart:
...I managed to setup the factory. Now I can ease a sigh of relief. Its time to start production. I procured other necessary things; weighing scales, hydrometer, caustic dissolution container, oil bleaching container, cartons, oils, caustic, etc... Before we talk about my first production. let us take out some time to see how I learnt soap making.


My journey into soap making could be traced back to 2009 when I did my Industrial training (IT). I was opportune to secure an IT place in a soap making firm, International Equitable Association, No 1 Nicolas Rd, off Brass Junction, Aba, Abia State. The company produced the famous "Truck Soap". Unfortunately my training was short lived as the firm faced a deadly management war that saw it being shut down. I don't know if they ever resumed operation.

Do you employ a sales representative to supply your soap to customers? Or you also handle the supply and marketing of your soaps to customers by yourself?
Please reply

jidobaba:
Bookmarked.
Op, I'm interested in the figures. Without going into any detail, In all honesty, would you say that this is a lucrative venture?
What is the average ROI, running costs, manpower (for this your scale of #5million)?
Hard figures please, you can go into detail later.

EMMAACHILE:
What's the return of investment in the industry?

Mr man, why avoiding this question? This is the most important variable you have to give here or else everything will look like grammar and old man tales!

Sir,your STRENGTH,TENACITY and DEDICATION is on another level! Like woahhh... But this is to show that there's no cutting corners to success. I'm more proud of your achievements than you do honestly. To go school na one thing making the knowledge work for you is another...me I'm here learning sha

[quote author=EMMAACHILE post=66636086]



Mr man, why avoiding this question? This is the most important variable you have to give here or else everything will look like grammar and old man tales! Please let the op take his time...you don't expect him to drop all details in in fell swoop...let him enjoy the journey..if you ve bn into entrepreneurship you will knw that the journey also is of great interest... I know your only interested in the profit for nw...but pls let the op take his time.

[quote author=Great500 post=66639213][/quote]
That means he has not even started production! What's hard for him to answer? Let him take his time like Mr Buhari.
I have ran enterprises and I can give you an average for any of them.

EMMAACHILE:

That means he has not even started production! What's hard for him to answer? Let him take his time like Mr Buhari.
I have ran enterprises and I can give you an average for any of them.

oga take am easy. he didnt force U to jump on his thread. what he is doing is to motivate others like us who also want to venture into entrepreneurship.
i av learnt alot from this. going in to business tho not soap making. pls dnt bring ur bad blood here.
why dont you open ur own thread and do anyau U like....
once again pls... take am easy biko

OgaKazeem:


oga take am easy. he didnt force U to jump on his thread. what he is doing is to motivate others like us who also want to venture into entrepreneurship.
i av learnt alot from this. going in to business tho not soap making. pls dnt bring ur bad blood here.
why dont you open ur own thread and do anyau U like....
once again pls... take am easy biko

Hahaha

EMMAACHILE:
Hahaha

na d way bros... we all dey learn. i don check ur profile... i av seen d reason why U asked. bt tru tru OP oya give us smal details if not all of d figures involved

iHart:
Good morning.

the story continues...

Just like we did in the first phase of fabrication that saw us build the plodder, boiler and cutting table, we commenced the fabrication of the crutcher/amalgamator. Prior to this fabrication, I have been to some firms and discovered that it is more economical to have a manual cutting table. The first one we did was electrically driven. so while we fabricated the crutcher/amalgamator, we made provisions to get another cutting table, a manual one.


picture 1 and 2: Fabrication of the crutcher/amalgamator ongoing
picture 3: the crutcher/amalgamator almost completed
picture 4: the new cutting table almost completed

I have contacted you previously on soap production but I have not been able to come down to umuahia since then. I tried reaching you on Whatsapp but the message has not delivered till today. I don't know if you'd give me audience anytime I'm opportuned to be around. I make soaps too but I feel I still have a lot to learn.