# Bastille + first column swirl!



## dimitris (Jul 24, 2013)

This is my first column swirl:






Used yellow, white, blue pigments and activated charcoal for the colours.
I think the column I used (a whiskey square tumbler) was too big, hence the large ugly area in the middle.

This is 60% OO, 20% CO, 15% shea butter and 5% PKO.
It traced too fast! Perhaps the shea butter caused it to trace faster than I had thought?


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## jenneelk (Jul 24, 2013)

I'm in love with that color combo!!! Looks amazing.
And your recipe is about the same as mine except I did Mango butter. Mine traced at about 4 min. of stick blending.. then it moved a little fast because I did pulses with the stick for the colors.  Couldn't have done a column pour but was ok with it going firm for my design.  
Did you blend your colors by hand?

Make sure to show a cut bar.. I wanna see!!


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## dimitris (Jul 24, 2013)

Jennee, I like the colour combo as well. Works really well.
My recipe traced in less than a minute of stick blending, it was a thin trace but a trace.
I blended the colours in different jugs which had the pigments diluted in a bit of water. Then I poured on the column.

Will definitely post cut bars! Now I have to find a knife large enough to cut this!


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## Skatergirl46 (Jul 24, 2013)

That's really cool! I would have no idea of how to do that. I want to see it cut as well.


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## jenneelk (Jul 24, 2013)

Oh look it up.. makes beautiful soap as you can see. I have it on my 'to do' list but haven't gotten to it yet. Now I really can't wait!


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## kazmi (Jul 24, 2013)

Oh that is pretty!  I've got to try this one of these days!!  Great job and I think the center is going to be pretty too when cut :smile:


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## heartsong (Jul 24, 2013)

the colors are so vibrant & pretty! excellent combination! can't wait for cut pics!  great job!


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## Hazel (Jul 24, 2013)

I love the colors and the swirl is great! :grin:

sorry for the little hijack for Skatergirl46 - 

Search on youtube for 'column swirl soap' and a lot of videos will pop up. Also, houseofwool mentioned she does a modified column swirl with string. I thought it was very clever of her to think of it. You might find her info interesting to read. http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=35249


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## savonierre (Jul 25, 2013)

That is amazing, the colors are divine..well done!!!


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## dimitris (Jul 25, 2013)

Here's a pic of the soap after 14 hours in the mold (and gelling).




Seems the surface overheated and there are some peaks - and soda ash.

I will cut soon!


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## dimitris (Jul 25, 2013)

And here are the bars of soap.

From the centre of the soap, with a thin layer cut off from the top:





From the edges of the mold, with a bit of soda ash (I think?):





Overall, I think this came out very well. Thinking of doing exactly the same recipe and put it in the freezer, to see the difference in colours.
I will also let the bars cure a bit more and then treat them with steam to remove the ash.


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## jenneelk (Jul 25, 2013)

Nice!! You do well it seems with blues and yellows.  They are Navy bars!


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## dimitris (Jul 25, 2013)

They have come out well so far 
They are for the christening of my baby son, so sticking to blues and yellows for now.
Although my daughter keeps asking for red and pink soap now!


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## Skatergirl46 (Jul 25, 2013)

That came out great!


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## Obsidian (Jul 25, 2013)

They are very pretty, I've always liked blue and yellow.


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## Hazel (Jul 25, 2013)

Really great looking! Now you have to do it in red and pink. :wink:


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## heartsong (Jul 25, 2013)

:clap:  very, _very _pretty!  the colors came out so clean and clear, too!


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## newbie (Jul 25, 2013)

I love the whole thing but I have to say that I adore how the middle came out even more that the sides.


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## CaraCara (Jul 25, 2013)

Those are really nice, Dimitris. Love the swirls and colours.


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## dimitris (Jul 26, 2013)

This is now in the freezer for comparison.


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## heartsong (Jul 26, 2013)

very nice!  can't wait to hear your comparison!  is this just like your first one?


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## dimitris (Jul 26, 2013)

Yes, exactly the same with a very slight change in the oils used. 

I also did the swirl very early, the batter was very runny.


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## Donna (Jul 26, 2013)

Both are absolutely beautiful.  Did you scent them?


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## dimitris (Jul 28, 2013)

*A study in gel*

So, after 1 day in the freezer, 1 day in the fridge and 1 night in room temperature, the soap still hadn't solidified and was crumbly at the edges.
I did manage to cut it and here are the pics for comparison.






















The ungelled version looks like a grainy photo, the texture looks creamier and denser, but it is crumbly, soft and will take a time to harden. 

The gelled version looks a bit more transparent, the colours are simply different. It was hard enough to cut after 15 hours in the mould.

Conclusion: Moving forward, I will prefer to gel but will keep the surface from overheating. The ungelled version doesn't seem to be much better aesthetically, but I will be able to say more after a few days (or weeks) when it hardens up.


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## Ancel (Jul 28, 2013)

Thanks so much for showing these! There has been so much talk on the forum recently about gelling and not gelling: was becoming a really big deal. This is great to see your experience! 

(I like the gelled, seems stronger all round)


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## dagmar88 (Jul 28, 2013)

I'm wondering what could have caused the ungelled soap to come out that mottled/grainy. It's definitely not what I'm used to...


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## Hazel (Jul 28, 2013)

Thanks for sharing the results. It's hard to tell from the picture but the gelled bar's colors seem slightly more intense in hue as compared to the ungelled. I had read comments from several people who had said colors tend to be a little brighter in gelled batches. I couldn't say positively if this was so from my own experience since I've never made batches with the same recipe and same colorants for a comparison. I had thought my gelled batches looked brighter but this was just a subjective belief.


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## hlee (Jul 28, 2013)

Thanks for posting these! They are both beautiful and I'm also in love with the colors you chose.


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## dimitris (Jul 28, 2013)

Dagmar, I am not sure what caused the colours to come up grainy. Perhaps it's these particular pigment colours that require higher temperatures.

Hazel, colours are definitely more saturated in the gelled version. Not sure if the ungelled version will change as it hardens, but I guess it won't change too much.


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## jenneelk (Jul 28, 2013)

I do lots of color and both gel and ungelled.. the gel definitely are more intense with color. The common 'creamy' of ungelled also rolls into the colors and softer. Maybe still bold if a lot of color is used.. but not as 'intense' if that makes sense.  
I still can't decide which I like better. Gel moves so much faster and firms up better but I don't care for the shininess of it when using some colors.
Oh and my ungelled always get ash and other white stuff on them more than gelled.. not sure if those ever really get it even without a cover on top. Maybe just coincidence? IDK.


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## heartsong (Jul 28, 2013)

both soaps are equally beautiful in their own way...and you've definitely nailed it on the column swirl!  I think that I prefer the gelled one the most...the saturated colors and the shiny polished surface are really pretty.  great job!


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## dimitris (Jul 29, 2013)

Thanks! I will let them cure for a while, then clean the soda ash with some steam and we can revisit the comparison to see which one is best. I agree with you, for now I like the gelled version.


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## heartsong (Jul 29, 2013)

i look forward to your future comparison...this would also be an excellent time to compare the gel/ungelled as to which one lasts longer in the shower.


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## MKRainville (Jul 29, 2013)

so nice!


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