# First lard batch



## Todd_in_Minnesota (Dec 26, 2015)

I'm shifting my go-to recipe away from hard oils and adding in lard instead.
Here's my first lard batch, @5% superfat, done with Palmarosa and Grapefruit (and the obligatory drop of Vetiver).
I cut and trimmed it after 24 hours. 



It's a bit crumbly, but I suspect that's more a process problem than a recipe problem.
I'll have to make a couple more batches with different scents to be sure.
Todd


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## newbie (Dec 26, 2015)

Oh, such pretty colors! Soft and gentle and very appealing. Nice job trimming as well. Can't wait to hear what you feel the difference is between your old recipe and this.


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## CaraBou (Dec 27, 2015)

Those will make a great springtime soap!  I love how soaping makes us look ahead.


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## Obsidian (Dec 27, 2015)

Beautiful, I love the colors. I know my lard soaps harden pretty quickly, I can usually unmold and cut within 8-10 hours. Try unmolding your next batch a bit sooner, I bet it won't crumble.


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## Todd_in_Minnesota (Dec 27, 2015)

Thanks!  That's exactly what I did for the second lard batch, and it worked a charm!
I poured into a 3" PVC pipe mold this time (with an experimental modification to get the crenelations), and un-molded after about 12 hours.  
At that point it still felt waxy and damp, and it cut like butter.

The green color was actually a very dark blue powder pigment.  I guess we'll see if it darkens with age.
The scents are 2 parts Lavender and 1 part Lemongrass... my favorite mix, and very predictable to work with.





My trimming tool still works, but I'm going to wait a bit before I trim the rest of this batch.
Unfortunately, I'm still trying to figure out how to control the swirl.  It's not coming out at all like I expect.

Thanks again for the advice.
Todd


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## Seawolfe (Dec 27, 2015)

Boy those are nice! I love how the swirls in the last one look like golden veins in rock.


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## Judiraz (Dec 29, 2015)

How did you get your nice bevels?


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## Todd_in_Minnesota (Jan 3, 2016)

*Bevel tool*

Hey Judiraz,
I created a tool!  (I probably made it much more complicated than it needed to be).

One of my buddies at work has a 3D printer, and encouraged me to come up with useful things to print.
So - I created a bevel tool for round soap bars.



I used a program called OpenSCAD to create the digital model, then 'sliced' it and printed it on the 3D printer. (I can go into painful detail, and/or share the model if anybody's interested).

The basic idea was to make something that would fit in my left hand, hold a 3" round bar of soap, allow me to rotate it with my right hand, cut a bevel, and direct the cuttings away from the tool.
This pic shows better how the cutting hole is placed.



The cutting edge is scavenged from one of those 5-blade razor heads... I just broke one apart, hammered one of the little razors flat, and slid it into the slot I had designed in to hold it.

From the back you can see the cut-out for the trimmings better. (The green is a residue of the painter's tape we use on the print-bed of the 3D printer, to make newly-printed pieces easier to get off.  Without the tape the new prints tend to stick to the print-bed.)


It's pretty crude, but it works like I expected.

If I use it when the soap is still soft I can get a pretty clean bevel.



I've discovered that if I let the new soap harden too much it will distort the tiny little cutting blade, but (surprise!) it's not really a problem, because it distorts it into a nice curve that looks almost better!   I love it when mistakes lead to improvements.



I'm pretty sure you wouldn't need a 3D printer to make a tool like this, but it's what I was doing at the time, and it's a pretty simple shape from a geometrical point of view.  There's probably an easier way, but this one works for me.

Thanks for asking!
Todd


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## snappyllama (Jan 3, 2016)

That bevel tool is seriously cool. It is the only truly useful thing I've seen made from home 3D printers <runs and hides before the 3D printing enthusiasts find me and pull out a tiny misshapen noose with strands of plastic goo covering it>

In truth though, I haven't looked into them since the first generation came out and have mainly see crude attempts to 3D print comic book action figures or parts for the printer itself since I hear they break often. I'm sure the technology will catch up.


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## Todd_in_Minnesota (Jan 3, 2016)

Thanks Llama,
To be 100% honest, this guy's cube at work is packed with little plastic action figures, and dragon's heads, and random stuff.  The only use he's really found for it all is as give-aways when he does 3D printing talks at his kids' elementary school.  

I think he encourages me because I've found a practical use for his toy, and because I'm good with fiddly little mechanical bits (they DO break often.. at least the cheap ones he buys).

I've also used it to design/print a couple of imprint tools.


The one on the left is for round bars.  I can put it down on a cut bar and hit the small end with a hammer... works good!

The boxy one is for the edges of rectangular bars.  Also hammer-able.  It produces this.



I happy to share the digital file for the bevel tool if you're interested... and if there's a handy way to share files?

Todd


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## jules92207 (Jan 3, 2016)

Nicely designed Todd! Very cool tools.


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## topofmurrayhill (Jan 3, 2016)

Nice soap, and I love the innovation with the 3D printed tools. What was the blue pigment?


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## traderbren (Jan 3, 2016)

Nice soap and cool little tools!

I have a 3D printed Turkish Spindle. I love it. It's much cheaper than wood when you have a spindle addiction, and I got to pick the colors.

Eta: ^^nerdy wool spinning talk. Don't mind me.


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## Todd_in_Minnesota (Jan 3, 2016)

topofmurrayhill said:


> Nice soap, and I love the innovation with the 3D printed tools. What was the blue pigment?


Thanks!
The blue is Ultramarine Blue Oxide (from SoapGoods).
It's been pretty reliable, until the 2nd lard batch I posted above, where it seems to have turned green?
I don't know what's up with the change... I'll have to make a couple more lard-based batches to see if the blue continues to misbehave.

Todd


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## CaraBou (Jan 3, 2016)

Very cool! I don't know much about 3D printers but a friend recently propositioned something involving a printer and soap.  He is really into curling -- you know, the sport where you slide a stone on ice to reach a target. He wants to give his teammates a novelty gift of a curling stone made of soap. He has another friend who has a 3D printer so we were thinking that guy might be able to make me some molds and the handles.  Then we'd just need to figure out how to secure them.  I don't know anything about 3D printers.  Can they print silicone molds?


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## Todd_in_Minnesota (Jan 3, 2016)

CaraBou said:


> Very cool! I don't know much about 3D printers but a friend recently propositioned something involving a printer and soap.  He is really into curling -- you know, the sport where you slide a stone on ice to reach a target. He wants to give his teammates a novelty gift of a curling stone made of soap. He has another friend who has a 3D printer so we were thinking that guy might be able to make me some molds and the handles.  Then we'd just need to figure out how to secure them.  I don't know anything about 3D printers.  Can they print silicone molds?


Hey 'Bou,
I'll start by saying I'm not the "3D Smartperson".   I only know about the printers my buddy brings to work.
There are dozens of variations, and more options every month.  I don't even try to keep up. 
The printers I've played with only print PLA plastic, but within the last couple months somebody has introduced a silicone that can be 3D extruded... by the right printer. They're primarily using it so far to print simulation body-parts for diagnostic and surgery training. I suspect it would be expensive. 

Another approach would be to use a conventional 3D printer to print a PLA mold to create the 3D silicone molds in (e.g. here).  You might find a digital plan of what you want on the Interwebs, already made.  A good place to start is thingiverse.com. 

I wish I knew more, but it's just a fun sideline for me and I don't spend too much time with it.
Cheers.
Todd


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## doriettefarm (Jan 3, 2016)

That is very cool use of a 3D printer!  My dad actually has one and was showing it off when we were over there for Christmas.  It never occurred to me at the time how to take advantage of dad's new gadget for soapy purposes.  Now I have visions of soap stamps and bevelers swirling in my head thanks to Todd!  Just need to find out what file format(s) the printer can ingest and see if my hubs can draw up some designs in AutoCad . . .


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## Todd_in_Minnesota (Jan 3, 2016)

doriettefarm said:


> That is very cool use of a 3D printer!  My dad actually has one and was showing it off when we were over there for Christmas.  It never occurred to me at the time how to take advantage of dad's new gadget for soapy purposes.  Now I have visions of soap stamps and bevelers swirling in my head thanks to Todd!  Just need to find out what file format(s) the printer can ingest and see if my hubs can draw up some designs in AutoCad . . .


Best Luck Doriette,
Like I say, I'm not the smartest 3D printing guy, but if you get stuck with basic stuff I'm willing to help.
The possibilities are endless.
Todd


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## DeeAnna (Jan 3, 2016)

Doriette -- Your DH will need the 3D version of AutoCad -- he might have only 2D if it's a home install. Fun stuff!


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## MySoapyHeart (Jan 4, 2016)

Lovely pastel soaps you made! And the scent-combo sounds really yummy
Really cool stamps too.

If I had a 3D printer (or knew someone who did, which I don`t) I would love to have a personalized stamp with a small flower, butterfly etc, + my initials to stamp on my soaps, so when I give them away it makes it extra special

I know I can get generic ones from ebay for $20 +, but those doesn`t have that personal touch.


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## Todd_in_Minnesota (Jan 4, 2016)

Hi Heart,
The 3D possibilities are truly endless... especially if you like the technical part of the job.
Also - I love your tagline! Makes me smile every time.
T


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