# Addicted to Planing my Soaps



## lpstephy85 (Jan 8, 2014)

I bought a lovely planer of etsy and I love just standing there and cleaning up every single bar, especially when dramatic differences like so happen. I'm sure it is easy to tell the before and after. Though please disregard the blue dots of my blue ultramarine that didn't get dispersed as well as I would like even though I used my mini mixer.


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## judymoody (Jan 9, 2014)

Love the purple!  What a difference.


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## Nevada (Jan 9, 2014)

I am addicted to PLANNING my soaps. Dozens of printed recipes lay about.


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## lpstephy85 (Jan 9, 2014)

Nevada said:


> I have an addicted to PLANNING my soaps. Dozens of printed recipes lay about.




You are not the only one. Thankfully I am narrowing my go-to recipes down.


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## shunt2011 (Jan 9, 2014)

I have been trimming my soaps with a potato peeler for 3 years.  I just received my planer from For Crafts Sake and I am in heaven.  So much quicker and easier.  I did 300 bars in no time.


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## indulgebandb (Jan 9, 2014)

Haha! On the planning- when I first saw the title I thought that's what it said until I opened it and read the post. Glad others made that connection too! I thought- oh good- someone else like me!


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## seven (Jan 9, 2014)

so much neat and professional looking with a planer, now i want one!

btw, what did you use to mix your ultramarine? as far as i know, ultramarines need to be mixed with water. i did it with an oil once, and it came up exactly like yours.


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## roseb (Jan 9, 2014)

The difference is dramatic!  I'm still using a potato peeler and bathing my soap.  Who did you get it from?


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## Neve (Jan 9, 2014)

I have not seen a planer, how do you do it and keep the texture on top?


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## Numbers (Jan 9, 2014)

I have an acrylic one that's nice and sharp and clean up is a breeze. I think I got it from soap making essentials or something like that.


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## lpstephy85 (Jan 9, 2014)

seven said:


> so much neat and professional looking with a planer, now i want one!
> 
> btw, what did you use to mix your ultramarine? as far as i know, ultramarines need to be mixed with water. i did it with an oil once, and it came up exactly like yours.



I got mine off Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/160228138/the-original-soap-planerbeveler-gives It was featured in this Soaping 101 video. I sent the video to the DH and asked if he thought he could make and he said to just buy it. I wasn't going to turn that green light down! [ame]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jP6qwLWTNto[/ame]

I do disperse mine in oil so I will try with water next time. Thanks for the tip 





roseb said:


> The difference is dramatic!  I'm still using a potato peeler and bathing my soap.  Who did you get it from?



See above 





Neve said:


> I have not seen a planer, how do you do it and keep the texture on top?




I don't, which was fine on these bars since it looks so much better without in my opinion.


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## lpstephy85 (Jan 9, 2014)

And this is a lilac scented soap which is my favorite floral scent. Our neighbor has a lilac bush that hangs over our fence and I just can't wait for spring time to have that scent float in through the kitchen window!


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## Ancel (Jan 9, 2014)

Your title made me snort tea over my keyboard   Looks great, what a difference! Looking forward to seeing that one appear on Etsy


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## kazmi (Jan 9, 2014)

I bought the same planer and LOVE it!!!  I bought another one awhile back and it just didn't work that good.  Took too much soap off.  So when I watched the soaping101 video and saw the link I snatched one up.  It was the fastest order I have ever received.  Placed my order on a Saturday morning.  She shipped it that same day and I got it on Monday!  and she's many states away from me.  I'd say that's great customer service.  I use my old one just for soap curls now.


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## lpstephy85 (Jan 9, 2014)

kazmi said:


> I bought the same planer and LOVE it!!!  I bought another one awhile back and it just didn't work that good.  Took too much soap off.  So when I watched the soaping101 video and saw the link I snatched one up.  It was the fastest order I have ever received.  Placed my order on a Saturday morning.  She shipped it that same day and I got it on Monday!  and she's many states away from me.  I'd say that's great customer service.  I use my old one just for soap curls now.




I instantly fell in love with it too! And yes, very fast shipping! I need to get the curl thing down. Any suggestions or tutorials on that?


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## TVivian (Jan 9, 2014)

I use a kitchen Mandoline that I bought at Target. It works great! I'm not sure if it takes off too much, but one swipe makes it super straight and smooth.


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## lpstephy85 (Jan 9, 2014)

Nice soap TVivian! V-Day soap?


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## TVivian (Jan 9, 2014)

Thank you! Yes.. I'm getting a few done for February! Your soaps look great


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## Tienne (Jan 10, 2014)

Wow, that looks fantastic, IPStephy! You sure did manage to uncover a beautiful diamond, hidden there in the rough. Beautiful!

Detailing soaps are my favourite part of soaping. Planning out and the actual soaping can be a bit worrying at times. What recipe, what colours to use, what design, will it rice or sieze. Will it come out as I hope, but as soon as the soaps are out of the mold and cut, whew! THEN the fun begins. Then I can sit ever so quietly and just give them all a little one-on-one time and attention and take each soap to the next level and make it all it can be. It's a very zen and satisfying part of the process. I love it and I love my planer too!


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## shunt2011 (Jan 10, 2014)

Mine was from For Crafts Sake and it's so easy.  Just put your soap along the edge and slide it through.  I still do the tops as I've found when they are textured or raised it doesn't work so well but it does all the sides and the bottom nicely.


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## Be Love (Jan 11, 2014)

I have the same planer! I love it too! I was using a veggie peeler until I took several 'chunks' out of my hands! I saw this one on soaping 101 as well. I ordered it right away. They sent it the next day! Relatively quick shipping too (to Canada).


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## Lildlege1 (Jan 12, 2014)

I just bought a planer also and I love love it!!! I am also addicted to planing my soap hahaha
Your soap is awesome and I love that purple color. I have been trying to get mine that purple but no luck with that.


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## lpstephy85 (Jan 12, 2014)

Lildlege1 said:


> I just bought a planer also and I love love it!!! I am also addicted to planing my soap hahaha
> 
> Your soap is awesome and I love that purple color. I have been trying to get mine that purple but no luck with that.




I mix ultramarine blue with a little bit of a fuchsia and red oxide. Works every time!


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## ca_soap (Jan 12, 2014)

I just ordered one, what are the odds that I read this post just a couple days after having a batch ash worse than I have ever had one ash?  Perfect timing!  Thanks


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## Lildlege1 (Jan 13, 2014)

Caution with soap planing!! Wear rubber gloves or something to protect you when planing soap cause I just sliced the tip of my finger really bad.


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## ca_soap (Jan 16, 2014)

My planer arrived today and I have to say it makes a huge difference.  Here is a before and after photo of the batch that ashed up really bad on me that was my driving force for buying a planer.  I weighed the bars before and after planing.  Before they averaged 4.8 to 4.9 oz, planing shaved 3/10 of 1 oz off them or 6 1/4%.  Not a bad trade off, beats rebatching it.  Note to self in the future, don't get in such a hurry to cut soap as the reason it ashed so bad was because I couldn't wait to cut it and cut it way too early.


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## lpstephy85 (Jan 16, 2014)

ca_soap said:


> My planer arrived today and I have to say it makes a huge difference.  Here is a before and after photo of the batch that ashed up really bad on me that was my driving force for buying a planer.  I weighed the bars before and after planing.  Before they averaged 4.8 to 4.9 oz, planing shaved 3/10 of 1 oz off them or 6 1/4%.  Not a bad trade off, beats rebatching it.  Note to self in the future, don't get in such a hurry to cut soap as the reason it ashed so bad was because I couldn't wait to cut it and cut it way too early.




Love it!


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## athallr (Jan 16, 2014)

The purple is so pretty! So fun shaping soaps


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## Paintguru (Feb 3, 2014)

How long after cutting are you folks planing?  With the planer I got off of etsy, I seem to get a divot near the end of the bar for some reason and I'm not sure if this would simply go away as the bar hardens or if it is my technique.


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## shunt2011 (Feb 3, 2014)

I dont' plane mine but I bevel the edges about a week or so after cutting. I prefer them a bit firmer than when just cut.


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## cmzaha (Feb 3, 2014)

shunt2011 said:


> I dont' plane mine but I bevel the edges about a week or so after cutting. I prefer them a bit firmer than when just cut.


 
I do not plane mine either. I just bevel the bottom edge because it make is easier to hold. If, which is seldom, I have a severly ashed soap on all sides of the bar I either steam it or wash it. I like to save all the soap I can on the bar for the customer.


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## tweetibyrd (Feb 13, 2014)

I plane some but not all of mine, depends on what they end up looking like  But I don't bevel or plane till right before I am ready to wrap them. So about the beginning of week 4.


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## kazmi (Feb 14, 2014)

lpstephy85 said:


> I instantly fell in love with it too! And yes, very fast shipping! I need to get the curl thing down. Any suggestions or tutorials on that?


 
I'm sorry for such a late response.  What I do for curls is use my planer that makes deeper cuts.  I plane a very fresh bar of soap.  Appox 1 week old so that its still very soft.  Plane it slowly while pressing quite hard which helps the soap to curl up.  Watch the fingers though.  Don't let too much soap pile up under the planer because the curls will flatten each other.  HTH


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## shunt2011 (Feb 14, 2014)

I too either steam or rinse those that ash.  Fortunately it doesn't happen very often.


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