# Embedding Cold Process into Melt and Pour ???



## Happy2018 (Feb 18, 2018)

Hi,

I bought some melt and pour base from:

http://www.saffireblue.ca/shop/

I've also been making small cold press soap shapes, that I would love to embed into melt and pour for gifts. 

Has any one done this?

I did search and find the reverse, that people have put melt and pour into CP, but that is not what I want to do. 

Thank you


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## cmzaha (Feb 18, 2018)

Yes  you can embed M&P. CP is cold process not cold press. Sorry just thought I would clarify. And yes you can do the reverse and embed Cold Process (cp) into M&P but it is trickier to keep them suspended. You will probably have to pour in layers to keep the cp suspended. Experiment and you will know


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## Happy2018 (Feb 18, 2018)

Thank you, and about the Cold process not Cold Press :lol   major type-o


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## SunRiseArts (Feb 19, 2018)

I do it all the time!  Is like my favorite thing.  What are you planning to do?

Just make sure your cold process batch is around 120 to 130, so your MP will stick.  Not hotter, or it would melt.  And spray with alcohol!


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## shunt2011 (Feb 19, 2018)

She's wanting to put CP imbeds in MP.    I would spray the CP imbed with a bit of alcohol and as others stated you'll likely need to do it in layers to get it to suspend.  I've not tried this myself but do put MP in CP without issue.


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## SunRiseArts (Feb 19, 2018)

Another 'duh' moment for me.  Thanks IrishLass.

Although thinking about it, process should be similar, though.


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## earlene (Feb 20, 2018)

SunRiseArts said:


> Another 'duh' moment for me.  Thanks IrishLass.
> 
> Although thinking about it, process should be similar, though.


Is this another instance of disconnected threads?  Or just an accidental post on the wrong thread.  It's so hard to know what's going on.  As per Vinnie Barbarino, 'I'm so confused!'


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## SunRiseArts (Feb 20, 2018)

lololol  I was crazy about John Travolta when I was a teenager.

I think I am going to refrain some from posting, until  can figure things out.


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## Laurabolyard (Feb 20, 2018)

Well, then let me ask a similar question here. I have lots of pretty, thin trimmings from cp loaves. I've wondered if I could cut them up and put them in a clear mp. I've been trying to picture the look. Thoughts?


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## SunRiseArts (Feb 21, 2018)

I have done that.  I hate waste, so I save the shavings and everything!  They actually can look very pretty.  You can add a dash of diamond mica or glitter, and they are super cool.

I put a lot of those below, but you can put and little or as much as you want.  Have a matching FO!


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## Laurabolyard (Feb 21, 2018)

SunRiseArts said:


> I have done that.  I hate waste, so I save the shavings and everything!  They actually can look very pretty.  You can add a dash of diamond mica or glitter, and they are super cool.
> 
> I put a lot of those below, but you can put and little or as much as you want.  Have a matching FO!


Yay, I want to try!!


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## SunRiseArts (Feb 21, 2018)

You know the rules Laura!  Post pictures when you do!


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## Happy2018 (Feb 22, 2018)

SunRiseArts said:


> I have done that.  I hate waste, so I save the shavings and everything!  They actually can look very pretty.  You can add a dash of diamond mica or glitter, and they are super cool.
> 
> I put a lot of those below, but you can put and little or as much as you want.  Have a matching FO!




WOW  that looks awesome!


Thank for the reply an sorry for the late response.


One of the questions I had is that, my CP mini soaps are curing, and then if I put them into layer by layer MP they should take

Those pics above,  the colours shavings, they had to be already cured to a degree before you put them into the melt and pour, and was there any separation?

They looks so good!

Thank you!


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## SunRiseArts (Feb 23, 2018)

Your welcome 

I would wait for them to cure 4 weeks.  It probably be ok sooner, but I do wait 4 weeks.  Since they are shred, they will cure faster.  Maybe someone here with the chemistry knowledge can tell us if it is not necessary to wait that long.

Personally I have use HP and CP after 2 weeks, when I want to check how it came out, without any problems.


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## Happy2018 (Mar 6, 2018)

I think by this time they have cured for 4 weeks. When I make them I'll post pictures.


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## SunRiseArts (Mar 15, 2018)

Here is a hybrid soap I made recently.  I have been on a roll lately ....


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## Laurabolyard (Mar 20, 2018)

I am wanting to put a layer of cp onto melt and pour, any recommendations?  I was thinking that I should put the cp layer on when the mold is firm, but not completely set up, and alcohol of course.


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## shunt2011 (Mar 20, 2018)

Laurabolyard said:


> I am wanting to put a layer of cp onto melt and pour, any recommendations?  I was thinking that I should put the cp layer on when the mold is firm, but not completely set up, and alcohol of course.


I don't think I would try to layer it.   Adhesion would be a big problem and it may separate.  I've not tried it myself.  But have done MP swirls in CP and MP imbeds inside and on top.   I would probably scratch the top of the MP then spray with alcohol then pour the CP layer.  Might get lucky and it sticks.


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## jcandleattic (Mar 20, 2018)

Laurabolyard said:


> I am wanting to put a layer of cp onto melt and pour, any recommendations?  I was thinking that I should put the cp layer on when the mold is firm, but not completely set up, and alcohol of course.



I've done a CP/MP layered soap before. I had CP on the bottom, a layer of clear M&P, then a final layer of CP. I poured the M&P on top of set (but still wet) CP, then after pouring the M&P, I made the CP to pour on top of the M&P so the M&P was completely cool and set by the time the final layer was ready. I didn't score/scratch the top of the M&P but did make sure the CP layers gelled and then had to cut by hand (as to not ruin my wire cutter) 
Worked great, and the layers didn't separate, or even hint of falling apart, even after a full cure. 

I have a picture somewhere but it's probably on my home computer and I'm at work. IF I can remember when I get home I'll post a pic. It turned out so cool looking, I really need to duplicate the look.


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## Laurabolyard (Mar 20, 2018)

Wow!  Cool!  I'm wanting to do watermelon. Cp as the rind and mp as the red.  It doesn't really matter to me which is on the bottom, whichever will lend itself best to this process!


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## cmzaha (Mar 20, 2018)

I have done the same as jcandleattic and it works fine. Only problem was I could not use my wire cutter for cutting the bars. So I gave up on layering m&p


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## Laurabolyard (Mar 20, 2018)

Which do you think is better on the bottom?


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## SunRiseArts (Mar 21, 2018)

jcandleattic  pictures please!

I have not done layers, but I have done a on the drop type swirl adding MP into CP batter.

IMO the most important thing to watch out for is temperature.  If you put it together under 120 F , it might separate.


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## Misschief (Mar 21, 2018)

I recently did something similar to what jcandleattic did. The base on this soap is Oatmeal, Milk, & Honey CP. The "honeycomb" is M&P. The M&P was made in the mold first, poured over bubble wrap. Then I made my CP batter, spritzed the base with alcohol and poured the CP over it. I did let it gel and the heat produced fused the two together.

ETA: this was my second attempt. I didn't allow my first try to gel and it came apart, right out of the mold.


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## jcandleattic (Mar 21, 2018)

SunRiseArts said:


> jcandleattic  pictures please!
> 
> I have not done layers, but I have done a on the drop type swirl adding MP into CP batter.
> 
> IMO the most important thing to watch out for is temperature.  If you put it together under 120 F , it might separate.


My friend that I made them with is sending me the pics. As soon as I get them I'll add them.


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## jcandleattic (Mar 21, 2018)

SunRiseArts said:


> jcandleattic  pictures please!
> I have not done layers, but I have done a on the drop type swirl adding MP into CP batter.
> IMO the most important thing to watch out for is temperature.  If you put it together under 120 F , it might separate.



Okay, here are the pics, I did the first one (the pink one) that didn't quite turn out like I wanted, then went to a friends house and we did the next one. (purple one) The purple one we decided to put CP soap shreds in the M&P part, and it just turned out so much better than the pics show. 
We also didn't soap hot, we soaped room temp, but made sure the soap gelled, so the M&P soap would not separate.


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## Laurabolyard (Mar 21, 2018)

jcandleattic said:


> Okay, here are the pics, I did the first one (the pink one) that didn't quite turn out like I wanted, then went to a friends house and we did the next one. (purple one) The purple one we decided to put CP soap shreds in the M&P part, and it just turned out so much better than the pics show.
> We also didn't soap hot, we soaped room temp, but made sure the soap gelled, so the M&P soap would not separate.
> View attachment 29426
> 
> ...


That's STUNNING!!  I have some questions, you had to make 2 batches of cp?  How long did you wait (you said you gelled) before putting the MY layer?
How do you think it would go with hp?


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## Laurabolyard (Mar 22, 2018)

Misschief said:


> I recently did something similar to what jcandleattic did. The base on this soap is Oatmeal, Milk, & Honey CP. The "honeycomb" is M&P. The M&P was made in the mold first, poured over bubble wrap. Then I made my CP batter, spritzed the base with alcohol and poured the CP over it. I did let it gel and the heat produced fused the two together.
> 
> ETA: this was my second attempt. I didn't allow my first try to gel and it came apart, right out of the mold.


I was actually trying to search for your post, I had remembered you doing this!  How did you get it to gel over the mold?


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## Misschief (Mar 22, 2018)

Laurabolyard said:


> I was actually trying to search for your post, I had remembered you doing this!  How did you get it to gel over the mold?



I used the M&P layer from the earlier batch that had failed, put it back into the bottom of the mold, then poured the CP soap over it. I had prewarmed my oven to about 170ºF, put the soap in, then turned the oven off. I know that OMH soap can overheat quickly so I kept an eye on it and took it out after about an hour of so and let it do its thing without further wrapping or covering. The goal was to warm up the M&P enough that the two layers would stick together.

Incidentally, I use a wire cheese slicer to cut my soaps (one day I'll have a Bud cutter, I swear I will) and I had no issue when I slowly cut through the M&P layer first.


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## jcandleattic (Mar 22, 2018)

Laurabolyard said:


> That's STUNNING!!  I have some questions, you had to make 2 batches of cp?  How long did you wait (you said you gelled) before putting the MY layer?
> How do you think it would go with hp?



for the pink one, I didn't make 2 CP batches. I made one, poured some cp on the bottom, then melted and poured my M&P, using a spatula so it wouldn't fall down into the CP, then let that sit, all the while the rest of my cp batch was in the pour pot. Once the M&P was solid enough to hold the top layer, I poured the rest of the CP.
In between layers was probably about 10 minutes max. 
It honestly didn't take much longer than it would to do intricate swirls like I normally do as well. 

On the purple one, honestly I can't remember if we made 2 batches or did what I did above, but honestly either way would work.

Yes, I gelled by putting the mold and soap in a box, then covering the box with 2 layers of towels, (basically the same process I do with every batch of CP I make)

I have no idea how this would work with HP as I don't do a lot of HPing, because I absolutely loathe the process and the outcome is never what I want, so IF I have to rebatch, then I'll do it, but other than that, I CP.


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## Laurabolyard (Mar 22, 2018)

jcandleattic said:


> for the pink one, I didn't make 2 CP batches. I made one, poured some cp on the bottom, then melted and poured my M&P, using a spatula so it wouldn't fall down into the CP, then let that sit, all the while the rest of my cp batch was in the pour pot. Once the M&P was solid enough to hold the top layer, I poured the rest of the CP.
> In between layers was probably about 10 minutes max.
> It honestly didn't take much longer than it would to do intricate swirls like I normally do as well.
> 
> ...


Do you mind if I try your style with hp?  I would like to experiment!


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## jcandleattic (Mar 22, 2018)

Laurabolyard said:


> Do you mind if I try your style with hp?  I would like to experiment!


I don't mind. I'm sure I didn't invent this style, so I wouldn't claim it as mine.  
Have fun and post your results!!


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## Laurabolyard (Mar 22, 2018)

jcandleattic said:


> I don't mind. I'm sure I didn't invent this style, so I wouldn't claim it as mine.
> Have fun and post your results!!


I am wondering how long I should let the hp cool before the mp. Well, it IS an experiment!!  Will definitely post results!  Thanx


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## Laurabolyard (Mar 22, 2018)

Ok, I did HP and it passed the first test by at least staying together. We'll see how it holds up!  It wasn't without its challenges, newb stuff. For example, MP doesn't play nicely in a wax paper lined loaf mold!  A LOT ran behind the paper making unmolding a BIG challenge!
 The MP layer was supposed to be more of a turquoise, but obviously not enough color. And then there's the fact that there were THREE kitchen clean-ups!
Overall, I'm excited to know that it worked, THUS FAR!!
It would be fun to put little fish embeds in there, it reminds me of my fish tank!


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## Laurabolyard (Mar 23, 2018)

I had not made an adjustment in my recipe for amount of oils, taking into consideration that some was going to be MP, so I was able to do a 5 lb and a 3 lb.
 I had forgotten to spray the top of the mp layer of the 3 lb with alcohol before adding the top cp. thankfully I don't see a difference yet. I washed my hands with an end piece, so far, so good!  I'm excited!


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