A question about dividers in a slab.

[Anika]

Hi, I'm thinking of getting/building dividers because cutting soap is just not something I enjoy.

So I figure dividers might work. The matter of design worries me. I looked around on the forums and one person did mention it pulling the design down. How is this avoided? Waiting until it sets up more? Are there any other design-related concerns to consider? Thanks!

 

[Carolyne Thrasher]

Hi, I'm thinking of getting/building dividers because cutting soap is just not something I enjoy.

So I figure dividers might work. The matter of design worries me. I looked around on the forums and one person did mention it pulling the design down. How is this avoided? Waiting until it sets up more? Are there any other design-related concerns to consider? Thanks!

Clyde at Vibrant Soaps uses brambleberries 18 bar slab mold dividers in several videos on YouTube. You can watch start to ummold and see for yourself. I bought the same dividers for my 9-bar slab and really like them. I’m terrible at cutting.

Here’s a link to one of Clyde’s videos where he uses the divider.

 

[SaltedFig]

Dragging will happen when the batter is liquid ... it follows the same principles that swirling does - so if you can swirl the soap, a divider will create a downward "swirl" face on the soap. This can be quite thin (in terms of depth into the soap), but it is a reason to plane soaps.

Your idea of using a divider when the batter is thicker is sensible. I've found the top surface shows a curved impression of the divider when the batter is stiffer.

Why not make a make-shift divider (out of a bit of cutting board, or acrylic, or even cling-wrap over cardboard) to practice "dividing" the end of your soap log/slab at different saponification stages, to see whether you will like it?