I'm doing my usual hanger swirls today and the thought came to me, has a hanger swirl ever been done starting at the short end of the log mold instead of the long side? Obviously it couldn't be a hanger. Nor could it be Ione's swirl technique. Can't picture what it would look like but just dreaming....
Hanger swirls
- Thread starter soapmaker
- Start date
Help Support Soapmaking Forum:
Peachy Clean Soap
Well-Known Member
ResolvableOwl
Notorious Lyear
The important thing with hanger swirls is the angle between the hanger wire and the cutting plane when cutting the soap loaf into individual pieces. Usually it's perpendicular, i. e. the wire cutter would cut perpendicular through the hanger if you left it in the batter. When you use a small hanger in another angle, and you still cut the usual slices, the swirl will be much different, but my imagination isn't sufficient either to come up with how this could be like 
. Possibly not particularly impressive at all.
What you could do in addition to that, is that you cut differently. Just like with the lazy wood grain design that pulls much of its impressive effect from the unorthodox cutting.
But I'm with @Peachy Clean Soap: There is only one way to find it out, lol.
. Possibly not particularly impressive at all.What you could do in addition to that, is that you cut differently. Just like with the lazy wood grain design that pulls much of its impressive effect from the unorthodox cutting.
But I'm with @Peachy Clean Soap: There is only one way to find it out, lol.
KimW
Well-Known Member
Agree with @Peachy Clean Soap and @ResolvableOwl. Hanger swirls are one of the few things I knew about before finding SMF, and they can be done from any side or angle with nice results as long as there's some pre-thought to the swirl and cut.
This is one way to cut when doing a hanger swirl along the short end of a loaf, and I'm pretty sure it's the same cut done for the "wood grain" design RO mentioned:
Cutting in a normal fashion you don't end up with anything too impressive but you can get a two-sided soap look if you're methodical with the spacing of your hanger swirl. That is, make your swirls very purposefully 1 inch apart (or whatever is the normal thickness of your bars), then cut between the swirls.
Doing a hanger swirl diagonally through a loaf and then cutting normally can yield bars that look as though they've been cut in half and then welded back together. Sort of cute if you ask me.
....I like hanger swirls....
This is one way to cut when doing a hanger swirl along the short end of a loaf, and I'm pretty sure it's the same cut done for the "wood grain" design RO mentioned:
Cutting in a normal fashion you don't end up with anything too impressive but you can get a two-sided soap look if you're methodical with the spacing of your hanger swirl. That is, make your swirls very purposefully 1 inch apart (or whatever is the normal thickness of your bars), then cut between the swirls.
Doing a hanger swirl diagonally through a loaf and then cutting normally can yield bars that look as though they've been cut in half and then welded back together. Sort of cute if you ask me.
....I like hanger swirls....
Exactly. But I'm not looking to make anything more difficult by cutting differentlyThe important thing with hanger swirls is the angle between the hanger wire and the cutting plane when cutting the soap loaf into individual pieces. Usually it's perpendicular, i. e. the wire cutter would cut perpendicular through the hanger if you left it in the batter. When you use a small hanger in another angle, and you still cut the usual slices, the swirl will be much different, but my imagination isn't sufficient either to come up with how this could be like
What you could do in addition to that, is that you cut differently. Just like with the lazy wood grain design that pulls much of its impressive effect from the unorthodox cutting.
But I'm with @Peachy Clean Soap: There is only one way to find it out, lol.
I have 5 lb. molds and make 3 batches at a time so enough is enough! I agree I'd just have to try. I was seeing if anyone already tried.
ResolvableOwl
Notorious Lyear
Since there aren't already too many clumsy sketches for hanger swirl instructions yet, I'll add another one:
That was my idea with a “short” hanger swirl. Not exactly parallel along the short edge of the loaf mould, but slightly skewed. That way, you cut the swirl structures in a very shallow angle, which might produce interesting optical effects, either similar or totally unlike perpendicular hanger swirl cuts. And you can stay with plain old cutting slices from the soap loaf.
That was my idea with a “short” hanger swirl. Not exactly parallel along the short edge of the loaf mould, but slightly skewed. That way, you cut the swirl structures in a very shallow angle, which might produce interesting optical effects, either similar or totally unlike perpendicular hanger swirl cuts. And you can stay with plain old cutting slices from the soap loaf.
A
amd
Maybe not with a hanger, but a spoon swirl is usually done with a *shocker* spoon or chopstick (or similar long stick) and swoop through the batter along the short end. I'm at work so can't look up any YT vids, but I've seen this on Eve's Garden's channel, as well as Ellen Ruth's, I think. There's a couple different techniques referred to as the "spoon swirl" so it may take a bit of looking around to find it in a Google search.
Well you're really good with getting your ideas on the screen. If I'm understanding, I would want to dive in and pull out many times in a 28 bar mold. Also do some loop de loops moving forward.
ResolvableOwl
Notorious Lyear
The stage is yours. Do whatever you want, how often and how deep you want. My sole point is to think beyond right angles.
Got it
I'm wondering the same!
Peachy Clean Soap
Well-Known Member
Thx for your post' very informative.Agree with @Peachy Clean Soap and @ResolvableOwl. Hanger swirls are one of the few things I knew about before finding SMF, and they can be done from any side or angle with nice results as long as there's some pre-thought to the swirl and cut.
This is one way to cut when doing a hanger swirl along the short end of a loaf, and I'm pretty sure it's the same cut done for the "wood grain" design RO mentioned:
View attachment 57150
Cutting in a normal fashion you don't end up with anything too impressive but you can get a two-sided soap look if you're methodical with the spacing of your hanger swirl. That is, make your swirls very purposefully 1 inch apart (or whatever is the normal thickness of your bars), then cut between the swirls.
Doing a hanger swirl diagonally through a loaf and then cutting normally can yield bars that look as though they've been cut in half and then welded back together. Sort of cute if you ask me.
....I like hanger swirls....
That would depend on the pour wouldn't it? I was thinking of pouring in thin lines back and forth from end to end, alternating colours, building layers to the top.Doing a hanger swirl diagonally through a loaf and then cutting normally can yield bars that look as though they've been cut in half and then welded back together. Sort of cute if you ask me.
....I like hanger swirls....
Peachy Clean Soap
Well-Known Member
Um, some certain people may need to be reminded that this is a soap forum, some certain people may have wandered off into another deep discussion.
Yes, I've done that when all I had handy was a very short gear tie. And when using a square 1-pound mold, that's really the only option for a hanger swirl & when I travel that's the mold I tend to bring.
Microchick
Well-Known Member
Katie Carson's brother did one once. It turned out pretty cool.
Last edited:
I'm planning to give it a go this afternoon. I don't know if it will be worth looking at but I'll show you one way or another.
