Mat Work

[BrewerGeorge]

Experimenting with the new silicone mats.

French green clay and yellow clay for the colors. Swirl on top. The green is a bit more noticeable in person. Once it's cleaned up it should be nice.

 

[Susie]

Gorgeous!

 

[CaraBou]

Success! I like them a lot.

 

[Cindy2428]

Very elegant

 

[jules92207]

Very nice!

 

[penelopejane]

Brewer George,
Good job.
I just discovered this tool that works really well on the silicone mats to completely clear off the colour:

https://tinyurl.com/ybjh2hdw

I am sure you have something similar in the US. The grey bit is flexible silicone. Works well and so cheap!

 

[navigator9]

Nice job George, those are beautiful!

 

[BrewerGeorge]

Brewer George,
Good job.
I just discovered this tool that works really well on the silicone mats to completely clear off the colour:

https://tinyurl.com/ybjh2hdw

I am sure you have something similar in the US. The grey bit is flexible silicone. Works well and so cheap!

Thanks! I struggled with a spatula, and you can see I didn't do the best job with the yellow/orange.

 

[dixiedragon]

Did you trim the mat to fit in your mold?

 

[BrewerGeorge]

Did you trim the mat to fit in your mold?

Yes. I bought this one from Amazon and it's big enough for 2 or 3 bottoms of a 1501, depending on how you cut it. I cut the mat used on the green leaves between the two "vines" on the mat, for example, which made a more interesting pattern at the cost of giving up a possible extra mat. I may still have enough to make a third one, but I'm not sure how interesting it would be. I'll have to consider it, since once the bar is cut the larger pattern is less significant.

 

[dibbles]

Yes. I bought this one from Amazon and it's big enough for 2 or 3 bottoms of a 1501, depending on how you cut it. I cut the mat used on the green leaves between the two "vines" on the mat, for example, which made a more interesting pattern at the cost of giving up a possible extra mat. I may still have enough to make a third one, but I'm not sure how interesting it would be. I'll have to consider it, since once the bar is cut the larger pattern is less significant.

If you have any individual cavity molds, maybe you could cut the rest of your mat to fit those and use for leftover batter. I think you made the right choice in the way you cut your mat apart. Very nice looking soaps.

 

[jcandleattic]

Thanks! I struggled with a spatula, and you can see I didn't do the best job with the yellow/orange.

I believe brambleberry has a flat spatula very similar to the one that penolopejane linked too. Works absolutely amazing. (They do, I added the link)

https://www.brambleberry.com/Triangle-Silicone-Spatula-P5856.aspx

 

[dixiedragon]

What do you use to cut the mat?

 

[BrewerGeorge]

What do you use to cut the mat?

Scissors and patience. :headbanging:

I still have a little trimming to do, actually, as the wheat one is still bubbling up a bit. The saving grace is that the edges don't have to be absolutely perfect if you're going to trim the corners of the bars.

 

[jcandleattic]

I cut mine with a box cutter.
First I use a ruler to make the straight line (on the smooth back side of it) then take my box cutter, score it along the straight line which then makes the actual cutting of the mat much easier and gives a straighter edge.

I can't cut a straight line on paper using scissors, let alone something like this. LOL

 

[BrewerGeorge]

I believe brambleberry has a flat spatula very similar to the one that penolopejane linked too. Works absolutely amazing. (They do, I added the link)

https://www.brambleberry.com/Triangle-Silicone-Spatula-P5856.aspx

Thanks for that. Surprisingly, Amazon has really let me down on the triangle spatula front. I guess I'll try to remember to add this one the next time I place an order with BB.

 

[jcandleattic]

Thanks for that. Surprisingly, Amazon has really let me down on the triangle spatula front. I guess I'll try to remember to add this one the next time I place an order with BB.

You're welcome. I have this exact spatula (however got it a subscription box, not directly from Bramble Berry) and it works GREAT. I love it. I believe this is also the spatula that Soap Queen (Anne Marie) uses in her silicone mat tutorial.

 

[toxikon]

Gonna buy some texture mats now...

 

[BrewerGeorge]

If you have any individual cavity molds, maybe you could cut the rest of your mat to fit those and use for leftover batter. I think you made the right choice in the way you cut your mat apart. Very nice looking soaps.

This is a great idea, and I should mention that there are a lot of mats available that I rejected because their figures were too small for a loaf that would look great on an individual bar.

 

[penelopejane]

Thanks for that. Surprisingly, Amazon has really let me down on the triangle spatula front. I guess I'll try to remember to add this one the next time I place an order with BB.

Try aliexpress - free shipping.

I use a roller cutter (fabric cutter).