MP Beginner: Moar Questions: Layesr, Colours, and Volumes (Oh my!)

[AhZo]

Hi - time for stupid questons from me.
All for MP soap. I did one batch and it was fun so i am tipping to my ADHD and going for gustoh
Srry if answers here and I could not find them I tried to search many times and ended up rabbit holed

Layering Timng
if I pour one layer of mp, is there any problme with letting fully harden before pouring subsqent layer? (So I don't run into "oh it wasn't cool enouhg yet"; also I can bne paitent).

Layering mixing different bases
I've seen info on blogs and video about layer not 'adhering' to the previous. Is this rectified merely with alcohol or is this a temperature (see above Q) issue? Would one run into adhering issues between layers if using different types of soap such as a goat milk for one layer and a regular clear basic base for the second?

Mica Colour in MP
Does mica need a suspending MP base?
Alsxo if the base is an amber clear (like the CraftersChoice Detergent Free Honey) would the mica be more intense colour than a liquid dye?
Should I stick to an earthy colour because I really want a honey base - ginger & lemon scented - *blue* bar of soap because I dreamed it and it must be made

Volumes of soap in mold
Mold is 44oz. 1501 loaf mold from Crafters Choice. My first try I just took a 2lb block and it of course did not fill the mold. The only place I found the calc was a single website, but to multiply ounces by factor of 31 for number of grams of soap so 44 ounce is 1364g of soap. Does that sound right? I'm kind of A-R about 'fill it right to the top and DONT WASTE ANY' (LOL) and the Xanax does not help with that kind of anxiety jk. I have difficulty with convert in and out of metric so keep in metric is better for me.

TIA
Pplease type slow because I am not smart.

 

[Carly B]

I did M&P years ago, but I'll try and help.

In terms of layering, I have found alcohol will only do so much. It helps, but it comes
down to timing, temperature, and the base itself. What I would suggest is to practice
with a small, like single cavity small, to see what works best for you. The general consensus here is to not make a huge batch for your first attempt at something. M&P is very easy to do in single bar increments, and the fact that you can remelt it and repour it makes it infinitely experiment-friendly.

Mica does not need a suspending base. In my experience, a liquid color blends easily, but in a white base, it often turns pastel. In clear M&P, both liquid and mica are vibrant. I would recommend looking at the micas on Nurture Soaps site---she has pictures with each mica what it will look like in a clear M&P base. Melt & Pour Soap Colors

My conversion calculator says 44 oz is 1,247 gms, but you don't need to get into the weeds with that in M&P. The thing is, is your mold made for a total of 44 oz, or 44 oz of oil? I would take your mold, and weigh how much water it takes to fill it. That's how much M&P base you need, minus a negligible amount for fragrance or any additives. One thing I always do whether M&P or CP, is I have a single cavity mold or two handy, so if I fill up my big mold, I make individual bars with what is left.

I hope that helped a little. M&P is very forgiving--just don't make too big a batch until you know what to expect.

 

[AhZo]

Thank you for your reply @Carly B
on layering, when you say "it comes down to timing, temperature, and the base itself", is it that the temperature differential between the new layer that one is pouring and the supporting layeres are different enough so that the new layer (as in too hoot) would melt a bit of the supporting lyaer? in that respect, wouldnt best case senario be a completely cooled supportive layer - or arriving there - and keeping th enew layer under 130F?

Conversion calcultaor: The mold says it is 44oz. I assumed this was volume since ounces can be weight or volume in the imperial system I think and is there a relationship between them? So, is 1ounce volume of soap equal to 1 ounce weight of soap? An ounce volume of soap is 31 grams according to How much melt and pour soap will I need for my mold Archives - Natures Garden Fragrance Oils but that is the only pl.ace I have seen this calculaton.
Do you just take as equivalent?
If I just eigh the water that fits in the mold is that an equivalent even though oil is lighter than water?

Edit: I think I take the ounces in the mold description as weight so why the show range

 

[Carly B]

I would recommend you go here: 5 Tips for Layering Melt and Pour Soap - Soap Queen

As she says, the bottom layer needs to be firm enough to support the next layer, but the top layer has to be cool enough to not melt through the bottom layer.

I never did much calculating when I made M&P, but I only made single cavity soaps then, so it really didn't matter that much. If I didn't melt enough the first time, I'd just add more base, and if it was too much, I'd just grab another mold.

You can see from the images below the differences between weight and volume. It's a small enough difference that it the numbers were interchangeable for me doing 3 or 4 bars at a time, so if you don't want to waste any M&P base, I would suggest just have a spare little container/mold and make a guest soap or something.

 

[AhZo]

thank you @Carly B

I appreciat the information.
I am autistic so I kind of have to be prepared wiht much info before I get 'to that point' else its not pretty.

And I love Anne-Marie's videos. thank you for the reminder of that one. They are very well done for those of us with attention deficits/ Dean Wilson's too.