My second attempt and now it's swirlier!

[Guest]

This is my 8th batch of CP, my 2nd attempt at swirls, and with better results. I know I still have a lot of room for improvement. This recipe comes from Dr. Robert McDaniel's "Essentially Soap," what he calls "basic 4 oil soap #1." His recipe has palm, coconut, canola and olive. I substituted castor for olive in an attempt to get the uncolored soap whiter but that failed. I'm sure it will still be a nice soap. I'm also getting better at producing more geometrically shaped bars, this batch having all sharp edges, perpendicular corners, and all almost exactly the same weight. Still not good enough for prime time, but closer than I was with batch #7.

Scented with orange EO 1.5 oz ppo, still not strong enough for me, a bit less than 3# batch produced 16 bars ~3.5 oz each, uncured. Lake yellow #6 colorant (powder looks orange and produces orange in my experience).

 

[Guest]

That looks great! Maybe it will lighten as it ages.

 

[IanT]

nice looking soap!

 

[stepibarra]

They look so cool.... I especially like the swirls; they almost look like waves.

 

[Guest]

Thanks! I forgot to add, it's ITM swirling. I used a teaspoon and went back and forth a few times, poking it here and scooping around a bit, then there and more scooping.

I've seen finer detail in other examples. Can anybody tell me how to get more detail in the swirls? Is that ITP swirling? I won't quit trying until I achieve that... I'll ask in the thread I saw a good example in, Lane's soap.

 

[IanT]

hey man not sure if you saw this yet:

http://beauxeaux.com/swirltutorial/howtoswirl.htm

good link though

 

[Guest]

No, I didn't!!! Those bars at the top of that page, if I could do that good I'd be thrilled! That's the stuff that attracts impulse buyers. If they think the soap will be good for them, if it looks like a miniature work of art, and if it costs less than $10, or better yet two for $10, they're gonna be be strongly tempted to buy it!

Besides, art is forever. Well maybe not in soap...

Thanks for the link. I'll read it and weep.


EDIT: I just read it and it looks good! I'll do it that way next batch I swirl.

 

[IanT]

glad i posted it then! ...bar-appeal can definitely affect impulse buys... thats why i really want to perfect this technique

 

[Guest]

We are of a like mind! Bwahahaha!

 

[IanT]

" so what are we doing tonight Brain.... The same thing we do every night pinky...try and take over the WORLD muahahahahhah hAHAHAHHAHAHA MUAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAA"

 

[Martin]

Those are some very nice bars and swirls I still have to work on mine.

Sonja

 

[Guest]

Sonja, read Ian's link. Once you read it it'll seem more obvious.

 

[Martin]

Thanks Greg copied and pasted. I did read some where that the sides look like that when you use dividers. When you put them in it pulls down.

Thanks again,

Sonja

 

[Guest]

I've heard the same thing about dividers. First swirl then put in dividers and the cutting pulls down the sides of the bars. I'm not sure if that came into play in the photos of the article.

 

[PrincessMommy]

Wow! That looks beautiful! I'm hoping to try my hand at swirling someday soon. Where do you get your colors?

 

[Guest]

Hi Mommy! Let's get you on the road for your first CP batch. Remember that I'm only 8 batches ahead of you, and my first batch was May 13th, only 18 days ago. You are not far behind me and you need only do a little less than a batch every other day at my speed, or if you pick up faster maybe you can do the whole thing in 2-3 days.

Just don't worry about that lye. Get the goggles, get the face mask, get the gloves, and carry the lye carefully. The whole thing takes 10 minutes from measuring lye to pouring it in your oils. You can doff the mask and goggles (if you wear glasses) and can even replace the heavy gloves with thin latex gloves like painters use; that's what I do.

Let's plan out your first batch. You've got your other thread, tell us what you want to do and the other members and I will guide you there.

 

[PrincessMommy]

Hi Mommy! Let's get you on the road for your first CP batch. Remember that I'm only 8 batches ahead of you, and my first batch was May 13th, only 18 days ago.

Let's plan out your first batch. You've got your other thread, tell us what you want to do and the other members and I will guide you there.

LOL - you're so sweet.

Actually, I finally found a site to help me rebatch my other recipe, so this afternoon is rebatch time. I read somewhere that the oven is best. When that was done I was going to update my thread...

I also found an old recipe of mine scribbled in the back of a soap book. I might try that on Monday.

 

[Guest]

LOL - you're so sweet.

That's what all the girls tell me!