My soap has a big crack!

[Derpina Bubbles]

This is my 1st batch in weeks and I've completely lost what little soaping mojo I ever had. By the looks of it I should have waited longer to make soap again. I tried to push the crack of doom back together like a git and of course it bounced back, even though it was super soft . Duh.

I went to toss a gold ring in the crack for a Lord of the Rings effect but the husband seemed to think that might be grounds for finally having me committed. Can't make it easy for him, so scratch that.

So, any clever ideas for making this log of soap look less like a study in seismic activity and more like I vaguely know what I'm doing? I haven't dealt with a larger fissure before and I'd hate to rebatch or chop the top. I have some M & P I could fill the crack with but the soap is layers of lemon myrtle with poppy seeds and 3-fold orange with clay so not sure how I'd colour the filling. Any ideas for a good colour choice on that option would be greatly appreciated.

The photo doesn't really show how deep the crack is by the way. The loaf is actually partially split. Looks worse in real life. Most cracks do I suppose :think:.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

You are amazing, Derps!

Staples? Failing that, maybe some sort of plant thing, like lavender buds?

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

You are amazing, Derps!

Staples? Failing that, maybe some sort of plant thing, like lavender buds?

Genius! No, not the staples, but the plant thing. Maybe even just a heavier thread of poppy seeds as a feature in a darker colour M & P soap. I'm going to dig through my botanicals tub.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Still laughing at the thread title...................

 

[Tienne]

If you're contemplating rebatching anyway, before doing that, what I would try is to put the loaf in the oven and let it warm up just enough to get the soap soft. Then, take it out and while it's still warm, gently bang the mould to settle the soap and then drizzle some isopropyl alcohol in the crack and THEN push the crack back together and rub the crack with a gloved finger until it's gone.

I've fixed cracks by putting alcohol in them, but I do that while the loaf is still warm and pliable and I am assuming your loaf is cold by now, hence the idea to warm it up a bit. I have tried CPOPing after he fact with success to fix a partial gel, so the soap won't be harmed, but seeing that the saponification has pretty much already happened, there is nothing to help drive the heat from within and in a wooden mold, it can take ages for the heat from the oven to go all the way through the soap. I've had to have a soap in the oven for 2½ hours after the fact once, (covered) before the soap was hot enough all the way through to get rid of the partial gel. If you try this, you should do it before the soap is more than a day old. I have no experience with what the outcome would be if the soap is any older than that. Rubbing the crack will mess up your textured top a little, but It will still be better than having a crack.

I just had another idea. When you pour isopropyl alcohol into the crack, what you are basically doing, is creating MP out of the soap and the alcohol. The only "problem", is combining the two down there in the crack and then "gluing" the two sides of the cracks together. Maybe... and this is just a maybe coz I don't know how hard or cold your soap is by now... but maybe you could just warm up the crack with a hairdryer really well and then pour in the alcohol in and then push together and rub. I haven't tried that myself, but if it doesn't work, there's nothing lost in trying.

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

The soap is only hours old Tienne so I'm going to give the oven and alcohol a try. Thanks! I always only think of using the alcohol for M & P *facepalm*

 

[yadonm]

How about warming the soap up with a heat gun or a hair dryer and then putting the alcohol it the crack?

 

[lsg]

Be careful of using alcohol and heat at the same time. "The alcohol vapors can ignite!"

http://homepage.smc.edu/walker_muriel/making_soap_Procedure.htm

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

I don't actually have a hairdryer or a heat gun so will stick to the oven trick. The soap is still warm so I'm hoping it doesn't take too long to heat through. Wishing I had of checked the soap earlier to see if there were any problems cause it would have been so much easier to fix it sooner.

 

[new12soap]

Derpina I have to say I am disappointed You changed both the title of the thread, and the punchline!

I think your soap looks great despite the seismic event, but I hope you get it fixed to your liking.

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

Derpina I have to say I am disappointed You changed both the title of the thread, and the punchline!

I think your soap looks great despite the seismic event, but I hope you get it fixed to your liking.

LOL wasn't me. I was edited. I walked the line. Must have crossed it. It's cool.

I'll be happy if I can close the gap a bit, then it'll look a lot better. Cheers :smile:

 

[judymoody]

You know, when you cut it into bars, it will barely be visible.

I'd not rebatch for such a minor issue.

 

[Tienne]

Be sure to let us know the outcome! And post new pics of course, but that's a given.