This technique has got me smitten! It’s a wildly convoluted production, IMO. But, I love it!
Got any tricks or tips that you’ve found useful for this process?
Got any tricks or tips that you’ve found useful for this process?
Pull Through tips & tricks.
- Thread starter TashaBird
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I think you should be giving the tips @TashaBird! You have made some stunning pull through soaps! Those ”Dirt Roots” are perfection!
Hear-hear!
cerelife
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I totally agree. Your pull-through soaps are amazing!!
DKing
Well-Known Member
I think @TashaBird should consider doing a video? You genuinely have some of the best consistent results that I have seen with this method. You could probably teach us all a lot. 
@TashaBird I was a bit disappointed to click this thread and discover that it was not a pull-though tips-and-tricks compilation from you.
I'm glad I'm not alone in this feeling.
I'm glad I'm not alone in this feeling.
I tried doing video, but I’m not good at it. I post some on IG, but not a lot of shapers follow me, so there’s no point. I’ve got lots of weird little things that I find helpful. Mostly it’s just a lot of prep. I follow the directions I got with my tool.
Here, line the squeeze bottles with bags, tape the bags down, then poke a couple of holes near the top edge to let the air in the bottle out. Or else your bag won’t hold as much as it can. (Pic below)
And, tape a long pipette tip to the nozzle, and clip nozzle and pipette tip to about 1/4”.
Here, line the squeeze bottles with bags, tape the bags down, then poke a couple of holes near the top edge to let the air in the bottle out. Or else your bag won’t hold as much as it can. (Pic below)
And, tape a long pipette tip to the nozzle, and clip nozzle and pipette tip to about 1/4”.
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Y’all are funny! I was thinking the thread would be a cumulative collaboration. 
Umm, so this is a really good idea, but you happen to be kinda sorta basically the best-est-est to my knowledge.Y’all are funny! I was thinking the thread would be a cumulative collaboration.
My love of a good assembly line finally paying off!Umm, so this is a really good idea, but you happen to be kinda sorta basically the best-est-est to my knowledge.
tommysgirl
Well-Known Member
Just watched those videos, now I wanna try it! Lol! Looking around my house to see what I can dismantle and turn into a pull tool (like the plastic tote basket in one of the videos)! You are inspiring 
@TashaBird your pull-throughs are the standard now 
Quite a process you have set up, but I can see now why your soaps are all so uniform. A sign of a good process - it's repeatable.
And thank you for sharing your pics. I was having a hard time visualizing poking the hole in the top of the bag to release air - a picture is worth a thousand words! I tried using bottles one time and gave up because I hated fooling with the bag. I was going to try again w/o them but thought the cleanup would be a PIA so I've been procrastinating. Now maybe I'll try again. I did just get an Amazon package with some air bags yesterday...
Quite a process you have set up, but I can see now why your soaps are all so uniform. A sign of a good process - it's repeatable.
And thank you for sharing your pics. I was having a hard time visualizing poking the hole in the top of the bag to release air - a picture is worth a thousand words! I tried using bottles one time and gave up because I hated fooling with the bag. I was going to try again w/o them but thought the cleanup would be a PIA so I've been procrastinating. Now maybe I'll try again. I did just get an Amazon package with some air bags yesterday...
With the bags clean up is so easy, and I can reuse the bottles. I swear I’m almost as pleased with how my clean up process is progressing, as I am with the soap!@TashaBird your pull-throughs are the standard now
Quite a process you have set up, but I can see now why your soaps are all so uniform. A sign of a good process - it's repeatable.
And thank you for sharing your pics. I was having a hard time visualizing poking the hole in the top of the bag to release air - a picture is worth a thousand words! I tried using bottles one time and gave up because I hated fooling with the bag. I was going to try again w/o them but thought the cleanup would be a PIA so I've been procrastinating. Now maybe I'll try again. I did just get an Amazon package with some air bags yesterday...
And, with the bags, I remove them and squeeze the left over batter into individual cavity molds and get some super cute soaps!
When and if I run out of those packing bags again, I will try dog poo bags next. I’ve used produce bags, and ziplocks with decent success too.
@TashaBird
Since everyone says you're the best at this, have you tried making custom plates that aren't just a repeating pattern? I wanted to try a pull through soap for Halloween with maybe a ghost or pumpkin plate (which I'd have to make) but don't know if it would have the same effect, the holes not being evenly spaced and all. Don't know if it would end up looking like mud or not.
Since everyone says you're the best at this, have you tried making custom plates that aren't just a repeating pattern? I wanted to try a pull through soap for Halloween with maybe a ghost or pumpkin plate (which I'd have to make) but don't know if it would have the same effect, the holes not being evenly spaced and all. Don't know if it would end up looking like mud or not.
I’m trying SO hard to get some made right now! The butterfly and dragon fly worked fairly well. The snowflake might be better as a negative. I’m also trying to get a Christmas tree. I hope I can get some soon.
What are you using to make the plates with? I have some metal lids I was going to use my Dremel tool on to cut in designs and my mold is a length of pvc pipe. The Dremel idea may not work, i haven't had a chance to try it yet. Thick acrylic or plastic might work better, I'm just trying to stick with what I have on-hand.
I’m going to try a lid from an old plastic storage tote. I got a bird shape half cut out with an exacto knife and it was super hard! Might try my pyrography machine, could cut with heat.
The problem with metal lids is that usually the metal will have a bad reaction with the lye in the soap batter. If it happens to be aluminum, the lye will burn right through it.
Do they even make those fold-top sandwich bags any more, the ones we all used for school lunches before they made ziplocks? It seems like those might be the right size and consistency.
ETA: and they are cheap, and clear. I looked at dog poo bags, but they are all colored, so it would make it hard to see the batter.
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