Pull Through tips & tricks.

[CherylMoore]

Small tip of the day:
I chose my tool because the maker put the hole for the rod on the side. I haven’t used a center mounted rod, but I think these are an improvement. So, after making all the layers, it’s time to pull up the rod. I tape mine to keep up from moving too much. I learned a few times not to let the ends stick. Fold em over so you’ve got pull tabs. Way easier for slippery hands!!
That’s it, thanks for coming to my class.


I do get weirdly happy about my set up, and my clean up process too.

You spot on with this. First time I used it I had to stop and grab my tape since my rod was falling every which way. I concentrate, have too. That just so annoyed me.

 

[AliOop]

You spot on with this. First time I used it I had to stop and grab my tape since my rod was falling every which way. I concentrate, have too. That just so annoyed me.

To tape a center rod, run a piece of masking tape across the diameter of the mold, making sure that the top of the rod pokes through the tape, and that the sides of the tape fold down over the sides of the mold. You can still pour straight down the center if you have the long pipettes taped to your squeeze bottle.

Or you can simply follow this YouTuber who found a way to attach her center rod to the side: Kaleidoscope Soap

 

[TashaBird]

@KiwiMoose there’s some tips in here.

 

[KiwiMoose]

So why the bottles? Why not just pour through a funnel (what I did). Is that why mine weren’t as good?

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Today I re-invented the " sink stopper" thank you $ store lol w/ a few more added hand cutout holes' thought id have a try w/ the kaleidoscope pull method. We'll sadly it didn't go as plained "sink stopper" template started to float! but on a positive note it was scented plastic' lol. All in all It was fun trying and @ the moment Its getting happy just gelling in the cupboard' .

 

[KiwiMoose]

So after watching all those videos (which I have seen in the past) I am still not sure what I did differently. Perhaps I'll try a different pull-though plate design tomorrow and see if it comes out better. I don't use the plastic bottle method because I don't think my batter is fluid enough to do so ( particularly near the end of the pour when it thickens up a bit) and also because it seems like a lot of additional faffing around when i can just do a funnel pour ( the pull-rod comes up through the middle of the funnel, so it seems it would be the same effect anyway - going down into the centre of the mold. Also potentially a lot more soap batter wastage and mess.
@TashaBird should i wait longer before I pull it through? The batter was at medium trace by the time I finished the pour so I didn't want to risk it being too thick to pull through at all. I pulled it slowly, and was surprised at the ease of which it moved TBH. I expected a little more resistance.
How much of each colour do you pour at once? I alternated the colours, with white between each one, several times. Should I pour more of each colour at once or less at once for a better effect?
Any tips appreciated.

 

[math ace]

I can wait to try the pull through technique!

 

[Martha]

Here’s another take on the pull through that I thought was interesting for 2 reasons.
1. Cutting the stencil from a Pringle’s can lid. Genius.
2. An alternative to the round soap.

I think it could be interesting to cut the Pringle’s lid smaller and then use the can as the mold. So many possibilities.

 

[TashaBird]

So why the bottles? Why not just pour through a funnel (what I did). Is that why mine weren’t as good?

First of all, yours are super cute! Pouring through the funnel, I think you’re getting a bunch of break through. You can see in a photo above how I set mine up. It’s how I was taught, and it works.

 

[TashaBird]

So after watching all those videos (which I have seen in the past) I am still not sure what I did differently. Perhaps I'll try a different pull-though plate design tomorrow and see if it comes out better. I don't use the plastic bottle method because I don't think my batter is fluid enough to do so ( particularly near the end of the pour when it thickens up a bit) and also because it seems like a lot of additional faffing around when i can just do a funnel pour ( the pull-rod comes up through the middle of the funnel, so it seems it would be the same effect anyway - going down into the centre of the mold. Also potentially a lot more soap batter wastage and mess.
@TashaBird should i wait longer before I pull it through? The batter was at medium trace by the time I finished the pour so I didn't want to risk it being too thick to pull through at all. I pulled it slowly, and was surprised at the ease of which it moved TBH. I expected a little more resistance.
How much of each colour do you pour at once? I alternated the colours, with white between each one, several times. Should I pour more of each colour at once or less at once for a better effect?
Any tips appreciated.

There’s a lot here.
For mine to look the way they do, there is an incredible amount of “Faffing around” . I enjoy it, and I’ve streamlined it more over time. My layers are super precise and crisp because I am placing the batter carefully just about the previous layer with little to no break through. I move quickly, but batter is thicker by the top. It’s actually a bit on the too thin side toward the bottom. But, sometimes the bottom gets the best designs! I don’t pull the rod up slowly, I just pull it up straight and smoothly. I pour about as much as covers the layer before. I have just a smidge of batter left in the baggie in the squeeze bottle. I either make soap dough, or pour it into a heart shaped individual cavity mold I have.
I do not imagine that there is a way to drop it from as high up as the funnel is and get a very carefully laid layer.

 

[TashaBird]

Here’s some photos of un molded columns, set up, end of pour, and some soap dough. Pics are worth a buncha words.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Aah - i see now. It's the breakthrough that could be the problem. Like a drop swirl type thing. So you use the bottle to enter right down into the tube and pour it carefully on top. Yes.
I'm about to start round two, and I might try a longer funnel this time (which will go further down into the tube). I'll report back!

 

[TashaBird]

Aah - i see now. It's the breakthrough that could be the problem. Like a drop swirl type thing. So you use the bottle to enter right down into the tube and pour it carefully on top. Yes.
I'm about to start round two, and I might try a longer funnel this time (which will go further down into the tube). I'll report back!

I use the bottle to which I affix the pippette tip.

 

[TashaBird]

I think with just the bottle, it would be similar to dropping it through the funnel. Maybe not

 

[marehare]

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?

Where do you get the tools to make soap like this, It's amazing. What do you use for colors? I also like the soap cutter.

 

[KiwiMoose]

@marehare - there's a guy in NZ makes 'em. I ordered mine off him. You could send a message through this forum - his user name is @GraciousGraphics

@TashaBird second lot is finished. I used a longer, narrower funnel for the first part of the pour, and switched it for the shorter, wider one when the batter was getting too thick to pour through. It ended up a lot thicker trace by the time I reached the end of the pour, and it was pretty tough getting the plate to pull through. The top looks muddy like all the colours have blended together. I pulled the plate through quicker this time. We'll see how it compares to the last lot when i cut it tomorrow.

*Drums fingers*

 

[TashaBird]

Where do you get the tools to make soap like this, It's amazing. What do you use for colors? I also like the soap cutter.

in the US I got mine from wildplantanica.com and her kit is great! She also makes side mounted rods, which I prefer.

@marehare - there's a guy in NZ makes 'em. I ordered mine off him. You could send a message through this forum - his user name is @GraciousGraphics

@TashaBird second lot is finished. I used a longer, narrower funnel for the first part of the pour, and switched it for the shorter, wider one when the batter was getting too thick to pour through. It ended up a lot thicker trace by the time I reached the end of the pour, and it was pretty tough getting the plate to pull through. The top looks muddy like all the colours have blended together. I pulled the plate through quicker this time. We'll see how it compares to the last lot when i cut it tomorrow.

*Drums fingers*

what temp are you soaping at, and what are your saturated unsaturated fat ratios?

 

[KiwiMoose]

in the US I got mine from wildplantanica.com and her kit is great! She also makes side mounted rods, which I prefer.

what temp are you soaping at, and what are your saturated unsaturated fat ratios?

I’m at 50/50. I use soy wax so I can’t go much cooler than 40 degrees. However, today I had to rush out and get some RBO, so my oils were 32 and lye 28. The coolest I’ve ever soaped!

 

[TashaBird]

I’m at 50/50. I use soy wax so I can’t go much cooler than 40 degrees. However, today I had to rush out and get some RBO, so my oils were 32 and lye 28. The coolest I’ve ever soaped!

It took me awhile to dial in my formula for pull throughs, it’s different than my regular formula. And, I soap around
90 (32).

 

[TashaBird]

If you’re on Instagram wild plantanica just did a GREAT video of a pull through happening. It’s just what mine looks like when I do them. She’s where I got my tools from.