SMF April 2021 Challenge - Lollipop Swirl

[Tara_H]

I agree, might be a surprise... we’ll see!

I'm really looking forward to seeing how that comes out!

 

[Tara_H]

The pen holders arrived yesterday, and they are definitely cylindrical, so I was able to cut out the bottom of one, leaving a lip, and make a circle of laminated paper to cover the base. Did a trial pour today and it seems to have worked very well in terms of holding the batter, next step will be seeing if I can get it back out again!

 

[glendam]

The pen holders arrived yesterday, and they are definitely cylindrical, so I was able to cut out the bottom of one, leaving a lip, and make a circle of laminated paper to cover the base. Did a trial pour today and it seems to have worked very well in terms of holding the batter, next step will be seeing if I can get it back out again!
View attachment 55840 View attachment 55841

How did you manage to cut it? It definitely looks promising. I though it was tapered because of the measurements listed in the site, glad to hear it is not!

 

[Tara_H]

How did you manage to cut it? It definitely looks promising. I though it was tapered because of the measurements listed in the site, glad to hear it is not!

I used one of these kinds of things:
https://www.espares.ie/product/es17...6d7625-jupXRkSp3Mb8sJrsi-eMLVu7hoCRg8QAvD_BwEDidn't get it 100% centred, but close enough...
Hope it works now

 

[earlene]

If you have some Lanolin or Vaseline to lightly coat the inside before you pour the soap, both make a very good mold release. Others also use mineral oil for mold release. I prefer lanolin myself, but have used Vaseline as well.

 

[Tara_H]

So, I went ahead and unmoulded it pretty early, mostly due to curiosity about how it would work, and also the batter for to think during the pour so I was pretty sure it wasn't my entry anyway.

It actually came out super easy, I just gave it a test poke or two and it started moving
This was about 7 hours after pouring, it was pretty soft still but just about manageable.

 

[Corsara]

Anyone have any advice on calculating the volume of these cylindrical molds?!

I've found equations for it, but math is not my forte.. I'm planning on a 3 in x 6 in pvc pipe

 

[Tara_H]

Anyone have any advice on calculating the volume of these cylindrical molds?!

I've found equations for it, but math is not my forte.. I'm planning on a 3 in x 6 in pvc pipe

It's easy in metric... I just pour water in and then weigh the water. So the pen holder above holds a bit over 350g of water, which means it's approximately 350cm^3. So in the calculator I put dimensions of 35x10x1cm.

 

[KimW]

I'd say do as @Tara_H suggests, and as you've successfully done before, and use the water method. Seal the bottom just as you'll need to do for the soap batter.

If you want to do the math:
Volume in cubic inches for a cylinder is Pi times radius squared times height.
Then you would need to convert that to volume in ounces.
To convert vol cubic inches to volume ounces, multiply the vol cubic inches by 0.5541 (this is true for squares and cylinders).
So, for your 3 X 6 in PVC it would be:
3.1415 (which is Pi) times 2.25 (which is the radius of your cylinder, squared -> 1.5 times 1.5) times 6 (which is the height of your cylinder)
This = 42.41 cubic inches
42.41 times 0.5541 = 23.50 ounces (with rounding)
About 1.5 pounds of soap! Funny thing those cylinders. Might be a big batch of soap for a soap challenge...

 

[Tara_H]

Yep, this is definitely not my entry! Although I keep thinking it's something edible and being disappointed - I should really move it out of the kitchen!


I was doing some playing around with discolouring FO to test for another project, and apparently it's also ever-so-slightly accelerating. I didn't notice it previously when it was distributed throughout the batter, but here it was only in the brown shades, and they thickened up just a bit ahead of the white, leading to this weird effect.

 

[KimW]

Yep, this is definitely not my entry! Although I keep thinking it's something edible and being disappointed - I should really move it out of the kitchen!
View attachment 55852

I was doing some playing around with discolouring FO to test for another project, and apparently it's also ever-so-slightly accelerating. I didn't notice it previously when it was distributed throughout the batter, but here it was only in the brown shades, and they thickened up just a bit ahead of the white, leading to this weird effect.

It's like little chocolate giraffes!

 

[Tara_H]

It's like little chocolate giraffes!

I'll never be able to see anything else now!

 

[dibbles]

@Primrose is it alright to use the lollipop swirled soap as an embed?

 

[Primrose]

@Primrose is it alright to use the lollipop swirled soap as an embed?

It sure is! As long as everyone is making a lollipop "loaf" as part of the challenge, I'd love to see any creative ways to then put it into a standard loaf

 

[ResolvableOwl]

4. You can make this challenge as simple or as complicated as you would like.

My self-imposed complications:

• Only use ingredients and tools that I already had in the house

at the time the Challenge is posted (sorry but no exceptions on this).

Soapmaking tools and presentation scenery included. Background: I want the challenge to be “for free” in the sense that it is absolutely impossible that I end up with more of any ingredient than before. Too many things, too many oils, etc. all around, I have to restrict my insatiability into sane limits. I do not want this challenge to be an excuse for me to buy anything new. (It's difficult enough with all the stuff I have lurking around, I don't want to also worry about all the things I could own.)​

Though, I will take the liberty to permit a single, very specific, unnecessarily luxurious and entirely superfluous exception.​

• Maximum batch size should not considerably exceed 100 g oils. There is a similar reasoning behind this restriction (just targeted to my afterwards stock-keeping): It's not as if we were amidst a terrible pandemic and had to stockpile soaps, who knows when shops would start selling soap again…? No. This is pure luxury, and I want to treat is as such: with well-measured moderation. [Alas, I already have ideas how to “elegantly circumvent” this rule without violating its wording…]
• Every ingredient must fulfil a function that contributes to the soap performance. This means: no EO/FO/scents, no dyes/colourants/pigments, no titanium dioxide, no micas. Just to not make it too easy to just throw some pigments into split batters. We will see how this goes out; in any case, don't expect the richest colour contrast from my submission .
• As already hinted in my registration, I'm planning to combine the Lollipop swirl with about two other techniques.

Now it's up to me to follow up my noble words with action…

 

[GemstonePony]

My self-imposed complications:

• Only use ingredients and tools that I already had in the house

Soapmaking tools and presentation scenery included. Background: I want the challenge to be “for free” in the sense that it is absolutely impossible that I end up with more of any ingredient than before. Too many things, too many oils, etc. all around, I have to restrict my insatiability into sane limits. I do not want this challenge to be an excuse for me to buy anything new. (It's difficult enough with all the stuff I have lurking around, I don't want to also worry about all the things I could own.)​

Though, I will take the liberty to permit a single, very specific, unnecessarily luxurious and entirely superfluous exception.​

• Maximum batch size should not considerably exceed 100 g oils. There is a similar reasoning behind this restriction (just targeted to my afterwards stock-keeping): It's not as if we were amidst a terrible pandemic and had to stockpile soaps, who knows when shops would start selling soap again…? No. This is pure luxury, and I want to treat is as such: with well-measured moderation. [Alas, I already have ideas how to “elegantly circumvent” this rule without violating its wording…]
• Every ingredient must fulfil a function that contributes to the soap performance. This means: no EO/FO/scents, no dyes/colourants/pigments, no titanium dioxide, no micas. Just to not make it too easy to just throw some pigments into split batters. We will see how this goes out; in any case, don't expect the richest colour contrast from my submission .
• As already hinted in my registration, I'm planning to combine the Lollipop swirl with about two other techniques.

Now it's up to me to follow up my noble words with action…

If you have ground turmeric, ginger, extremely fine (espresso) coffee grounds, ground oatmeal, or poppyseed lying around, you might get some contrast with "medicinal" ingredients or lightweight exfoliators. Just a thought.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Hehe, thanks! I already have a reasonable conception of how to do the colours, and I didn't post it in the hope to collect household tricks from others. Anyway, I'll keep oatmeal in mind, it could become valuable.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Sign up list:

(Please copy & Paste, add your name along with the next appropriate number.)

1. earlene - I have a few days before surgery, it will probably be my last soap for at least 6-8 weeks
2. dibbles - This will be super fun or very 'exciting' - I'm in
3.Vicki C. - My last day of work is today! Yippee! Soap studio here I come...
4. Tara_H - this is on my bucket list, I'm so in!
5. KimW - Found and fell in love with this about the time I found SMF. Now I have a reason to finally try it!
6. Jersey Girl- Yes, yes, yes! Been wanting to try this!
7. peachymoon - I’m back! And I’m in!
8. amd - maybe I can pop a soap for fun into my to do list this month
9. glendam - I have been thinking of trying this technique, good timing!
10. Anstarx - I've been wanting to try this technique for a while. This can be just my push!
11. bookreader451 - I will try to get it in on time this month!
12. ResolvableOwl - Screw it. Cross-over escalation time!
13. Corsara - I'm going to sign up quick before I get cold feet and convince myself I can't do it!
14. Phoenix - This will be fun!
15. linne1gi - Love this challenge - definitely challenging!
16. Peachy Clean Soap's - I'm in how, fun 1st try @ this design. Am I The Caboose.?

Please copy & Paste, add your name along with the next appropriate number.)

1. earlene - I have a few days before surgery, it will probably be my last soap for at least 6-8 weeks
2. dibbles - This will be super fun or very 'exciting' - I'm in
3.Vicki C. - My last day of work is today! Yippee! Soap studio here I come...
4. Tara_H - this is on my bucket list, I'm so in!
5. KimW - Found and fell in love with this about the time I found SMF. Now I have a reason to finally try it!
6. Jersey Girl- Yes, yes, yes! Been wanting to try this!
7. peachymoon - I’m back! And I’m in!
8. amd - maybe I can pop a soap for fun into my to do list this month
9. glendam - I have been thinking of trying this technique, good timing!
10. Anstarx - I've been wanting to try this technique for a while. This can be just my push!
11. bookreader451 - I will try to get it in on time this month!
12. ResolvableOwl - Screw it. Cross-over escalation time!
13. Corsara - I'm going to sign up quick before I get cold feet and convince myself I can't do it!
14. Phoenix - This will be fun!
15. linne1gi - Love this challenge - definitely challenging!
16. Peachy Clean Soap's - I'm in how fun, 1st try @ this design. Am I The Caboose.?

 

[violets2217]

Please copy & Paste, add your name along with the next appropriate number.)

1. earlene - I have a few days before surgery, it will probably be my last soap for at least 6-8 weeks
2. dibbles - This will be super fun or very 'exciting' - I'm in
3.Vicki C. - My last day of work is today! Yippee! Soap studio here I come...
4. Tara_H - this is on my bucket list, I'm so in!
5. KimW - Found and fell in love with this about the time I found SMF. Now I have a reason to finally try it!
6. Jersey Girl- Yes, yes, yes! Been wanting to try this!
7. peachymoon - I’m back! And I’m in!
8. amd - maybe I can pop a soap for fun into my to do list this month
9. glendam - I have been thinking of trying this technique, good timing!
10. Anstarx - I've been wanting to try this technique for a while. This can be just my push!
11. bookreader451 - I will try to get it in on time this month!
12. ResolvableOwl - Screw it. Cross-over escalation time!
13. Corsara - I'm going to sign up quick before I get cold feet and convince myself I can't do it!
14. Phoenix - This will be fun!
15. linne1gi - Love this challenge - definitely challenging!
16. Peachy Clean Soap's - I'm in how fun, 1st try @ this design. Am I The Caboose.?
17. Violets2217- I done ADULTING this week, so I’m gonna make some soap!
18.

 

[KimW]

I do not want this challenge to be an excuse for me to buy anything new.

This gave me a chuckle, but it's also what I do as I see it as part of the knowledge gained in each challenge. Good on you. After the challenge is my weak point, when I'm thinking about how much easier or better a step would have been if I had "this or that"! For me, it's a slippery road to buying soapy stuff, these challenges!