SMF February 2021 Challenge - Circling Taiwan Swirl

[Jersey Girl]

I put your whole screen name in just to be sure.

 

[GemstonePony]

Did my first attempt at the TS. Can’t tell if it worked right or not, but the top looks pretty! I can barely believe that I found a FO that I absolutely love! Frangipani Jasmine from NS behaved beautifully, and actually smells like what it’s called. I love it! I hope it lasts in the soap.
So, no picture posting right?
I’m SUPER nervous to cut it, I can’t quite understand how that’s supposed to work yet. I may need some hand holding.
What a messy technique! I hate wasting batter, and it’s hard to salvage the left overs because they all mix together. But, I got some of it into a individual mold.

@GemstonePony Can you say some more about #6? I can’t quite picture what you’re describing.“6. If using Mica in oils to accent the outside of a section, pour it into the pitcher along the sides towards the back and from further up once the batters are in. If you pour it first, it's hard to predict where it will end up, and if it's placed towards the front it will beat the batter out of the spout. Expect to restripe your pitcher at least once.”

One of my favorite design techniques is pulling some of my soft oil and mixing it with Mica (about 1tbs oil to 1/4-1/2 tsp Mica). The oil stays separate from the batter but follows it's flow, allowing the Mica to migrate along the oil line for webbing, veining, or just robust swirling. The oil absorbs into the soap as it sets, leaving behind the Mica. It allows me to get a pop of color without risking over-coloring the batter, and seems fairly impervious to discoloring FOs, but I haven't tested that theory very much.
Anyways, I like having some of my batter colors for this swirl edged in Mica, but it's hard to get consistently. I've tried using the sides/dividers to make a Mica line on one side and putting the batter down the other side to try to push it in place, and I have gotten that to work, but the batter has to be light trace, the oil placement has to be even, and TBH it's more likely to just flood the neighboring compartments or try climbing both walls. Putting the Mica in the pitcher and having it ride the batter up the wall once the batter gets a head start into the container has given a slightly more consistent result without flooding or climbing both walls, but it sometimes doesn't make it to the edge towards the top as the batter line gets thinner.

 

[dibbles]

Did my first attempt at the TS. Can’t tell if it worked right or not, but the top looks pretty! I can barely believe that I found a FO that I absolutely love! Frangipani Jasmine from NS behaved beautifully, and actually smells like what it’s called. I love it! I hope it lasts in the soap.
So, no picture posting right?
I’m SUPER nervous to cut it, I can’t quite understand how that’s supposed to work yet. I may need some hand holding.
What a messy technique! I hate wasting batter, and it’s hard to salvage the left overs because they all mix together. But, I got some of it into a individual mold.

Correct - no picture posting of your entry. If you need help cutting, let me know. You don't want to cut the loaf vertically (like a loaf of bread). Make a vertical cut to get a soap block the length or width you want your bar to be (for example 3"). Take the 3" block turn it on it's side and cut the block through the center (this will also be a vertical cut). This is if you are using a wire cutter or knife. If you have a loaf splitter, with the top of your soap facing up split the entire loaf in half. Cut your soaps from the 2 split loaves. Look at the pictures I posted or watch a couple of the videos. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have trouble.

 

[Catscankim]

Correct - no picture posting of your entry. If you need help cutting, let me know. You don't want to cut the loaf vertically (like a loaf of bread). Make a vertical cut to get a soap block the length or width you want your bar to be (for example 3"). Take the 3" block turn it on it's side and cut the block through the center (this will also be a vertical cut). This is if you are using a wire cutter or knife. If you have a loaf splitter, with the top of your soap facing up split the entire loaf in half. Cut your soaps from the 2 split loaves. Look at the pictures I posted or watch a couple of the videos. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have trouble.

Thank you for that. I opened this post just now to ask this exact question LOL.

About the cutting, not the posting

 

[TashaBird]

@GemstonePony thank you. I think I understand what you’re saying now. I’ll have to try playing with mica-oils some time, that sounds fun!
@dibbles thank you. I think I get the part about cutting the loaf into chunks and then turning it. But, I don’t understand which way to turn it. Which way do I turn what was the top? I’ll watch the videos again too. Thank you!

 

[Catscankim]

I'm not sure if i cut it right. I dunno. It looks pretty but not quite sure its right. Not gonna post it because I am gonna do a back up tomorrow.

 

[TinaRenee]

Yes, they are monthly. There are a few requirements listed under the general challenge rules in the first post of this thread. Most importantly, you need to have been a member for a month and have at least 50 posts. Once you are eligible, we welcome you to join. In the meantime, please try the technique and play along - and post pictures of anything you make here. And welcome to the forum!

edit to add: Oops, 'new member' was showing under your name, but I see you joined almost 2 years ago.

Thank you. Yes, I joined a bit ago and got pulled away. I started making CP again a few months ago and did my first attempt at TS just this morning, before I saw the thread for the Challenge. I will try to post a pic when I get a moment. Glad to be back!

 

[dibbles]

@dibbles thank you. I think I get the part about cutting the loaf into chunks and then turning it. But, I don’t understand which way to turn it. Which way do I turn what was the top? I’ll watch the videos again too. Thank you!

If you look at the 4th and 5th pictures of my first post, the 4th shows my loaf with the top facing up (just as it is when it is in the mold), and a cut about 3" from the right end of the loaf. Picture 5 shows how I turned the 3" block to cut it through the middle. What was the top in the loaf is now facing right, and I am splitting the block in two. The top could also be facing to the left.

If you don't have the top or bottom (meaning top or bottom as it was in the mold) of the cut block facing you, you will be fine.

I have to stop and think every time I cut one like this too. I haven't had enough coffee yet this morning - does this make sense to you?

 

[dibbles]

I'm not sure if i cut it right. I dunno. It looks pretty but not quite sure its right. Not gonna post it because I am gonna do a back up tomorrow.

If you want to PM me a picture, I can tell you if you cut it right.

 

[TashaBird]

If you look at the 4th and 5th pictures of my first post, the 4th shows my loaf with the top facing up (just as it is when it is in the mold), and a cut about 3" from the right end of the loaf. Picture 5 shows how I turned the 3" block to cut it through the middle. What was the top in the loaf is now facing right, and I am splitting the block in two. The top could also be facing to the left.

If you don't have the top or bottom (meaning top or bottom as it was in the mold) of the cut block facing you, you will be fine.

I have to stop and think every time I cut one like this too. I haven't had enough coffee yet this morning - does this make sense to you?

I think I’ve got it. That’s exactly what I needed to hear. Which way the top (from when it’s in the loaf) faces when you start the 90degree cutting. So, it’s either left or right, just not towards me or away.

 

[amd]

Short and stubby spouts are hard to work with in such confined spaces.

Thanks for the reminder! I never use my funnel pitchers because I didn't like how they poured, but I can see they would be useful in this case. As would a second set of hands... sounds like a family project.
Also a good reminder to have somewhere to set my dividers when I pull them out of the soap...

I spent an hour and a half yesterday rigging up my dividers - they're slightly crooked along the length, but they fit tight so I'm done messing with the darn things. This will be second (and last that I have time for) attempt, so I'm breaking some of my own rules. The recipe I'm using will likely develop DOS but it will give me the fluidity that I need, I'm also skipping fragrance. It's a small batch so if it does get DOS, I won't be crying over wasted soap, and if it doesn't get DOS my family will still use it without fragrance. It's happening tonight... I'm skirred!

 

[KimW]

It's happening tonight... I'm skirred!

LOL! A very old friend says something similar, but she says, "I ain't skirred" when she's actually "skirred". LOL Don't be skirred! I'm sure your entry will be a beauty.

 

[dibbles]

@amd You can do it, I am confident! Slightly crooked dividers will work just fine, so no worries there. Good luck.

 

[violets2217]

I had a dream last night about a color combination that would be “perfect “ for this swirl... granted I don’t really like the color combo my dream self came up with but it feels as though fate has intervened and the soap must be made!

 

[The_Phoenix]

I cut my final attempt.

I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous about cutting into something. Right after I finished cutting it my husband asked if I could make him a PB&J. Just because, I cut it in half all wonky and not in perfectly equal halves. It felt good...

(“cut” appeared in that paragraph a total of four times. That should tell you something about my state of mind at the moment)

 

[Zing]

It's happening tonight... I'm skirred!

Be brave! I was skirred too and it was definitely a family project. Mrs. Zing was in it with me and both of us were navigating 4 hands and measuring cups around an 8" loaf mold! I was proud of my cardboard dividers and they were tight side to side, but not on the bottom -- so push down on your dividers and get a thin bottom layer down of each color quickly (an invention that pours 4 separate colors at once would be helpful here).

These posts were helpful (after the fact for me, before the fact for you):
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/thr...lenge-circling-taiwan-swirl.82730/post-874497
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/thr...lenge-circling-taiwan-swirl.82730/post-874647

 

[Catscankim]

on my second and final attempt. My first one was "ok" so it might be a contender lol.

Anyway...I have started smooshing my TD in a baggie with some oil with success to get rid of boogers. But my first challenge attempt had a few big boogers in it that I couldn't get rid of. So I decided to chop it out before I even added the oil. I said to myself out loud that I look like a drug dealer that has mounds of cocaine. Well alexa heard me LOL She didn't respond, as i didn't say Alexa first, but she dinged and listened for a couple of seconds. I'm like "oh great, alexa thinks I do drugs" LOL. I'm. like Alexa nooooo, its TD!

So let it be known, that if I go missing for a sh*t ton of "cocaine" that I was chopping up, someone be my witness that it was Titanium Dioxide LOL LOL.

 

[Zing]

So let it be known, that if I go missing for a sh*t ton of "cocaine" that I was chopping up, someone be my witness that it was Titanium Dioxide LOL LOL.

I got your back, @Catscankim! Thanks for the chuckle for the day! When I first started soaping, my boys would give me a bad time that I looked like something out of Breaking Bad with my elbow length chemistry gloves (which I still use), goggles, and bandana. Course now it's tres chic normal pandemic wear. Big Brother Alexa skirrs me with all that listening....

 

[SoapLover1]

I said at least 3. I only have two. Imagine how much I empathize, ma'am.

The Dollar Tree Has them if you have one near you. $1. You can’t beat that price!

 

[Catscankim]

I think that i am going to go with my first attempt (glad I didn't post it). Just swirled my second one...wanted to do thinner lines, but I don't think it was what i was going for lol. We shall see with the cut.

It was mounds of TD LOL. A **** ton of TD.