Here’s what happens when some of your batter accelerates and some doesn’t, lol. It looks more like marble than wood!
SMF July 2024 Challenge - Woodgrain Designs
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Yes, but it's a very nice marble.
Still very pretty!
It’s so pretty though @VikingChick
I cut my soap this morning and I love it! The top is still my favorite, but it developed some pretty heavy soda ash. I do not have a planer or a steamer. In the past I have steamed individual bars with a tea kettle, but that made the soap really soft and left my fingerprints where I was holding it. Also, the very thick ash at the edges never came fully off. Will rinsing it with cool water be any better than steaming it? How about painting it with rubbing alcohol? Any other techniques I haven't mentioned?
Am I allowed to lighten my entry picture so it shows up better? No change to the color or pattern, just light level.
Sometimes a dip in a bowl of tepid water will help. Rub the ash off, then set it to dry. You have to be careful that you don’t leave any bubbles on the soap, though, because you’ll see them when the soap is dry.
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Rub it with a microfiber cloth
@ackosel yes, adjusting the brightness is allowed 
Ash is hard to deal with, because it seems that there are things that work...some of the time and nothing always works. This blog post talks about steaming in an enclosed space. I've had it work by putting the bars on top of parallel chopsticks in a box with a bowl of boiling water. Check at about 20-30 minutes. It doesn't always work.
Spraying with distilled water, waiting 5 minutes and then spraying with alcohol has also worked pretty consistently.
Ash is hard to deal with, because it seems that there are things that work...some of the time and nothing always works. This blog post talks about steaming in an enclosed space. I've had it work by putting the bars on top of parallel chopsticks in a box with a bowl of boiling water. Check at about 20-30 minutes. It doesn't always work.
Spraying with distilled water, waiting 5 minutes and then spraying with alcohol has also worked pretty consistently.
Thank you for all that great information! I photographed my soap (and figured out the lighting without having to adjust it@ackosel yes, adjusting the brightness is allowed
Ash is hard to deal with, because it seems that there are things that work...some of the time and nothing always works. This blog post talks about steaming in an enclosed space. I've had it work by putting the bars on top of parallel chopsticks in a box with a bowl of boiling water. Check at about 20-30 minutes. It doesn't always work.
Spraying with distilled water, waiting 5 minutes and then spraying with alcohol has also worked pretty consistently.
) and am really happy with it. I wanted to be sure I had good pictures of the cut faces before I tried steaming the tops in case I ruin it. Sounds like I have lots of things to try. Thank you so much!
I just poured mine. I hope it looks halfway decent. Went with purple (who's surprised
) and whatever tumeric infused in sunflower gives. It looks orange to my eyes.
Dropped my lye concentration to 33% and soaped with 120° batter. Made two 1 pounders. One an in the pot swirl type and the other a 50/50 pour into a jug from opposing sides.
Remnant colors:
) and whatever tumeric infused in sunflower gives. It looks orange to my eyes. Dropped my lye concentration to 33% and soaped with 120° batter. Made two 1 pounders. One an in the pot swirl type and the other a 50/50 pour into a jug from opposing sides.
Remnant colors:
Take your soap outside in the shade and take a picture @ackosel. The colors will pop.
It's a failI just poured mine. I hope it looks halfway decent. Went with purple (who's surprised
I poured to early. It's still liquid
I'll try again later today
I'll do that. It might even melt off the soda ash. Supposed to be over 104°F today. (40°C)
You must be feeling better to be making soap! Yay!It's a fail
I poured to early. It's still liquid
I'll try again later today
We need to take your too-thin batter and combine it with my too-thick and we should be able to create a perfect woodgrain! Good luck with your next pour. I'm already excited to make another batch of woodgrain. It had me sweating and shaking when I finished my pour, but I can't wait to make more!
It was rather comical. I went into the kitchen to cook chickpeas to make hummus, but made soap instead. Sat on the couch after and my stomach asked, where's the hummus? I had to laugh at myself
Yes!
Thanks!
One more question. Most of the challenge rules require two CUT faces of soap in the entry picture. Do the woodgrain entry photos have to be a cut face, or can the top be entered? The microfiber cloth took that heavy ash right off and it looks beautiful!
Using the top is fine for this challenge. From the rules: 6. Your entry photo must show the face of two bars
I'm looking forward to seeing your entry!
Ack somehow an entire month has gotten away from me Let's see if I can unbury my stuff and get a soap made in time. I had no idea my summer was so busy.
Let's see if I can unbury my stuff and get a soap made in time. I had no idea my summer was so busy.
2nd soap poured. It's looking so nice right nowIt's a fail
I poured to early. It's still liquid
I'll try again later today
I used ~90% tumeric infused HO sunflower oil and it is not yellow
and plain ole HO sunflower oil. 38% lye concentration. 2 pound loaf. The tumeric remnants:
Next year "Christmas in July " for a july theme? Colors, design, fragrance?
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