SMF March 2021 Soap Challenge - Air Blow Technique aka Dutch Pour Technique aka Wind Blow Technique

[earlene]

@The_Phoenix - oh YES - lovely!
hmmm - me thinks I'm doing the technique all wrong and cutting my soap wrong. Copying the method in one of the videos, I'm pouring very shallow so that I end up with a slab of soap that's only about 1 inch high/thick. So, then, my only way to cut it is across this shallow slab rather than through it, so that the top of the slab is the top of the soap and the bottom of the slab is the bottom of the soap. Hmmmm @earlene - am I doing it wrong?!

Yes, that is correct. That is how single thickness slab molds are cut. Your soap doesn't have to be only one inch thick. If your slab can accommodate a thicker depth, it can be thicke. I tend to prefer 1.5 to 2 inch thick bars of soap, but it really depends on how deep your slab is and if you like soap that thick. Sometimes my slab bars are square cut as well. The shape & thickness of the bar is entirely up to you, but you do have the configuration of the cut right.

@earlene If we use soap previously made for base soap, does it need to be in a slab mold?
I was digging through my personal stash box earlier this week thinking I could find enough soaps to lay flat and tight into my slab mold, but they don't fit as tight as I would like. Can one do this on a cut bar face? [and by "one" I mean me, lol]
If it needs to be a slab mold, I'll make it work, but thought I would ask first!

If you can fit them together like a mosaic and add a bit more soap to be the 'mortar', then you will have a base slab. I have done that, and really liked the result.

Trying it with a single soap might be good for practice, but not for an entry.

 

[KimW]

Yes, that is correct.

Thank you!

 

[The_Phoenix]

We have all been there!

There’s that moment as a woman when we’re putting makeup on for a hot date. It’s easy to go from tasteful to *ahem* clown-like (or street-walker). I definitely was in the “clown” territory with the top. Too much eyeshadow and rouge.

 

[KimW]

There’s that moment as a woman when we’re putting makeup on for a hot date. It’s easy to go from tasteful to *ahem* clown-like (or street-walker). I definitely was in the “clown” territory with the top. Too much eyeshadow and rouge.

Noooooo - stop...LOLOL You're giving me much needed chuckles. Thank you!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I like the idea of using pieces of soap I don’t like as bars to make a mosaic style slab for the base. An alternative to confetti soap!

I finally cut my first soap today. I can see the benefits of using a designed base because my very thin top layer is not going to last very long in use. It may be less than 1/8” thick - truly like a skin of paint on a canvas. I’m planning to try for a thicker emulsion for the next round, but I’m still going to go mold-less because the design can go right up to/over the edge. I can’t remember if I mentioned it above, but I set my slab on a plastic covered tray, which let me scoop up the excess batter and put it in a cavity mold. The final bars will be 3” square and about about 1.25“ thick after I clean them up.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

My first real attempt View attachment 54969

Too many colors.To be fair, I was making dinner as I was doing this. Should have just held off another day. I was tired AND hungry AND rushed. Lesson learned...

That looks so Awesome!

 

[glendam]

I did mine today. My bit of advice is that if your table is not even, have something to make your soap even/horizontally straight. A lot of my soap was falling off to go one side because of this, initially. I had the soap inside a larger slab silicone mold, and putting pencils and spatulas underneath seemed to work.

It was a fun experience and hopefully there won’t be too much soda ash. I may cover it tomorrow once it is hardened. I used a 40% lye to water concentration and skipped the fragrance. The soap stayed very fluid (brought only to emulsion) for the duration of the design I had in mind.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I did the top on my second slab today. I also used 40% lye conc. and left out the fragrance for the top, which I’m guessing is going to be about 1/8th thick when I’m done. I was going to try for a slightly thicker emulsion so I could get a thicker top, but then got worried it would start thickening up.

I have one small idea to share. When I made the slab, I left the little bit of batter that “crawls“ up the side of the silicone mold in place. When I (carefully) removed the slab from the mold, the tiny lip it formed around the top edge of the slab stayed intact. The lip seems to have helped to hold a little more of my thin base batter in place before I started pouring my colors.

ETA: I just checked on my second soap. I didn’t have an easy way to cover it, so I put it uncovered into a pre-warmed (170F) but turned off oven. It seems to be doing fine and it looks good enough to eat!

 

[earlene]

How is everyone doing? Any more tips to share with each other?
Next Monday the entry thread will open. I will be out part of the day, as my son asked me to take him to his Dr. appointment in the Cities, so either I will start the entry thread early (before leaving here) or a little late because I don't think I can get home by the scheduled time (for opening the thread on time.)


List of entrants so far:

1. The_Phoenix - I have a feeling my family won't see much of me for the next 26 days.
2. KimW - Thank you for hosting, Earlene! Hope your visit with MIL is pleasant.
3. AMD - hopefully I don't blow this (oh, wait... that's the opposite of what I need to do...)
4. glendam - this sounds intriguing and I need an excuse to make more soap
5. Mobjack Bay - YES, YES, YES!!!
6. bookreader451 - Always willing to try something new.
7. SPowers - I was going to beg off this one til I saw the micas & more video! she's a girl after my own heart and I also liked the straw idea... no more new equipment for me and I know I drop my hairdryer right into the middle of my mold!
8. violets2217 - I’m all in! Ready to up my game!

 

[Tara_H]

Well, in case this is useful for anyone - I finally got brave enough to cut my last slab, but I should have done it sooner because the top was quite brittle and was tending to separate from the bottom.



I think the bottom gelled properly when I warmed it up before pouring the top, but I didn't CPOP it after pouring so the top layer is not gelled at all, which I presume is contributing to the separation. (The unequal pieces are from attempting to work around the pebbles!)

 

[KimW]

Well, in case this is useful for anyone - I finally got brave enough to cut my last slab, but I should have done it sooner because the top was quite brittle and was tending to separate from the bottom.

I think the bottom gelled properly when I warmed it up before pouring the top, but I didn't CPOP it after pouring so the top layer is not gelled at all, which I presume is contributing to the separation. (The unequal pieces are from attempting to work around the pebbles!)

So pretty! Such a bummer they are separating! Thanks for another "tip"/idea, Tara. I think we've all done some good vicarious learning through you!

 

[The_Phoenix]

Made the base yesterday for another (and possibly final) attempt. This go-around, I poured my base and very thin layer of white, then gelled. Today, I'm going to brush distilled water on the white, then pour more white over that. I'll then pour my design colors over the white, which I want to be fluid this go-around, to incorporate into my design. My schedule is tight right now so I'm going to do my best to have this be my last batch for the challenge.

 

[The_Phoenix]

Done. Final batch went off (almost) without a hitch. I’m happy with how it turned out. Now I just have to wait until tomorrow to cut it.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

My second soap, the one that looks good enough to eat, will not be my competition soap. The top layer is soooo pretty, but it did not gel and is crumbly. Interestingly, on closer inspection today I noticed that the little puddles of soap on the tray around the slab gelled. That soap was hiding under ash, which is another story in a different thread. I’m planning to warm the next slab before I pour the top, up the batter temp for the top pour, cover it with a heating pad and a blanket, and then watch it like a hawk until I’m sure it has gelled.

I don’t think acrylic pour artists have this many variables to deal with!

 

[The_Phoenix]

I don’t think acrylic pour artists have this many variables to deal with!

I’ve been thinking the same thing!

My daughter has loads of acrylic paint that I want to experiment with eventually. I’m hoping to pique her interest and inspire her to try her hand at acrylic paint pouring art.

 

[violets2217]

Didn’t think I was gonna attempt another batch... but I am! Used a recipe from the last challenge that actually stayed to thin of trace to swirl right. I figured that if I sat on my porch and started sweating within 2 minutes and my AC turned on at least 2 times it was warm enough. Plus I turned off my ceiling fan just incase! Lol! The base actually poured perfectly and I was very excited and it’s a beautiful swirl. I’m using the exactly same recipe for the top design, so I’m hopeful! Fingers crossed!

 

[The_Phoenix]

Hmmm. Peeked in on my soap and it's just meh. Or, rather, it isn't exactly as I had envisioned. I know I said it was going to be my final batch, but I encountered one little hiccup in the execution and would like to fix that. So, I lied when I said that it was going to be my last.

 

[dibbles]

Hmmm. Peeked in on my soap and it's just meh. Or, rather, it isn't exactly as I had envisioned. I know I said it was going to be my final batch, but I encountered one little hiccup in the execution and would like to fix that. So, I lied when I said that it was going to be my last.

Have you cut your slab yet? If not, flip it over and pour a new 'canvas' on that side. Or over the top if you are sure you don't want to keep that for an entry.

 

[The_Phoenix]

Have you cut your slab yet? If not, flip it over and pour a new 'canvas' on that side. Or over the top if you are sure you don't want to keep that for an entry.

That's a great idea! I have not cut it yet. Thank you, @dibbles!

 

[The_Phoenix]

Done! That saved me hours of work, @dibbles. So glad I did that. I’m done for sure. I mean it this time.