SMF March 2022 Challenge - Column Pour Technique

[KiwiMoose]

OK - finished mine. When does the voting start?

 

[Leanne.reynolds922]

For the entry photo are we posting the entire slab or choosing 1 bar of soap?

 

[dibbles]

For the entry photo are we posting the entire slab or choosing 1 bar of soap?

The slab should be cut into bars, but you may include as many as you would like to in the entry photo. I have added that to the challenge specific rules. Thank you for asking - I should have included that to begin with.

 

[melonpan]

This sounds like such a fun technique! I'll be cheering from the sidelines as I'm out of town and sadly away from my soaping tools (but taking notes for the first opportunity to soap again ). Can't wait to see everyone's entries!

 

[KayMay]

To sign up for the challenge, please copy and paste this list into the next post, adding your name with the next number.

Sign up list:

1. Jersey Girl- Coming out of my cave to try this one. ♥Haven’t used my slab mold yet!
2. AliOop - How can I resist when Jersey Girl is back???
3. Vicki C, oh YAY I want to improve my techniques for this
4. Mobjack - will be a first for me!
5. Mx6inpenn - something new!
6. Kathy_VaO - First time with this technique. Can I use rectangle slab mold?
7. Gecko - I am making soap this weekend and have a 6" Slab Mold that I haven't tried yet.
8. PepperJack - haven’t much experience with slab molds
9. @KiwiMoose okey dokey I’m gonna do this one.
10. Leanne.reynolds922
11. ~Dragonfly~ - first challenge for me. I'm so nervous haha
12. Microchick - lots of firsts for me...first challenge, first column pour, first time using a slab, first batch since June.
13. Heather McClain- oh so many ideas already!! Can’t wait!! I have never attempted a column pour
14. Kaymay - this is a new technique for me, looking forward to it

 

[ResolvableOwl]

To sign up for the challenge, please copy and paste this list into the next post, adding your name with the next number.

Sign up list:

1. Jersey Girl- Coming out of my cave to try this one. ♥Haven’t used my slab mold yet!
2. AliOop - How can I resist when Jersey Girl is back???
3. Vicki C, oh YAY I want to improve my techniques for this
4. Mobjack - will be a first for me!
5. Mx6inpenn - something new!
6. Kathy_VaO - First time with this technique. Can I use rectangle slab mold?
7. Gecko - I am making soap this weekend and have a 6" Slab Mold that I haven't tried yet.
8. PepperJack - haven’t much experience with slab molds
9. KiwiMoose okey dokey I’m gonna do this one.
10. Leanne.reynolds922
11. ~Dragonfly~ - first challenge for me. I'm so nervous haha
12. Microchick - lots of firsts for me...first challenge, first column pour, first time using a slab, first batch since June.
13. Heather McClain- oh so many ideas already!! Can’t wait!! I have never attempted a column pour
14. Kaymay - this is a new technique for me, looking forward to it
15. ResolvableOwl - Who else will try hard to leave half of the pour unswirled? (tip 7)
16.

 

[Heather McClain]

I showed this to my husband and now he’s got ALL kinds of ideas

 

[ResolvableOwl]

What are you waiting for? Make him create an SMF account, spend a few bucks on a supporting membership, and force him to sign up!

 

[Heather McClain]

What are you waiting for? Make him create an SMF account, spend a few bucks on a supporting membership, and force him to sign up!

But I only have one slab mold and he will try to steal it!! Guess I could share….

 

[AliOop]

But I only have one slab mold and he will try to steal it!! Guess I could share….

Oh no, I think you should let him stay on the design side, while you remain on the production side - for the sake of long-term marital harmony.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

dip it in melted cocoa butter to anchor it to the mold (allow time for the cocoa butter to solidify if you do this)

A pointer from my chocolatier alter ego (only relevant when your cocoa butter has been properly tempered before solidification, i. e. ks nice, firm and snappy like chocolate should be. If it's soft, grainy or greasy, then it doesn't matter): Don't heat up the cocoa butter until fully molten, but rather leave some of it solid (“floating iceberg”), and stir around thoroughly afterwards, prior to application.

For one, you can be sure you don't overheat the CB (i. e. it won't take needlessly long until it solidifies). But it will also make the cocoa butter “remember” its best crystal structure (seeding). It then not only hardens up quicker, but also more firmly, and with less of a mess in the mould and elsewhere.
That portion of CB in the photo above, solidified, and then fell out of the small cup all by itself, in one piece, without leaving any oily trace. You even can read the scale that is embossed in the side of the cup.

 

[Jenny Sparks]

To sign up for the challenge, please copy and paste this list into the next post, adding your name with the next number.

Sign up list:

1. Jersey Girl- Coming out of my cave to try this one. ♥Haven’t used my slab mold yet!
2. AliOop - How can I resist when Jersey Girl is back???
3. Vicki C, oh YAY I want to improve my techniques for this
4. Mobjack - will be a first for me!
5. Mx6inpenn - something new!
6. Kathy_VaO - First time with this technique. Can I use rectangle slab mold?
7. Gecko - I am making soap this weekend and have a 6" Slab Mold that I haven't tried yet.
8. PepperJack - haven’t much experience with slab molds
9. KiwiMoose okey dokey I’m gonna do this one.
10. Leanne.reynolds922
11. ~Dragonfly~ - first challenge for me. I'm so nervous haha
12. Microchick - lots of firsts for me...first challenge, first column pour, first time using a slab, first batch since June.
13. Heather McClain- oh so many ideas already!! Can’t wait!! I have never attempted a column pour
14. Kaymay - this is a new technique for me, looking forward to it
15. ResolvableOwl - Who else will try hard to leave half of the pour unswirled? (tip 7)
16. Jenny Sparks- I’ll give it a go! I’ve been meaning to try out this technique

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I have soap in the mold

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Sounds like you're quite late. I just planed&bevelled mine.

But ye know, No Pressure.

 

[AliOop]

Ok, y'all motivated me to get mine made before the next work trip. It's on the heating pad now.

Despite some unexpected happenings, however it turns out, it was my plan all along for it to look that way.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I have soap in the mold

Sounds like you're quite late. I just planed&bevelled mine.

But ye know, No Pressure.

Keep up you two!!! I'm waaaaaay ahead of both of you.

 

[AliOop]

Ok, so I unmolded and cut mine. SOOOOO much soap was harmed! I either need to toss out my slab mold, or break down and buy that caterpillar cutter so I am not trying to cut logs by hand with a pastry knife or with my homemade wire cutter.

Thankfully, there are enough decent bars left for pictures, but the soap is still too soft for planing and beveling. But I should have time to do that and take photos after I return from my work trip.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I had no idea why my soap decided to weep until I read @AliOop post

 

[AliOop]

Well, I ordered CCT’s smaller cutter last night- the Hercules, not the Caterpillar. Because it was 45 cents shy of free shipping, and shipping was going to be over $35, I added in a Cheshire Cat since the whole purchase was only $7 more than it would have been to buy just the Hercules without free shipping.

When the Hercules arrives, I’ll need some help figuring out how to divide up my little Nurture slab mold for cutting.

Our brains are so funny. I can visualize a whole house remodel by looking at construction plans, or create a new and improved floor plan by walking through an existing structure — but I cannot visualize how to cut normal sized bars from this mold.

 

[glendam]

you’ll having your soaps already done convinces me that I won’t be able to participate in this challenge, though it has always intrigued me, It seems lot of possibilities and final results are possible.

Our chihuahua (a 6 lb feral terror that we got stuck with 6 years ago - long story) has been diagnosed with herniated discs and treatment has been stressful for both her and us, so I don’t foresee myself making soap anytime soon, or at least this month.

@AliOop I have their white slab mold, and it has been tricky to figure that out. I have put already made bars in it to calculate; and also done a sketch in graph paper. I always end up with 2-3 smaller, odd sized bars