SMF September 2019 Challenge - Linear Swirl

[amd]

Also wanted to note that I did try a soap last night... it did not go well. My soap dungeon is miserably hot with the higher temps we've been having so my soap did not play well last night. I will have to wait for the weekend when it is cool and rainy to try again.

 

[Primrose]

1. szaza - hmmm.. to hp or not to hp?
2. dibbles - I’ll worry about what we can do later. I’m in.
3. MarnieSoapien - This looks like fun!
4. SYT - I'll give it a go!
5. Mobjack Bay - I’m clueless, but I can’t resist!
6. steffamarie - I simply adore swirls like this. Can't wait!
7. Primrose

 

[Deborah Long]

Sign up list:

1. szaza - hmmm.. to hp or not to hp?
2. dibbles - I’ll worry about what we can do later. I’m in.
3. MarnieSoapien - This looks like fun!
4. SYT - I'll give it a go!
5. Mobjack Bay - I’m clueless, but I can’t resist!
6. steffamarie - I simply adore swirls like this. Can't wait!
7. Primrose
8. Deb Long - learn a new technique, Yay!

 

[Nanette]

In watching the video...that looked like the things that happen to me..I am terrible at design. Sigh.

 

[szaza]

One of the first real design soaps I did was a peacock swirl. It was a bit ambitious as I had just started to learn how to color soap and there are a few things I'd do different now. But I think I did quite well for the fairly new soaper I was back then (a few months and about 8-10 batches under my belt). Anyway it's fun to go back to see if I can do better now that I have a bit more experience

 

[szaza]

Also, this is a video of a linear swirl called 'impressionist swirl' in which a loaf mold is used. The cut pieces look a bit like a drop swirl. Is this similar to what your friend dit @amd ?

 

[szaza]

I've been getting a bit confused with all the different names of the techniques because they all look so similar to me..
On this website a serpentine swirl is explained as parallel S shapes traced through a taiwan swirl
Here is a good tutorial for a peacock swirl, and there is another one I found that the maker of the video calls 'fleur de lis' that you can find here.

 

[szaza]

I also sketched a rough overview of the techniques I found so far and thought I'd share in case it might help someone

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I made my first peacock swirl today using a hair pick type comb for the first pass and a skewer to make the second pattern. I’m wondering if I should have used something thicker, like a chopstick, for the second pass because the skewer didn’t deform the pattern as much as I thought it would. The overall color balance is a little dark, partly because an olive green I mixed from micas is looking more brown at this point, but also because I just needed a bit more light color batter. I’m learning! Hopefully it will all look a little brighter tomorrow and, in the interim, my house smells wonderful.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I’m getting ready for linear swirl v.2. I decided that I need thinner soap (or to work faster ), and more space between the teeth of the comb I want to use for a first pass. I found this idea online made from skewers and corrugated cardboard:



It took me two tries to get it right. If the skewers are not spaced correctly, the cardboard wants to curl. Here’s a close up of the arrangement with the skewers in every third channel of the cardboard, which works better than having them in every other or every fourth channel. It also works better to leave at least 1/2” extra on each side width wise because inserting the skewers shortens the width of the cardboard.



Now I’m wondering if I should trim the points...

 

[Deborah Long]

Oh, this is going to be a challenge for me, for sure! lol Today, I tried my first peacock swirl. I didn't attempt a comb like @Mobjack Bay , just tried using my chopsticks to make the lines.
First lesson learned - use squirt bottles! Making the lines by pouring was almost impossible for me to get straight and even. I had a quite a few glops! lol
Second lesson learned - wrap the cardboard that you're using to cover the wet soap in saran wrap, because trying to place it on the top of the mold makes it slide right into the soap, ruining the beautiful top!
Arrrrrrggggggggghhhhh!

Second try tomorrow, after this soap comes out of the mold... *sigh*

 

[steffamarie]

Made my soap today in my makeshift slab mold!! I even filmed it, so you all might get a video out of me if I can be bothered to edit it lol

Currently have it gelling in my oven. It's gonna be an adventure to cut it for sure!!!

 

[earlene]

I really want to participate, but I don't foresee the time this month at all. If time opens up, I'll sign up.

 

[scard]

I’m getting ready for linear swirl v.2. I decided that I need thinner soap (or to work faster ), and more space between the teeth of the comb I want to use for a first pass. I found this idea online made from skewers and corrugated cardboard:

View attachment 41390

It took me two tries to get it right. If the skewers are not spaced correctly, the cardboard wants to curl. Here’s a close up of the arrangement with the skewers in every third channel of the cardboard, which works better than having them in every other or every fourth channel. It also works better to leave at least 1/2” extra on each side width wise because inserting the skewers shortens the width of the cardboard.

View attachment 41391

Now I’m wondering if I should trim the points...

It may sound crazy, but I sand down one end of each of the dowels I use, rounding the tips. They slide nice and smoothly on the silicone molds.
I think I would do the same on the comb skewers too if they were going touch the bottom of the mold. But then again I get a little lost in the details.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

It may sound crazy, but I sand down one end of each of the dowels I use, rounding the tips. They slide nice and smoothly on the silicone molds.
I think I would do the same on the comb skewers too if they were going touch the bottom of the mold. But then again I get a little lost in the details.

I ended up cutting the tips off with scissors

 

[scard]

That works!

 

[szaza]

Here's an updated version of my overview of linear swirls. I added the DNA/helix technique, which is explained here.
(Edited for spelling and to remove the double upload of the file)

 

[MarnieSoapien]

Made my first Taiwan swirl. I think it turned out alright for a first attempt... I don't hate it, but I think I can do better. I see an IKEA trip in my future to purchase squeeze bottles.

I'm still trying to decide between a loaf or a slab mold. The slab mold I've been using is a 9x9 pan. I'm still not sure the best way to cut the bars so I don't have oddly shaped bars or a bunch of leftover end bits. Suggestions?

 

[maxine289]

Here's an updated version of my overview of linear swirls. I added the DNA/helix technique, which is explained here.
(Edited for spelling and to remove the double upload of the file)

That's really helpful, szaza.

 

[szaza]

I tried a tiny test batch in HP, just to see if there's any potential it might work. I piped the lines into the mold and swirled with a chopstick. The effect was similar to swirling thick trace soap like in the video of the blue soap in on of the first posts. I squished everything back together and hoped for the best. I'll cut, plane and bevel tonight or (more likely) tomorrow. I'm curious how ugly it will be. The top is unsightly, but who knows if a good amount of planing might safe some of the swirly lines. I'm not expecting a pretty soap, I just want to see if it's at all possible to do something that remotely looks like a linear swirl in HP and hopefully already figure out a few technical improvement to implement next time.