Smooth looking Soap

[hmlove1218]

I use the great value sunflower oil In my soaps. I believe their SO is the HO even though it doesn't say it.

 

[Dana89]

Thanks! I will look for it next time I am at Walmart.

 

[shunt2011]

I find if I use a little stearic acid my soap is smoother.
I have been thinking about using Sunflower oil to cut my Olive oil in half. Do you guys know if should buy the high oleic SO? I dont want to have to worry about DOS. Also I cannot find sunflower oil at my grocery store, I wonder if they have it at Walmart.

I would only use high oleic sunflower. Especially if using in larger amounts.

 

[Soapsense]

What brand of planer do you use?

 

[Dorymae]

They do carry it, but check online and you can see if they have it at your store. Beats making a trip for nothing!

 

[IrishLass]

What brand of planer do you use?

I'm not sure to whom the question was directed, but for what its worth, I myself use the acrylic planer from SoapmakingResource (it also bevels, too): http://www.soap-making-resource.com/soap-beveler.html


IrishLass

 

[newbie]

If I am taking the OP's question correctly, comparing texture of soaps and the finish, I think there are a lot of factors. I put in some pictures to compare. All are beautiful soap, without question. Some look smoother than others. I think the recipe contributes, gelling can contribute, the air bubbles from the stick blender definitely contribute, but so can the trace at which you pour, how much colorant you use, as well has how you cut. I know from our recent swap that one of the participants tweaked her recipe to get a harder soap so the finish would be more glossy and smoother and boy did it work! Her soap is the last picture. I wish I knew how to get it all the time but I don't.

 

[cmzaha]

I use a mid-oleic from Cibaria Soap Supply with no problems. I do add in ROE to all my containers of liquid oils when I first open them.

 

[Soapsense]

Irish Lass Thank you, I use molds from Soap Making resource, I will look at their planer.

 

[DeeAnna]

Teacher! Teacher!! ... <hand waving in the air> I have a question that might relate to the question being discussed!

Does anyone have any opinions if the lumps may be due to the temperature at which the soap is made and/or molded? Reason why I ask is I have been thinking those annoying bumpy bits may be lumps of slightly harder soap -- lumps just hard enough that the wire cannot go through, so it goes around.

The bits could be soap formed from high stearic fats that were not fully melted before soaping -- say maybe if someone soaps really cool. This would be similar to the soaps that someone puts beeswax in, and the beeswax just makes hard lumps in the soap.

Or they could be lumps that formed after the soap was put into the mold due to the way the soap was heated (CPOP), or insulated, or refrigerated, or whatever. The second theory is somewhat related to how crackled or mottled soaps (aka glycerin rivers) are created.

 

[TVivian]

I know from our recent swap that one of the participants tweaked her recipe to get a harder soap so the finish would be more glossy and smoother and boy did it work! Her soap is the last picture. I wish I knew how to get it all the time but I don't.[/QUOTE]


Thanks Newbie! That last one was my soap and the recipe was nothing fancy. Olive and Palm in equal amounts, coconut, castor and PKO. I just really find that the trick is to not get those itty bitty little bubbles. Melt the oils completely until they are totally translucent and spritz with alcohol if a light film of bubbles remains on the surface of the melted oils. My stick blender is notorious for sending bubbles down the shaft and into the blades so I stop stick blending as soon as the oils and lye are emulsified and I stir the rest of the way by hand. I use a wire cutter and the way I am deliberate about mixing makes all of the difference in whether I get those pock marks or glycerine rivers or anything else that messes with the soap texture.

 

[rainwater]

I have this same stick blender and I love it. My husband drilled small holes in the bell which helps release even more trapped air. Now my soaps are super smooth and I'm a happy soaper.

 

[rainwater]

I buy my Sunflower Oil High Oleic from soaperschoice.com. They have the best prices I have found. If there a place out there with better prices it's be great if anyone would share their source.

 

[rainwater]

I also use the planer from SoapmakingResource also. Since this is the only one I've ever used, I don't have anything to compare it to..
http://www.soap-making-resource.com/soap-beveler.html

 

[RhondaJ]

I'm not sure to whom the question was directed, but for what its worth, I myself use the acrylic planer from SoapmakingResource (it also bevels, too): http://www.soap-making-resource.com/soap-beveler.html


IrishLass

I've been looking hard at that planer Irish Lass - It works nicely even without a "blade"?

 

[DeeAnna]

The acrylic is cut at a sharp angle where the soap passes over. That is what does the cutting ... there's not a separate blade.

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk HD

 

[RhondaJ]

The acrylic is cut at a sharp angle where the soap passes over. That is what does the cutting ... there's not a separate blade.

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk HD

I know there's not a blade on that planer, that's why I was asking if it did a good job even though it doesn't have a "real blade"

 

[IrishLass]

Yep- exactly what DeeAnna said^^^^. When I first bought it, I wondered if the acrylic blade would be up to the task, and I'm most happy to report that it is. I've had it for about 4 or more years now and it's still quite sharp. I make sure to take very good care of it, though. I hand wash and dry it and then store it upside down so that the blade is never touching anything.

I absolutely love it. Although it bevels as well as planes, I only use it for planing since I already have another tool that I use for bevels (of which I like the looks of much better).

Also, another concern I had when I first bought it was that I worried it might shave too much off my soap, but it happily turns out that I was worried for nothing. The thickness of the planed-off soap is paper-thin- not more than 1/32" at the most.


IrishLass

 

[RhondaJ]

Yep- exactly what DeeAnna said^^^^. When I first bought it, I wondered if the acrylic blade would be up to the task, and I'm most happy to report that it is. I've had it for about 4 or more years now and it's still quite sharp. I make sure to take very good care of it, though. I hand wash and dry it and then store it upside down so that the blade is never touching anything.

I absolutely love it. Although it bevels as well as planes, I only use it for planing since I already have another tool that I use for bevels (of which I like the looks of much better).

Also, another concern I had when I first bought it was that I worried it might shave too much off my soap, but it happily turns out that I was worried for nothing. The thickness of the planed-off soap is paper-thin- not more than 1/32" at the most.


IrishLass

Fantastic That's exactly what I have been wondering for months...does it work as well as the blade type planer and will it hold up over the long haul!

My husband is not going to like you very much Off to order the acrylic planer!! Wooot! lol

Thank you

 

[raingarden]

I just bought a soap planer/beveler from plowboyz on etsty. It has made my bars soooo smooth and shiny. I love it!