Using wire tools, is there concern?

[Primrose]

I'm wanting to try a couple of soaps, one with a hanger swirl and one with an inverted stamp on top. Seems both of these are done with a wire bent into shape, but does it need to be a certain type, coated, etc or is normal wire OK as it isn't in the soap for very long?

 

[earlene]

I think you want to stick with stainless steel if it is bare metal. I bought stainless steel hangers to use for hanger swirls, but decided they are so hard to bend (I'm getting old and am not as strong as I used to be). So I bought some gear ties to use instead as they are easier to bend. They are coated with some type of plastic and flexible, I think some sort of metal inside.

I believe there was challenge using inverted stamping technique wherein this may have been discussed.
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/smf-soap-challenge-august-inverted-stamping.55467/

 

[Primrose]

Awesome, thanks Earlene, I'll go have a read.

 

[lsg]

I think plastic coated hangers would work.

 

[DeeAnna]

I use an old fashioned steel coat hanger. It has some kind of coating on it, so the chance of the metal coming in contact with the soap is pretty low with such brief use. Earlene and lsg have even better suggestions, however.

Definitely don't use anything made of copper or brass -- these metals are definite DOS makers.
And also nothing made of aluminum -- it reacts quickly with NaOH.

 

[toxikon]

I use a plastic hanger from the dollar store. I just snapped off a chunk of it so it'd fit nicely in the length of my mold.

 

[penelopejane]

I'm wanting to try a couple of soaps, one with a hanger swirl and one with an inverted stamp on top. Seems both of these are done with a wire bent into shape, but does it need to be a certain type, coated, etc or is normal wire OK as it isn't in the soap for very long?

For a hanger tool I use a plastic coated clothes hanger cut with bolt cutters.

For invert stamps Bunnings has various grades of plastic coated bendable wire in the garden section (outdoors) that is perfect for the job - easily bent and cut with long nose pliers.

 

[Obsidian]

I use a old cheap easy to bend wire hanger that I've slid a piece of aquarium tubing over.

 

[SaltedFig]

For inverted stamps I use thin stainless wire. Small rolls of stainless wire are available in the fencing section of stockfeed and hardware stores here. This wire is cheap and it's easy to bend.

I use an old enamel coated clothes hanger for larger swirling - the coating is flexible and underneath is thick steel wire so it doesn't matter if I dip the cut end in.

Once you've bent your wire to shape, it can be coated with acrylic nail polish to seal it.

 

[Karens62]

For invert stamp season I just use a piece of covered electrical wire. We’ve got rolls of it leftover from projects but it’s pretty inexpensive at any store which sells any home repair items. Or, find an electrician and ask them to save you some cutoffs.

 

[Primrose]

thanks heaps everyone, I think I can definitely make some of those ideas work

 

[SunRiseArts]

I sue a wired plastic cover garden wire. They are awesome because they come in a roll, and you can cut what you need. Reuse, and always have plenty left when it breaks. I got mine at dollar tree, so they should have it soon, as the seasons are changing.

http://tradewindsgarden.com/images/products/6922.jpg

 

[Primrose]

Earlene, you wouldn't happen to have the link to that challenge entry thread would you? I'm just curious to see what people came up with. I've tried searching without any luck

 

[SaltedFig]

Primrose, the last line in Earlene's post (#2) is clickable
(It highlighted while I was moving my cursor around the screen ...)

 

[Primrose]

That's the sign up thread, which had some good info, I was just wanting to see the soaps everyone came up with!

 

[dibbles]

That's the sign up thread, which had some good info, I was just wanting to see the soaps everyone came up with!

Try this: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FK9RPGC

If that link doesn't work for you, use the one for the sign up thread and there is a link for the voting in #227. I clicked on it and it worked for me.

 

[SaltedFig]

That's the sign up thread, which had some good info, I was just wanting to see the soaps everyone came up with!

Ooops! I should have known it wouldn't be that easy
Here's the Soap Stamp Challenge (August 2015) entry thread:
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/august-soap-challenge-thread.55760/

 

[Primrose]

Thanks heaps! There were some nice ideas in that thread, I love the one with multiple bugs and flowers