What soapy thing have you done today?

[Vicki C]

It's still soft. And not pretty at all. I'll see how it develops over time I'll try again eventually...View attachment 81384

Ahh.. drat. A tip, both oxides and ultramarines are trickier to incorporate than micas. You might try some color experimenting with smaller cavity molds. If you use a palette knife and a piece of smooth glass or acrylic, and mix the powder with just a little oil, you can really smush out all the little lumps.
I used to only incorporate oxides this way, I didn’t think it would work with ultramarines, but it does. (Thank you @Mobjack Bay!) I’ve been doing color experimenting with oxides and ultramarines all winter, 50 g samples, and have been having a lot of fun. My goal is to get reproducible results. A couple examples here. The numbers are percentages of colorant by weight as a portion of the oil. The codes are probably self explanatory - but in case not they are
UMPUR - purple ultramarine -
UMB - blue ultramarine -
TD - titanium dioxide
HCO - hydrated chromium oxide.

I make sixteen samples at a time, because I found two molds at goodwill of this shape with eight cavities each and I just like them. I use a base color, like the blue ultramarine, and mix enough for all sixteen, and then vary the other colorants by tiny amounts. A jewelers scale is necessary to measure hundredths or grams.
Oh - for oxides, I premix them in small bottles at a 3:1 ratio with oil and a drop of vitamin E to try to prevent rancidity. I add a stainless nut or two to help mix when I shake them. That way when I’m adding (for example) .05% of titanium dioxide I’m not measuring minuscule amounts of TD and mixing them.
Keep experimenting.

 

[justsomeguy]

Ahh.. drat. A tip, both oxides and ultramarines are trickier to incorporate than micas. You might try some color experimenting with smaller cavity molds. If you use a palette knife and a piece of smooth glass or acrylic, and mix the powder with just a little oil, you can really smush out all the little lumps.

I don't have a palette knife yet. But I have one of those badger mixer things I didn't use. I didn't think I'd have any lumps but there they were...

When I used the red and the black oxide the first time I mixed them up in water. Then stick blended the mixture into the batter. This time I didn't

I used to only incorporate oxides this way, I didn’t think it would work with ultramarines, but it does. (Thank you @Mobjack Bay!) I’ve been doing color experimenting with oxides and ultramarines all winter, 50 g samples, and have been having a lot of fun. My goal is to get reproducible results. A couple examples here. The numbers are percentages of colorant by weight as a portion of the oil. The codes are probably self explanatory - but in case not they are
UMPUR - purple ultramarine -
UMB - blue ultramarine -
TD - titanium dioxide
HCO - hydrated chromium oxide.

I love this! I'll give it a try eventually. A fellow farmers market vendor gave me a sheet of oval cavity molds that'll be perfect.

 

[Vicki C]

I don't have a palette knife yet. But I have one of those badger mixer things I didn't use. I didn't think I'd have any lumps but there they were...

When I used the red and the black oxide the first time I mixed them up in water. Then stick blended the mixture into the batter. This time I didn't


I love this! I'll give it a try eventually. A fellow farmers market vendor gave me a sheet of oval cavity molds that'll be perfect.

You’ll find the oxides mix much better with oil. You can get a cheap palette knife at a craft store. The lumps are very sneaky…

 

[justsomeguy]

You’ll find the oxides mix much better with oil. You can get a cheap palette knife at a craft store. The lumps are very sneaky…

I'll visit a Michael's eventually

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@Vicki C bravo on those color tests!

I ordered this set of surprisingly inexpensive palette knives on Amazon and use them all the time. The quality is very good. In addition to using them to blend pigments, they are very handy for cleaning up soap bars. When I was trying to cut a 6” test slab into four 2.5” x 3.5” bars the other day, I even used the largest palette knife to help with cutting the soap.

 

[justsomeguy]

@Vicki C bravo on those color tests!

I ordered this set of surprisingly inexpensive palette knives on Amazon and use them all the time. The quality is very good. In addition to using them to blend pigments, they are very handy for cleaning up soap bars. When I was trying to cut a 6” test slab into four 2.5” x 3.5” bars the other day, I even used the largest palette knife to help with cutting the soap.

Ordered! Arriving tomorrow

Thanks!