Using soap dough like polymer clay

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newbie,

Thank-you for that very detailed explanation!

I tend to put my soap clay away when it gets sticky (which works pretty quickly), rather than adding cornflour or any starch. I hadn't really noticed it getting softer, but I did notice it's gets brittle when it's sticky.

The brittleness and stickiness are corrected by resting the dough. So softness is controlled by temperature ... that's good to know, I might play with temperatures a bit too :) Thanks!

PS. Adding to the notes on cane work:
Reducing canes starts from the center of the cane and requires even, gently pressure around the cane, working outwards to the ends.
Repeat the reduction in many, small steps to reduce the cane to the desired size.
Working from the center of the cane outwards, in small incremental steps, reduces distortion in the pattern.

Wow, those are bright!

Will be some nice, big amounts by the time you add more white.

Can't wait to see what you make with them :)

My soap dough is made... sort of. The black isn't black enough, the blue is way too blue, the red is more like fluorescent pink. I think I'll make another batch and leave it uncoloured.
 
Cool soaps newbie! I knew you were up to something when you weren't posting (besides traveling the world).

Two things about the recipe below:

1. Took me a while to figure out what Alrd was. Apparently I have my own dyslexia not recognizing Lard. I had to go back to Bee's post! I am tired, I did not get my normal work break during the holidays.

2. As for water:lye, have folks had good luck with that ratio? Her recipe is date June 2006, so just wondering if it has stuck.

Bee's recipe is

20% Castor oil
30% Coconut oil
50% Alrd

water:lye for her recipe is about 2.4:1
 
Cool soaps newbie! I knew you were up to something when you weren't posting (besides traveling the world).

Two things about the recipe below:

1. Took me a while to figure out what Alrd was. Apparently I have my own dyslexia not recognizing Lard. I had to go back to Bee's post! I am tired, I did not get my normal work break during the holidays.

2. As for water:lye, have folks had good luck with that ratio? Her recipe is date June 2006, so just wondering if it has stuck.

I've made all my soap dough with that recipe and its perfect, made it in September and still workable now. Once allowed to suit our and dry, it's musty like any other soap.
The things you can do with soap always amazes me.
 
I played a bit with mine last night, just to get a feel for it. My dough is a little moist so I think I can let it sit out for a little bit but I did manage to make this...

DSCN1516.JPG
 
A blue rose! (Or at least it looks a bit blue on my screen ...)

Mischief, that is so pretty - aren't flowers just the easiest and the hardest at the same time?!

(A trick for petal placement, as you work outwards, put the centre of your next petal over the gap of the previous layer, so the gaps never line up.).
 
A blue rose! (Or at least it looks a bit blue on my screen ...)

Mischief, that is so pretty - aren't flowers just the easiest and the hardest at the same time?!

(A trick for petal placement, as you work outwards, put the centre of your next petal over the gap of the previous layer, so the gaps never line up.).

Thank you, SF. It IS a pale blue. I used a Wilton Easy Blooms cut out tool. The idea is to cut out two rows of "petals", lay them over each other slightly offset and then roll them up together. It was easy but not so easy. The two layers didn't stick together and slid on each other. But, hey, it was a first attempt. I'm not expecting perfection.... yet.
 
Great tips Roselyne, thanks for sharing. Welcome to the Forum - sorry I missed your introduction. Keep posting so you can make the February challenge!

I've made all my soap dough with that recipe and its perfect, made it in September and still workable now. Once allowed to suit our and dry, it's musty like any other soap.
The things you can do with soap always amazes me.

Tô make roses, i found the best way for me was without a cutter, I came across this tutorial
https://youtu.be/TeYyoyRWiE8, really help and it's actually quicker and prettier than what I was doing before.
 
Thanks CaraBou, I'm trying to qualify, then if I do I'll have to get to time to make the soap, guessing a few trials will be needed :)
 
Make your soap dough now. I did a couple of batches, giving me time to play with it and incubate ideas. And... keep chatting! ;)

Good idea, I need the help!

My dough is pretty hard after being sealed for a week. It's my regular recipe (half lard, 20% CO, yadayada) with a water ratio of 2.4. I suspect my house is too cold - the ceilings are so high that the downstairs always stays cool. Do you guys think a higher water ratio would make it softer? I'm tempted to bump up to 2.75 or even 3.

I could warm the dough right before I actually work with it, but more water seems like it might give me a better starting point.

What do you think - bad idea or good?
 
I wonder the same thing, CaraBou. I used some leftover soap batter from the Jan. challenge and thought it was too hard, too. But using some of it and warming it up in my hands seems to be making it more pliable. So maybe try that. Mine was 33% lye concentration and my house is also normally cold. That's how I prefer my house, so turning up the heat isn't something I would do just to make soap more pliable. Have you divided the dough up into smaller pieces so when you work with it, it's more like a 1 inch or less square? That seems to help get it pliable faster, too.

But I also plan on making a batch with full water to see how that works out.

Today I went ahead and practiced making some little things with the soap dough and I think it's working out okay. We shall see as time goes along, as right now it's just to get used to using it.
 
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Have you divided the dough up into smaller pieces so when you work with it, it's more like a 1 inch or less square? That seems to help get it pliable faster, too.

Yes, and that does help. But I'm not planning to cane or make stand alone figures. My design idea - rules allowing - would require more hefty pieces.

I'm going to try higher water - and more soft oils, too. This is good chance to change things up!
 
Good idea, I need the help!

My dough is pretty hard after being sealed for a week. It's my regular recipe (half lard, 20% CO, yadayada) with a water ratio of 2.4. I suspect my house is too cold - the ceilings are so high that the downstairs always stays cool. Do you guys think a higher water ratio would make it softer? I'm tempted to bump up to 2.75 or even 3.

I could warm the dough right before I actually work with it, but more water seems like it might give me a better starting point.

What do you think - bad idea or good?

I've made a couple of batches now. One batch is a little harder than the other but I'm finding that it softens up nicely as I knead it. I have the opposite problem with the first batch; it's too soft and sticky. I'm not sure how to counter it.
 
I've made a couple of batches now. One batch is a little harder than the other but I'm finding that it softens up nicely as I knead it. I have the opposite problem with the first batch; it's too soft and sticky. I'm not sure how to counter it.

If it's super sticky, try letting it sit exposed to the air for a few hours, but keep checking on it to be sure it isn't drying out too much. If it's just a little sticky, you can LIGHTLY dust it with corn starch. Tamping the dough and work surface with a cloth (muslin) bag with corn starch in it seems to work. Possibly a panty hose make shift bag would work too. Or just sprinkle a tiny bit on your soap dough and knead it in.
 
If it's super sticky, try letting it sit exposed to the air for a few hours, but keep checking on it to be sure it isn't drying out too much. If it's just a little sticky, you can LIGHTLY dust it with corn starch. Tamping the dough and work surface with a cloth (muslin) bag with corn starch in it seems to work. Possibly a panty hose make shift bag would work too. Or just sprinkle a tiny bit on your soap dough and knead it in.

I think I will have to leave it out for a bit. I've been using cornstarch in a Wilton thingy (not sure what it's called) and it works well but that first batch is still sticking like crazy. Makes it difficult to do thin pieces (like rose petals).

I did use some to make rimmed soap, though. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I just made two small bars out of leftovers from another batch. I like being able to do that.
 
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