Shave Soap in a Tube Mold is Sinking / Tunneling

[billybee]

Hello Soapy Friends
My shave soap aways turns out great when its used....but I can't get great consistent molds out of the tubes. I want to minimize the ugly! I'm getting a lot of tunnels and air gap at the top. The bottom 50-75% of the tube is great.

I'm doing soy wax / coconut oil / cocoa butter / castor oil / glycerine.
I've tried 32 - 37 % water by oil. 1-2t PPO of sodium lactate helps keep it thin and pourable.
Modified cold process style. Keeping the oils and water at 150-180. If they vary by +/- 20 ish degrees doesnt seem to effect too much.

It doesn't pour that great with less water, but high water it pours pretty good, so I'm positive these are not air pockets.

I've tried insulating to keep everything at high temps, I'm thinking the stearic is hardening up on the outside, so the warmer inside stays fluid and sinks. Not finding this to be helpful.

Is there really that much water evaporation that's happening up top to reduce the volume by this much in 24 hrs?

 

[KiwiMoose]

Have you tried dual lye? I found mine became a lot more pourable with 10% KOH

 

[billybee]

Have you tried dual lye? I found mine became a lot more pourable with 10% KOH

Yes, using 60/40 K/NA. The pouring isn't so much a problem, but the sinking/caving. I'm losing the top 1/3 (will repurpose somehow). But I'd love to get the tube completely round as close to the top as possible.

 

[AliOop]

Try using 25% lye concentration instead of water as percent of oils. That will give you more consistency between batches.

Then be sure not to insulate the tube, e.g., don’t wrap in any towels. Raise it off the ground/table if you can, and if possible, have a fan blowing on it for 24 hours after pouring. I do all that with my shave soap to keep it from overheating.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I'm trying to figure out why this would happen. I often make soap in tubes and it's fine all the way to the top. I'm assuming you let them set while the tube is standing up and not lying down?

 

[billybee]

I'm trying to figure out why this would happen. I often make soap in tubes and it's fine all the way to the top. I'm assuming you let them set while the tube is standing up and not lying down?

Oh yes, they sit for 24 hrs at least. I notice the sinking happens within an hour or two. My regular CP soap is fine! Only shave soap does this, so must be something due to hard oils and higher temps.

Try using 25% lye concentration instead of water as percent of oils. That will give you more consistency between batches.

Then be sure not to insulate the tube, e.g., don’t wrap in any towels. Raise it off the ground/table if you can, and if possible, have a fan blowing on it for 24 hours after pouring. I do all that with my shave soap to keep it from overheating.

I've been doing the opposite...trying to keep warm to keep stearic happy! Will try the cooling quickly method.

 

[Becky1024]

Hmmm ….. my shave soap does that a little, maybe an inch or two. I just overfill the top and save the top ugly puck for myself. Not sure what causes it.