SMF February Challenge - Spin Swirl

[JuneP]

Thanks so very much. The maker emails me with the inner measurements, so between that and your help, I can get the paper liner ready and redo my recipe for that amount of oil.

My mold used 1330g of oils - so about 47 oz That gives you 2 inch bars that you can cut in half. if you go half you can get 1in bars that when cut in half will give you guest sized bar.

 

[kchaystack]

Just had another try with my 1 lb molds. This time i think things were too thin. Sigh. We will see what happens when i cut tomorrow. If nothing else i can go one more time

 

[amd]

Has the entry thread been posted yet? The rules say 2/15/16 but I haven't seen it yet.

Eta: I found it! It was further down than I expected in my mobile feed.

 

[DeeAnna]

I've been reading this thread closely and will enjoy looking at all the pictures in the Official Entry thread. I took a bye this month, but I'm hoping to participate again!

 

[Saponista]

I'm hoping to get one done before the end date, but my dad is in hospital so things are very stressful at the moment.

 

[lionprincess00]

Just wanted to apologize. I had every intention of signing up. Made a practice soap and had an issue with lotion. Took a while to fix that and my practice bombed. Now i have between the two 24 soaps and couldn't bring myself to attempt another spin.
Love everyone's entries so far!

 

[galaxyMLP]

I just attempted another spin. This one was at a much better trace. Hopefully it cuts well!

 

[crispysoap]

Just attempted my second spin, even though I used low water, usual recipe and a FO I have used with out issues before I ended up with massive acceleration. So I plopped everything in the mold, smooshed it around and grumbled at it a bit. Guess I'll be entering my first attempt after all

 

[bodybym]

1. traderbren - (am I really first? Can I plant an earworm? Cuz this challenge will spin me right round baby, right round)
2. MySoapyHeart (Never done this, I don`thave the right mold. Sure, sign me up!)
3. Misschief (wasn't going to...nope, nope... oh, what the heck!)
4. McGraysoldtowngifts (Insert witty comment here)
5. KCHaystack (Time to take my new mold out for another spin)
6. dibbles (I'll give it a whirl. Yes, I said that.)
7. doriettefarm (here's hoping I don't end up with soap all over the walls & ceiling, wheee!)
8. Judiraz ( I can use color, right? Thank Goodness!)
9. BlackDog (yay! no more black soap!)
10. Steve85569 ( not going to put myself through that this month! On my way back from the shop with fresh built mold - may as well....)
11. Snappyllama (sweet, I love spin swirls!)
12. AMD - what could possibly go wrong?
13. Crispysoap (first challenge and first slab mold......what was I thinking!)
14. TheDragonGirl (Good excuse to build that slab mold I really want)
15. Mrs Spaceship (This should be easy enough...right...right??)
16.JuneP (hope I can get one of those molds/dividers so I can do this!)
17. mintle (will definitely wear two sets of protective glasses for this crazy spinning one)
18. navigator9 (Finally getting off my lazy, retired butt.....I'm in!)
19. Saponista (Better go and dust off the lazy Susan from the loft - I can see this getting messy!)
20. Dillsandwitch ( Its been a while since I have made any soap. No better excuse to get back on the wagon)
21. songwind (Life keeps ambushing me before I can finish my entry, but I'm trying again.)
22. Body by M - time to get back on the soap making bandwagon

 

[Sea Breeze]

Makes me wish I had a slab mold. I've done a layered version in my regular mold. One solid layer and I did a black and white spin then layered another color...it was cool looking.

 

[newbie]

Post a pic, Sea breeze! I'd love to see it. I'm sure others would too.

 

[Saponista]

I just use a plastic box seabreeze, lined with a layer of freezer paper or sometimes a plastic bag. I have a massive slab mould, but it's just too big for personal use soaps. I'd be drowning in bars.

 

[JuneP]

My 9 bar slab mold yesterday afternoon and I'm making soap this morning - just waiting for my somewhat over heated oils to cool down. I just may make the deadline - i hope! LOL

 

[BlackDog]

Final attempt is going down tonight! I made my lye water and lined my mold last night so I'm itching to get home (dang job gets in the way of my soaping!)

 

[Saponista]

I just had my first attempt and what will have to be my challenge entry. I'm quite pleased with it. I swirled until the top was a little bit muddied in the hope of getting a nicer internal swirl. Will cut tomorrow, fingers crossed it looks ok!

 

[JuneP]

Disaster to report. First time experiencing soap on a stick and first time using Lavender EO in a soap. If it could go wrong it did! LOL

I just plopped the pudding batter in the mold, in the order that I would pour it for a spin swirl; but no amount of shaking and turning would move that mass of thick batter, so I just took a spatula and made a spiral swirl would in the mold. I made a somewhat decent top, put on some glitter and put my dividers in, and it wrapped in a towel till tomorrow morning.

The other thing I did differently was to lower my lye concentration to 30 instead of 29. I didn't think I over mixed. I was going just for emulsification, but I had a weird color distortion from my over head light that made it look like it wasn't emulsified. Once I suspect that, I turned the bowl and sure enough, it was the lighting that created a shadow of a different color.

I thought I'd be OK since the soap was pourable; but by the time I barely started mixing my colors, it had turned to pudding. Oh well, lesson learned. I should have had my under cabinets lights on, for starters.

I find it hard to believe that changing the Lye Concentration to 30 from 29 would make that much of a difference.

Do EO's trace faster? I'd sure like to know what happened. My recipe was the same (48% hard oils), same additives, room temperature oils and lye solution, etc.

I might try this again with a small box that I'll make with foam core board and use a slow tracing, well behaved FO. One consolation - the top of the soap looks pretty good! LOL

 

[Saponista]

I've never had a problem with lavender speeding trace. I think it must have been something else.

 

[kchaystack]

I am very familiar with normally well behaved scents suddenly going rogue. Same thing happened to my first swirl.

Lavender is not usually an accelerator. But spicy EOs can be. Clove for example.

I am sure it will be great soap - just like mine!

 

[Saponomancer]

I'm going to try this again after the challenge is over when I have a proper mold (which will take me building it)

 

[JuneP]

I just searched the forum and found an old message on Lavender, and one person Carolyn Z, reported that she has a Lavender that speeds up trace so much that she can't use it for colors..

I used a Lavender 40-42 a bit more than half and then made up the difference with a lavender FO, Maybe the combination was the culprit.

I've never had a problem with lavender speeding trace. I think it must have been something else.