Technique question...

[thegriffiths]

I am looking for a different way (to me) to make a two color soap with a very straight transition between the two colors.

Is there any reason I cant make a soap batch, pour it into the log mold, let it cure over night, then come back the next day and pour another color on top of that one.

Would the two colors stick to one another?

Is there something I would need to do to make them stick?

Or should I just wait an hour or so and let the first one get a very firm trace?


Thanks for the help!

 

[chicklet]

You could pour, wait a day, then pour on top - they will stick together. The downside is having to basically make soap twice. The other method would work if you made a fresh batch for the top, same as waiting a day. What I usually do is make a batch, separate and color, get both batches to a good trace (not thick but almost), pour in the first layer, then spoon on the top layer carefully.

 

[thegriffiths]

I tried that a few times and the soap I add on top caused the separation between the two to be wavy. I want it as straight as is possible. Thats why I thought it would be best if it had set up as hard as possible.

 

[Ancel]

I would wait an hour or so between pourings, I'd be worried about leaving it overnight, if it didn't stick you'd have wasted your effort.

 

[TVivian]

I do striped soaps pretty often and I know for sure that if you wait a day in between, the two soaps will not stick. What I do to avoid having to mix two separate batches of soap is preheat the oven to its lowest setting. Start with everything at room temperature. Mix the lye and the oils to very light trace do not add any type of fragrance, sugar, milk etc.. Separate the mixture into two, or 3 containers take your first container, add color, mix to medium trace add fragrance, pour into the mold, tap to settle it straight and pop it into the oven. Within a few minutes in the oven it should have a good "skin" on the top. You then mix the second half, add color and fragrance and CAREFULLY scoop in the rest of the batter with a rubber spatula, gently as not to disturb the bottom layer. You can then finish in the oven or whatever your preferred method of curing is. If you want to use milks, sugars, honey or fast moving fragrance, I'd recommend weighing 2 separate containers of lye, two separate batches of oil, going with the same method I mentioned above, but with mixing an entirely new mix for each layer.

Here are some examples of my striped soaps:



Sent from my iPhone using Soap Making

 

[lsg]

You could also use the dividers made for Essential Depot's red silicone molds.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/157351143/hdpe-plastic-dividers-for-red-essential

 

[neeners]

do you have vertical molds? I tried this with a round PVC pipe as my mold, and cut a length of cardboard wide and long enough for the PVC pipe. divide your soap batch into 2, and pour simultaneously. tap down to get rid of the air bubbles, then pull out the cardboard divider slowly but assertively.... worked for me, and i'm a newbie! there's my post about the soap....

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=39283

 

[thegriffiths]

I will try dividers...I can make something work with one of my molds. I didnt even think to go that way.

Thanks! I love this forum.