Advice on pouring overlapping inclines?

[Todd_in_Minnesota]

I'm hoping I can collect some wisdom and experience from this group... after my first trial went goofy.
I had an idea for Christmas soap this year to pour red and green overlapping inclines (like the pencil drawing), but it didn't work out at all the way I hoped (picture).

My struggle was with the consistency of the batter. It seemed that if it's pourable, it won't hold its shape as an incline. And - if it's stiff enough to hold it's shape as an incline, it can't be poured.
In the bar pictured, I opted for pourable, and lost any concept of an incline.
Clearly I'm missing something. Is there a good way to build/pour such a bar?

Many Thanks,
Todd

 

[AliOop]

Hi Todd,

The good news is that you still have a very Christmas-y looking bar.

To pour on an incline, you have to tilt the mold, and leave it tilted until the batter firms up enough that it won't move around when you tilt it the other way to pour the next layer. Often this is accomplished by having a very fluid batter, separating it into smaller cups for each layer, and adding an accelerating FO to the cup just before you pour it.

If you search on YouTube for "slanted layer soap" you will find a fair number of videos that demonstrate the process much more clearly than my written explanation.

 

[AliensrReal]

I love that look though!

 

[not_ally]

I like your soap, too @Todd_in_Minnesota, . I found these videos useful in learning how to do slanted/angled pours:


Using Diagonals in Soap Design for design


For me the most important things are doing the layers as separate small batches (I think this would fix your timing issue), having them be as fluid as possible so that they are really straight/level, and being patient about letting them set up well before pouring the next one.

 

[Zing]

I like to do alternating wall pours, like Latest alternating wall pour . Not sure if that's what you're going for. There's more details at Flax Milk Layered Soap Project | BrambleBerry . I start out pouring at emulsion or thin trace. It thickens up by the end at which point I scream for Mrs. Zing and utilize her frosting skills.
You have awesome looking soap there!
And hello from Minnesota!

 

[Todd_in_Minnesota]

Hi Todd,

The good news is that you still have a very Christmas-y looking bar.

To pour on an incline, you have to tilt the mold, and leave it tilted until the batter firms up enough that it won't move around when you tilt it the other way to pour the next layer. Often this is accomplished by having a very fluid batter, separating it into smaller cups for each layer, and adding an accelerating FO to the cup just before you pour it.

If you search on YouTube for "slanted layer soap" you will find a fair number of videos that demonstrate the process much more clearly than my written explanation.

Thanks Ali - I hadn't thought of using a 'just-in-time accelerant'. Interesting idea!

 

[Todd_in_Minnesota]

I like your soap, too @Todd_in_Minnesota, . I found these videos useful in learning how to do slanted/angled pours:


Using Diagonals in Soap Design for design


For me the most important things are doing the layers as separate small batches (I think this would fix your timing issue), having them be as fluid as possible so that they are really straight/level, and being patient about letting them set up well before pouring the next one.

Hey not_ally - thanks for the links; excellent info. As you note, their process is to leave the oils, lye, scent, and colorant separate until each is needed to pour. That solves the problem of one color hardening too soon. My next-year Christmas soap is going to be much prettier!

 

[Todd_in_Minnesota]

I like to do alternating wall pours, like Latest alternating wall pour . Not sure if that's what you're going for. There's more details at Flax Milk Layered Soap Project | BrambleBerry . I start out pouring at emulsion or thin trace. It thickens up by the end at which point I scream for Mrs. Zing and utilize her frosting skills.
You have awesome looking soap there!
And hello from Minnesota!

Hey Zing,
I hadn't considered the Alternating Wall Pour method... just never occurred to me. Thanks!
Now that I see how you did it, I'm getting "big ideas". Like, what if I tried an in-the-pot swirl before I poured a section? If I did it right, each section would have its own color-mix, and distinct swirl. (The odds of me getting it right are up there with me winning the lottery, but it's an idea.)
Cheers.
Todd

 

[Zing]

Hey Zing,
I hadn't considered the Alternating Wall Pour method... just never occurred to me. Thanks!
Now that I see how you did it, I'm getting "big ideas". Like, what if I tried an in-the-pot swirl before I poured a section? If I did it right, each section would have its own color-mix, and distinct swirl. (The odds of me getting it right are up there with me winning the lottery, but it's an idea.)
Cheers.
Todd

Now my mind is, um, swirling!

 

[Savage Daughter]

View attachment 75564
My struggle was with the consistency of the batter. It seemed that if it's pourable, it won't hold its shape as an incline. And - if it's stiff enough to hold it's shape as an incline, it can't be poured.
In the bar pictured, I opted for pourable, and lost any concept of an incline.
Clearly I'm missing something. Is there a good way to build/pour such a bar?

You & me both, Todd

I am bookmarking this thread because this is something that, up til now, I have very much sucked at

 

[Savage Daughter]

I like to do alternating wall pours, like Latest alternating wall pour .

That's a hysterical thread LOL Definitely a must read for anyone interested in wall pours, beans and their aftereffects, and chipped beef too!

 

[Blufuz]

I like the fragrance trick!

When I tried, I poured out a fraction of my oils and lye into a separate bowl, stick blended aggressively so it would reach trace quickly, but before that could happen, pour it into the tilted mold. Wait. Repeat. I did it with a 100% coconut oil at 20% SF because experience told me it would harden really quickly