Bad bad swirl - Rebatch pics added

[tlm884]

I got my first ever tray mold tonight and wanted to give it a try. I also had some Ultramarine Blue and Black Oxide I have never used and wanted to give that a try.

Lard 35%
Palm 20%
Walnut Oil 5%
Castor Oil 10%
Olive 30%

33% Water (Aloe Vera Juice)

Black Oxide, Ultramarine Blue, Cypress EO, Texas Ceaderwood EO



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[Godiva]

Looks like a stormy night

 

[Fullamoon]

When I swirl my soaps I first pour white batter into the mold and then add the colors to swirl into the white. You swirl is really cool, it's just not contrasting against each other because both are dark. Try it again with black and blue on white or with a very light blue base. It takes practice. You've got the swirl down, I think. Now you need a light color in there, too.

 

[Pretty n Plain]

I still like it, I would call that "Dark Knight"

 

[tlm884]

There is a white base underneath the black and blue, however, I colored WAY too much black and blue and it pretty much covered up all the white and I don't think when I swirled any of it went into the white. I will unmold it tommorow and put pictures up. I think I let it trace too much before I poured so it was very thick and couldnt get thin lines when I was pouring.

 

[Rosiegirl]

who know....it might cut ok. :wink:

 

[Dragonkaz]

Love the colour of the top of your soap ... beautiful! Looking forward to seeing the cut bars.

 

[soapbuddy]

Please tell me that you're not using an aluminum or one of those disposable metal pans?

 

[tlm884]

Nope, its a plastic tray mold from Suds N Scents. But I have it on top of the air conditioner outside to prevent a gel, that's what you see underneath.

 

[soapbuddy]

Nope, its a plastic tray mold from Suds N Scents. But I have it on top of the air conditioner outside to prevent a gel, that's what you see underneath.

Oh good! You had me worried.

 

[Sunny]

oh I can't wait to see cut pics. I think it will work out

 

[Cuckoo Bananas]

Me too for the cut pics! I wonder what it will look like???

It does look messy in mold but hey...who knows right! Maybe it's the best ever swirl in disguise! ...Or one of those expectation vs reality cookie monster fails lol (sorry, I have that on my brain at the moment).

 

[tlm884]

The EOs separated from the batch and I unmolded it when it was still soft (after 48 hours) and I hate the swirls LOL

I am rebatching it later today. I think I should stick with one color batchs. I have never been an artistic type lol

By taylorlg89 at 2011-11-11

By taylorlg89 at 2011-11-11

By taylorlg89 at 2011-11-11

 

[Tegan]

Just keep practicing! It took me a while to learn how to swirl well!

 

[Cuckoo Bananas]

Yeah ..alright..they are pretty bad

You'll get there just keep trying, and I reckon you should try an in the pot swirl, that's what I did for my first one and I was pretty happy with how it came out. Even try watching some youtube vids on swirling before you try again so you can pick up any tips and ideas you might not have thought of.

Definitly don't give up though!!!! I know there is an artistic swirler in you just waiting to shine

 

[tlm884]

Yeah, they are pretty poor LOL. I think my biggest problem is pouring the swirls too thick. They just sort of layed ontop of the base and never really sunk down in and when I was swirling them it was just mixing the two colorants together. I think you are right about in the pot swirl.

I am scared that if I do it at thinner trace that I may actually doing it before it traces and I just don't want to deal with that mess.

 

[Cuckoo Bananas]

I know what you mean, I normally like to trace thick enough that I can do a bit of a sculpted top but if I am swirling I do it at a much lighter trace. I leave half the mix in the pot make it one colour (or leave plain) and then mix a colour with half the batter in another container. Then I take the other container and change the height of it as I slowly pour so it gathers different weight and momentum as it hits the batter in the pot (if that makes sense) then I just give a couple of mixes, maybe just with a skewer or something and then let the rest mix itself when I pour from the pot into the mould.

Maybe try doing a few swirls without FO's too until you can the hang of it so you don't have any other potential problems to deal with

 

[tlm884]

I think I am also going to start using a different mold. The tray mold I bought is crappy. I noticed today that its already starting to break down. I have a silicone bread pan that I think I am going to try but I have to figure out how much oils it holds. I know it holds more than 2 lbs and I have yet to make a batch bigger than 2 lbs. Heres a pic of the mold I want to end up using. I think that it will be easier to swirl in it because its deeper

By taylorlg89 at 2011-11-11

By taylorlg89 at 2011-11-11

 

[nurse_75]

CB - you are so diplomatic and encouraging with your comments

Tim - I have a simlar mould to that one. It takes just about 1kg of soap batter (2.5 pounds or so). I like it.

Good luck rebatching. Looking forward to those pics also.

 

[MKRainville]

My first dark swirl was ruff too... but keep trying.... heres my blue and black if you want to take a peak (it took a few attempts to get it like this)

http://soapmakingforum.com/forum/viewto ... highlight=

Check out my blue ultramarine and black oxide

I layered every stripe with a stripe of white so it would help the contrast... however the first time i attempted this look ...