Swirl tutorial??

[not_ally]

I am a super messy soaper, splashes get everywhere. I didn't even realize how much until the first soap challenge and everyone else's were so neat and nice and mine were so horrid. But in the end, I think it works out OK. Although I am trying to be neater.

Newb, so frustrating, my audio is screwed up - I know it is my computer, not your vids, b/c it happens w/all of them. It works for a couple of seconds and then shuts off, I want to hear what you are saying!

For people who are starting out swirling, I really like David Fisher's in the mold swirl when I did, it is super easy if you use a light trace, it pretty much swirls by itself. See http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/tipstricks/ss/whiteblueswirl.htm

He used a whisk to add a bit of motion, but my trace was light enough that I just alternated pours and it was lovely, I was very impressed with myself, even though it was just his advice

 

[Shalora]

Hey newbie, what kind of oil blend do you recommend for swirling, at least for starters? I'm thinking I should ditch the palm oil, since it traces so fast... (My basic blend is olive, palm, coconut, and castor)

 

[TeresaT]

Newbie: thanks for the advice about the micas. I discovered the hard way that too much activated charcoal happens quickly. I don't want to do that with the micas. I have one more question, where do you find a measuring spoon that is only 1/16 tsp? The slab swirl was incredible. I did not like the choice of colors when you poured them. But when you swirled them, oh my heck! I was totally transfixed. I would never have thought to combine those colors. I would have just assumed they would blended into blah. I totally have to rethink what color is all about. It's a good thing I'm getting 41 of them.

 

[newbie]

Shalora, I would just swap out the palm for tallow or lard to start out with. You should be able to find lard at the grocery store. Keep your castor around the 5% mark. the difference in trace between my first and second video was that I slightly over-poured my castor and the percentage was a bit higher.

Theresa, do you have a measuring spoon set that has 1/8 tsp? My set has that, so I can just dip it in sideways and fill it until the mica is halfway across the spoon. It's not an exact thing so don't get too worried about it. There is a lot of leeway with mica. If you have only 1/4 tsp one, eyeball filling it about 1/4- 1/3 full. Truly, micas are very forgiving in soap batter so don't spend a lot of time trying to get an exact 1/16 or 1/8 tsp. Getting the soap into your coloring containers while it's still thin is the bigger challenge, by far.

I've found that both TD and AC make soap thicken faster than with other colorants. There is the occasional mica that will do that too, but not many. I've heard brown oxide will accelerate trace and I have one brownish mica that seems to as well but in the mica world, that is fairly unusual.

I hear you about the colors. I don't know if I will ever be really good at envisioning things that will work together. Sometimes I see soaps with color combos I would have shuddered to think about but they are brilliant together.

 

[lionprincess00]

I've noticed the same thing with ac, td, and one of my nurture brown micas. Wonder if it's the same, and glad to hear I'm not the only one and imaging things!

 

[not_ally]

No, def. not just you, LP. I find the colorants so variable that I always pre-mix them in separate cups, bring the batter to light trace/just past-emulsion and then switch to mixing w/a whisk and go to the SB if they are slow. I also do the TD/AC/any other ones which I *know* are going to go fast last. It is weird how colorants can effect trace, that is not something I read about a lot when I started out - except for TD - but they have definitely been a factor for me.

 

[lionprincess00]

Since I use low water, 40% lye concentration, my water td accelerates and I'm thinking it's the added water. The ac, I'm thinking it's the ac thickening, not so much accelerating (if that makes sense). The Brown mica definitely accelerates because my other colors stay much more fluid when mixing.
I sb to emulsion only, then wisk micas directly into the batter, and wisk td/water or ac/oil last.

 

[not_ally]

You know, I thought about that (your lye concentration) but I think TD is just a pain. It seems to thicken up no matter how much/little water I use (within reason, you know.). I've tried a bunch of them and they vary w/r/t how well they blend, how white they make the soap, how glycerine-rivery they are. But they all seem to thicken up faster than other colorants. That is one those things that would be great if there was a perfect option for.

 

[CaraBou]

Great videos, newbie. It's always fun watching a master!

 

[Saponista]

I tried both oil soluble and water soluble td and both cause acceleration. I try and keep usage rates to the bare minimum to try and reduce the effect.

 

[mazimazi]

Thank you newbie, great tutorials!
I like swirling, but all the preparation, mess, clean up... Just makes me nervous. And hoping the batter won't try anything funny..
Well, the videos will definitely help me to tame the batter