Tried a small batch of my regular recipe for a butterfly swirl. Used Orange 5x, clove, cedar wood EOs and WSP's Sunflower FO all of which I premixed in the oils. The minute they hit the lye, they traced. Any guesses as to the rapid trace culprit?
Think I just set a record for rapid trace
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My guess is the clove EO
Also the Sunflower is one of the fastest FO's that I have used! Probably the combination of the Sunflower and Clove. I haven't tried your mix of course, but for the Sunflower alone I either do a single color, ITP swirl, or a mosaic type of design with confett. The Honeysuckle Hollow from WSP is right up there for fast tracing just in case you purchased it too!
JustBeachy
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Read the 4th review down on the WSM site, under the FO comments. That could have been it.
Glad to see you're still alive after those tornado's tearing through your neck of the woods.
Glad to see you're still alive after those tornado's tearing through your neck of the woods.
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Sunflower is wicked fast as well. That with the clove....amazing it didn't turn into a brick in a bowl!
Oops. Looks like we were all on at once!
Oops. Looks like we were all on at once!
Thanks buddy. They were south of us. Just part of life down here in the Deep South.
That s a seizure. I am sure it is taken care of by now, but in the future if you stick a lid on the pot and let the seized soap go into gel you will be able to quickly stir it together and pour it in the mold quickly. This method will not give time for playing with colors, but can usually get at least one color added into the batter. I would definitely say the clove mixed with the sunflower
I actually wouldn't call it an outright seize. I had time to blend some colors and even got thick swirl with a rod. There was no time/need to stick blend but it was a nice consistency... No ricing. No pouring, but it spooned nicely. Would have been a perfect drop swirl.
Moody Glenn
Well-Known Member
Hello! I agree with everyone else concerning the clove and the sunflower FO. Spices and many floral fragrances have a chemical or chemicals that act as a catalyst for rapid reactions with the lye. You have to work like a cartoon character on speed to mix and pour very fast. You can gain time, in part, by lowering your soaping temps. Oh - and be careful for spice FO's can cause your soap batter to greatly heat-up in your molds - which can cause lye pockets to develop.
Another testimony on behalf of a small mold for test batches when trying new things. It was only about 6 bars, so no big loss if it isn't perfect.
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I lived in Jackson for 5 years. That is definitely the most tornado prone area I have ever lived.
I actually grew up in Birmingham which seemed even more tornado prone than Mississippi, but we certainly get our fair share.
I'll post a pic good or bad. I already know it will be nothing like I planned because I didn't have time to adjust the colors.
Butterfly Swirl Take 1...I won't tell you what it was supposed to look like
At least I got in the animal family
Cool, I think it looks like an owl!
JustBeachy
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Maybe it wasn't what you were shooting for, but that's still a good looking soap.
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That is a really cool looking soap!!
