Saturday, December 6, 2008

Melt & Pour Soap Mishap

I'm just starting to make melt and pour soap and brought some new slab tray molds from BrambleBerry. I didn't realize how much soap you needed to melt in order to fill the tray so this batch didn't turn out so good and maybe someone out there can tell me how to correct.

I first melted a clear glycerin soap base and added color and fragrance but it barely filled the mold half full. As I stood and scratched my head looking at what puny bars of soap I had made, I finally concluded that I could melt more soap (I only had opaque left to melt) and pour it on top of the clear to fill up the rest of the mold. I decided to gussy up the opaque and add some lavendar buds I had leftover from another craft project. It took a little while to add the opaque to the top of the soap already in the mold but it was still a little warm but with a good firm surface. I sprayed alcohol like I had heard (only a spritz or two though) and poured the mold almost full - I still didn't make it up to the top of the mold.

After a few hours I went to cut the soap with a butcher knife and as you can see the two layers of soap neatly separated. BUMMER! It all smells so nice and has such a nice color I don't want to lose the whole set. The uncut soaps are still melded but I am afraid to cut them.

Is there a way to stick the others back together?

Will the rest of the soaps separate if I try to slice?

What is the best way to cut these tray molded soaps?

If any soapers out there know about this I would love your advice.
Posted by Picasa

1 comment:

Lysa said...

Hmmmm... maybe more than a spritz of two? Also, if it was too cooled by the time you poured the second half, it's harder to make stick. I don't think you can stick them back together, but you can always remelt. That's the beauty of melt and pour. :)
Also, you could ask Anne-Marie at Soap Queen. She is always very helpful.