Hello everyone! We're still hard at work getting all your soaps made, packaged and shipped. We're steadily getting through the massive number of orders, trying to make each one as good as it can possibly be. We have high standards for our products -- even more so after all you've done for us -- and if it's not good enough, we just don't send it until it is. In that spirit, today's update is: Soap Fails!, or Wow, I Totally Screwed That One Up!
Soaps with more than one element, like color or soap type, are at a much higher risk of failing than those with only one element. This is because the fusion of the two elements is necessary for creating one cohesive soap. If the first element is still liquid, the two elements will mix when you pour the second one, totally ruining the effect. That means the first element has to be at least partially set when you pour the second element, and
that means you have to get the temperature of the second element just right when you pour it. If you don't, chaos ensues:
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| See? Utter chaos! |
This is what happens when the second element (the green base) isn't hot enough. It wasn't able to melt the surface of the first element (the orange flower part) and fuse, leaving the two parts unattached to each other.
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| We might as well do away with all forms of organized government because this is anarchy. |
This is what happens when the second element is way too hot. I actually ended up warping the mold on this one, as you can see from the bulges on the side and the way the flower seems to be sinking into the base. You can also see that some of the green was able to seep down and cover part of the flower.
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| Left: A perfect mold with the flower part setting. Right: A shriveled, melted mess. |
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| I call this one "Two Poppies: A Study in Failure." |
The cameo soaps are also prone to failure. One reason is that the opaque layer has to be poured very carefully and very thinly, because the depressions in the mold that make up the rose and the border aren't very deep. Once I start to pour and the soap leaves the cup in a thin stream, it begins to set. So, if I don't pour in one continuous stream, when I do start pouring again the soap won't be hot enough to fuse with what I have already poured. You'll see what I mean in a minute.
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| Two cameo soaps setting. Both seem perfectly fine at this point. |
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| One of these soaps is a liar. |
When it comes out well, it's fantastic:
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| A perfect dismount! 10! |
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| Look how it's reflecting the light in little rays along the left side. It's like it knows it's pretty. |
But when it doesn't, it's a disaster:
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| Somebody call FEMA, 'cause this soap is a disaster. |
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| You should be ashamed of yourself. |
So that's a glimpse into some of the failures we've experienced on the road to getting orders out. Next update: Packaging and Glamour Shots!
You should share at CraftFail!
ReplyDeleteYou should still sell them as 'seconds' or something. Even the disasters are still pretty!
ReplyDeletethis is hilarious.
ReplyDeleteyou should add a listing for a low price of seconds only to be added to orders of regular things, b/c if not it's not worth the $ to have to package up and all that. either that or just send them to me. I stink.
rengawk: I had no idea that site even existed! That's a great idea.
ReplyDelete~Heather: Aw, thanks! What I actually do with them is cut them apart, chop them up, and turn them into new (hopefully not fail) soaps. Recycling!
fanciful devices: I considered that, but I don't want to send anything out that isn't up to par. If I do, even though people will know that they bought it as a cheap extra, every time they look at it they'll subconsciously associate "Soap Machine" with "this ugly soap." However! I do have a few that aren't fails, but rather were soap ideas I just didn't think were as good as the others so I only made one of them. And if you want one, you could email me your address and I might just send one to you. I mean, what kind of person would I be if I just stood by and let you stink? :)