idacandlelady Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 I have been making soap ( or at least trying to) for about 6 months now. Still yet to get it looking the way I think it should. Looking at all the soaps in the gallery I am very not happy with the way mine look. I don't sell it (yet) but I really want it to look nicer. How do you all make your bars look so smooth and shiny? I know to bevel the edges (which I haven't been successful at yet) but the tops and sides always look so dull. Just hoping to get some pointers from all the awesome soapmakers on here! TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crafty1_AJ Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Some soapers plane their bar surfaces and/or polish them to look smooth and shiny. Personally, I prefer to mix it up. So I make some soaps look rough and rustic, some with swirly colors, some with added botanicals, some with textured tops. I like a variety of looks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idacandlelady Posted February 28, 2007 Author Share Posted February 28, 2007 How do you polish a bar of soap? I think that is basically what I am wondering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heirloomoriginals Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 to polish mine I wash them in some water once they have hardened up a bit. This is also good for taking ash off when you don't want it.Steph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindym Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 I don't often polish mine, one of the things I do to get a nice look to my soap is pour it at lighter trace to get it smooth both on top and bottom. Also I usually let it sit in the mold at least 24 hrs, take it out of the mold and let it sit another 24 before I cut it. Beveling looks nice, if I bevel I do that a couple of days after I cut it. If I want to polish it, i spritz it with alchol or water and just wipe softly with a paper towel and let it dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 I like to polish mine by spritzing with alcohol and then rubbing with a kitchen towel when they are good and hard (if I bevel I do that a bit sooner). It's a pain but it looks nice. But some I like rough. If they soaps need a lot of help sometimes I plane them as well but that wastes a lot of soap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queenmama1 Posted March 1, 2007 Share Posted March 1, 2007 If they're not too rough, I polish mine with a piece of old, clean pantyhose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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