Layers just popped apart

[SiberianSF]

Hello all,

So I have made a tray of soap with picture inserts:

Clear layer (to act as glass)

Very thin clear layer (to drown the picture in)

Backing layer.

I slathered each layer with alcohol, as usual.

Popped the soap, but when I was cutting them into single bars, they just started separating under the knife pressure. They separated between first and second clear layer

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to avoid it in the future?

I don't know if letting it stand overnight would have done the trick? Maybe the knife should be sharper, so there isn't that much pressure? Anything else I am missing?

Also, to get a fuller picture, I had mixed several bases. Top clear one was simple clear MP and the backing was extra hard white mixed with goats milk MP base. Could it be that those bases don't like each other?

Thank you in advance,

Katya

[TeriM]

I read on one of the suppliers sites to score your layers with a fork to help them stay together...

I haven't tried it yet but it's worth a shot... !

[candledoll]

It works! The fork method.

[Flicker]

With melt n pour soaps I always spritzed my layers with a bit of either rubbing alcohol or witch hazel just before pouring the next layer. Never had another one separate after doing this. Works like a charm!

[SiberianSF]

I use alcohol too.... these are trays of soap that I am cutting later on.

I have a suspicion it is my knife

[victoriaj]

make sure your timing the layers right. I sometimes find if i've left a layer for too long and it's set up too much before i've poured the next layer on top, then it will come apart when cutting.

[Flicker]

Are you using the alcohol just before you pour the layers and also are you using enough? I've found actually dampening them to work best. I did a few log soaps with column molded soap embeds last year with no issues...I used a big ole butcher knife to cut thru mine.

[SiberianSF]

I am spraying it right before pouring. And I use quiet a bit, not sparingly at all. Do you think it should be less?

I am going to try several things at once:

do one tray at a time

pour layers while the previous ones have not yet set

get a different knife

[DeAnna_EC]

ive poured layers and let them get hard and theyve never come apart.

1. make sure you score your hard layers with a fork, or you can even poke holes into it with the fork, then spray with alcohol and pour.

2. let a good skin form over first layer, poke with a fork or tooth pick, spray with alcohol and pour.

3. let it all sit for 24 hrs before unmolding

[Flicker]

I wonder if you are not maybe pouring the subsequent layers too cool?

[SiberianSF]

I wonder if you are not maybe pouring the subsequent layers too cool?

Flicker, english is not my first language. Can you explain this sentence?

[Dolphin146]

I let my first layer dry real good then spritz with alcohol and pour the next layer. Never had any fall appart on me yet.

[SherriLynn]

Siberian did you find a method to work for you?? I've tried all of the above over the past 6 months but never found any method that kept my soaps together.. they always pop apart.

[Flicker]

Flicker, english is not my first language. Can you explain this sentence?

Sorry about that! Your English seemed perfect!

What I meant was if you are pouring your second and later layers maybe a bit too cool, they may not stick to one another. I make candles also and learned years ago when pouring layered pillars that I needed to heat 10* hotter for my second pour. I found the same applied to making soap.

So if I pour my first layer at 130* I pour my other layers at 140*. After pouring my layer, I spray with alcohol to get rid of any trapped surface air bubbles, let it cool until it is warm but solid then spritz again and pour the next layer....I've only had a few fall apart over the years doing that.

HTH!

[SiberianSF]

Flicker, thanks for explanation!

Sometimes I ran into word combination that just doesn't make sense to me

So, this weekend I will be trying. I am afraid to pour too hot, because it would melt the previous layer, wouldn't it?

Also, I am using different types of bases: top is regular clear glycerin, and the bottom two layers are extra-hard opaque base. Extra hard is nothing like any other opaque bases I have tried. It is literally rock solid. Could that be a reason for popping layers?

SherriLynn, I am making several batches this weekend. I am also going to do one tray at a time, instead of working with couple at a time. That way I can focus on temperatures, etc. I will post my results

[SiberianSF]

So... I think I figured what my problem was. It is Extra Hard soap base. I have not had separation problem before I started using it. Funny thing is, if I don't add any colorant or FO to the layer - it sticks. But as soon as I start adding stuff, it comes off in solid, smooth piece. Just falls off.

[Firefly]

I find layers really challenging and all the ones I've tried they rarely work. I've tried alcohol between layers, fork method between layers and neither works. Sometimes the temperature is right and it works but it's never fool proof for me.

Let us know what works for you.

[SiberianSF]

So, I have made the tray over the weekend, I substituted extra hard (french milled) base for the regular low sweat MP that I had a few pounds left of.

Layers stayed together, no problems at all! To me it confirmed, that the base was my problem. I still love that extra hard base, but maybe not for payering now