Teach Soap

Luigi, do you pour at a thick trace? Would the raw soap leak from the corners where the two pieces meet if you poured at a thin trace?

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I've never had a leakage problem. the two end pieces are in tight and the piece in the center is one giant piece that has been scored. The polypropylene sheet I buy is 2 layers and sandwiched between those two layers is a corrugated portion of polypropylene. It looks how cardboard is layered, just made out of plastic instead. Can score one layer and hinge it. They can withstand heat up to 250 F so no problem using with soaping. Believe me, once you've tried these things you'll never want to go back to liners of any other type. Like 8 bucks for a big sheet of it at homedepot.

What part of the store would I find polypropylene? Is it something thin that I could cut easily?

Thanks!

I am liking the sound of this lining!

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

Would this absorb any of the current fragrance used and then transfer to the next batch of soap?

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

OK, so I gave in on my issue with plastic until I can find a stainless steel solution and bought a "no liner" acrylic mold from the Soap Making Resource site. First batch tomorrow I think.

Let us know how you like it! I have been curious about those, but I really hate the cost involved, especially without knowig someone who uses them.

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

Picked up the polypropolene today...can't wait to try it out tomorrow!

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Melissa

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

It cuts easily, just make sure you cut it all exact and that the two individual end pieces are tight in there. You'll need an exacto knife. I haven't had any issue with scent sticking to the plastic liners. They're made out of the same material those disposable gladeware things are made of. A good scrubbing takes out any scent I've had after unmolding. Its in the section where they sell glass sheets and plexiglass. It's cheap stuff and durable. It's very heat resistant so no problem with cpop. They're awesome, especially cause I hate lining my molds. I would recommend anyone try this. If it's not your thing you're only out about 5-6 bucks. Let me know how it works if you do. Anything to take the hassle outta lining is golden in my book

Cesar dog food containers are perfect molds for single bars. They are single serving containers for little dogs and they make a bar about 3x3x1. They are plastic, and soap slides out easily with no liner.

My husband just mentioned that he needs to go to Home Depot tomorrow. His list just got longer. I'm telling him it's Luigi's fault. I'll share how it turns out next week. Thank you for all the great ideas.

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So many oils, so little time.

-Cathy

LavenderLady,

So I'm now done with one cycle of soaping with the Soap Making Resources "no-liner" acrylic mold. I used the 5lb one, which I calculated for a 59oz oil batch. That was actually a bit much and I'll make my next batch at 55oz. I used the recipe with which I am most familiar, but added organic cane sugar to my water (dissolved at 1 tablespoon/lb of oils) prior to adding the lye. I also used .4oz/lb of my musk oil added at trace.

For prep I did my usual mold greasing with the excess from when I weigh out the oils/butters, then right before the pour I spray with some PAM equivalent. The mold did not leak at all, though the pour was messy because I filled it to the top (had too much soap) and as a result of that and some bowing of one of the sides, was unable to get the top on completely and "clicked-in." I wrapped it in towels as is my custom and put it in an oven that I had heated to 100 degrees and shut off. I usually don't do any form of OP at all but I wanted to ensure that I got gel. Gelled out fine and after my customary 36 to 40 hours I put it in the freezer. I usually freeze for about 4 hours and then unmold. With my old system I slide a drywall taper down the sides of my pyrex breadpan mold (which I don't line either) and either the soap pops right out or I have to work it a bit depending on the recipe and freeze time. This was definitely easier. If you loosen the mold screws a bit and then use the pushers a perfectly formed log slides right out, and clean up is easy as well.

Two things happened with this batch which I am unsure whether are caused by the mold or slight differences in recipe and process:

1. No ash. This recipe usually produces quite a bit of ash. Not this time. Probably because of the cover.
2. It smells EXACTLY like banana bread batter, which I don't like. Hoping this will go away and not sure whether it's the plastic or the sugar, or the slightly different process.

Overall I'd have to say that I'm happy with the mold because it does work as advertised and produced a nice log which cut into nice bars, but I do have two reservations:

1. The pushers that they supply are not as well made as I'd want for this price and can snap if you forget to loosen the mold before you try and push the soap out.
2. As I mentioned earlier, one side of the mold was/is now slightly bent/bowed and so the top and bottom don't fit squarely without a lot of pressure. I think this is likely to be a problem with all plastic molds that aren't super thick.

WOW, what great detail Soap Guy! Thank you! For the price of that mold I would be very ticked with a bow of any kind in the first several hundred uses, much less the first one! While I like the no-lining/ease part, that cost part just looks too ridiculous to me. For now anyways, I think I am going to have to stick with wood, cardboard and plastic finds. Although I am wondering about making a silicone lining for the wood molds. I have see some for sale, but again, they are too cost prohibitive for me, so.....I just may have to try and make one myself.

Thanks again for sharing your info! I greatly appreciate the 1st hand report, and I trust it over something I read from a vendor!

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!