Teach Soap

What is the size of your favorite soap mold. Inside dimensions and how much will it hold? I want to build my own but I am trying to find the right size. I will be making them out of wood. I do not know if I should use plywood or something else. Should I make a top for it or not?
Thank You for all of your responses in advance. Curtis

hello, we have just made a great mould out of scraps that can either be a slab or log. We screwed the 4 walls together and cut a removeable base, but I haven't had to remove it to get the soap out yet because it comes out easily with the Glad Bake paper lining. There are two removal pieces that divide it into three logs. Because it is scraps, and it was an experiment, it is made from pine 18mm thick, but I am thinking hardwood would be a great quality long lasting mould. The inside size is 31cm wide x 33cm long but it could be as long as you like. My other moulds were homemade logs made from good quality laminated mdf we call it in Australia or chipboard. The sides came down with hinges, but they are getting a bit tired now and they are a little tedious how we fastened them. I like the older ones but I love the new one. Loretta

The mold I use the most is one my husband and I built together. It is a log mold that is 13 1/2 inches long, 3 1/2 inches wide, and 2 3/4 inches tall. I love it cause I cut my bars 1 inch thick which gives me 13 bars and a half bar for a tester! I think more bars than that for one soap might be a little to much but that's just me. I fit 60 oz of soap batter (oils + water + lye weight) into my mold and I could probably fit a little more.

Hi Curtis!

On another littlredtree posted a link to a Lowe's inspiration idea that includes plans for a soap mold. They suggest using poplar. It is a nice hard wood that Lowe's sells in widths from 2" up to 12" and lengths ranging from 2' - 10'. On that same aisle you can also purchase "craft wood" grade pine (no knots) very smooth finish (a little less $) and oak boards (a little more $) in similar sizes. I can see why you might be thinking of using plywood as the cross-grained layers helps prevent warping. If you wish to go that route, I'd suggest going with either 1/2" birch or oak as the sanded pine is just not very smooth and a lower grade. Lowe's carries half (4x4), quarter (2x4), and eighth (2x2) sheets of both. I believe the other big box store only carries full sheets. If you're planning to make a variety of batch sizes - say if you want to make lots of some kinds of soap and small batches of others and even smaller "trial sizes" - a half sheet will get you a few boxes out of the same piece.

disclaimer: I am a department manager in the guess-which-department at Lowe's

I have two favorites...

Loaf is 13 L x 3 W x 3.5 H. Holds around 70 ounces could hold more depending on the top design

My slab holds roughly 9 lbs I put 7 in it for intricate swirls it is 16 L x 9 W x 3 H.

Both of mine have lids and I line with freezer paper.