Teach Soap

As a new soaper I am quickly learning that lining the soap molds for CP soapmaking is a huge pain in the butt. At least for me. I only have one real soap mold; it's a 1lb wooden one that I ordered off the internet and it comes completely apart. I also have a very short section of PVC pipe that is not nearly as hard to line as the rectangular wooden one. I have a template and everything but I still have a terrible time getting my freezer paper lining smooth and taped down into the inside of the box. It's driving me crazy.

Last weekend I lined a regular kitchen loaf pan which was pretty easy to line, but I didn't like the shape of the soap that came out of it. The soap slices ended up long and thin as opposed to short and square. Maybe the resulting soap slices would have been a better shape if I had put more than 1lb of soap in the loaf pan.

Anyway, I was looking around the house for other items that I could use for soap molds and I was wondering if there is anything I could use that would make a nice shape but wouldn't require a lining.

Any ideas?

I made a freezer paper template for my 3 pound mold. I marked, down to the 1/8 inch, where to fold and cut. I use my quilting ruler and rotary cutter to cut out the large rectangle then with Scissors I cut out the corners. It is kind of hard to explain but i find it works very well for me. Sometimes I will cut out half a dozen in advance then I have one ready when I soap. If you have seen Ann-Marie cut out a liner mine is similar to hers but sized for my mold. I don't understand people who line their mold real sloppy with something like a plastic garbage bag. Maybe it is the German in me that like things tidy and orderly.

One more thing. I made my own loaf mold. The sides are screwed to the bottom and the ends are removable. I simply remove one end and the soap slides out. No muss no fuss

I don't remember where I read about using craft foam to line the molds. I still haven't tried it. I'm no expert but for me it sounds like a good option.
Have any of the experts used this?

Craft foam stuck like glue to my soap. I either use HDPE molds, silicone molds, or I line the mold with a trash bag.

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

What are HDPE molds? Can a wooden mold be lined with a trash bag? Does it make wrinkles in the soap?

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

I checked out that SoapHutch web site. Cool! I will bookmark them for future reference.

Thanks!

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

I have used waxed paper ( not my fav), I used saran wrap with pretty good success, most the time there were not really any wrinkles, if so they were small. I use a hard plastic mold ( it dying beause I flex it after 30 batches of soap!) Now I have a couple silicon molds, for baking bread, they work great, just got to build a wood box so the sides don't bulge out so much!

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"A baby goat can stand up within minutes of being born, and know what its looking for and pretty much where the udder is. Yet people think it happened by accident, and there is no Creator. Guess again!"

Katie M Molalla Oregon

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

My job is extremely high-stress, and this might be why I find lining my wooden log molds so soothing, LOL! I drag the molds, freezer paper, measuring tape, scissors and tape into the living room...find some mindless TV (SpongeBob is one of my faves while I do this), and measure, cut, fold mitre corners and tape it all down. I actually ENJOY doing this...I find it very relaxing to try to make perfect creases so that my soap will have nice edges! I still get to be a perfectionist, but with zero pressure..

I guess I should mention that I only make soap for us. Making soap is my treat to myself (although my husband is happy to reap the benefits in return for making all of my wooden log molds...he is amazing at this...I mention that I would like to make a shorter, more perfectly square bar of soap, and voila! I have a new mold in about 20 minutes complete with removable ends... and YES, I am fully aware of how blessed I am, and NO you can't borrow him, LOL!)
Anyway, I just meant to point out that since I don't make soap to sell, I can take my time to enjoy the process of lining my molds.

My wooden soap mold is small (1lb) but I'm wondering if a person could set a silicone mold down inside a wooden box to keep the silicone mold from bulging.

Or, alternately, aren't there any companies who make silicone liners especially for wooden box molds?