Teach Soap

I would like to get a loaf mold and try it, but am unsure about how to cut it and not have my slices all crooked. I have a small drawer organizer I tried and to say I suck at cutting would be an understatement:) Do you buy the boxes they have or use something else?

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~Michelle~

Butt's my big dog:)

I use a miter box and drywall taping knife that I got from Lowes. I marked the miter box 1" from where the cut will be made and line up my soap loaf even with the mark. The taping knife (mine is an 8" one because I use it for my slab mold as well) will fit perfectly in the slot and you get a nice straight cut.
ETA: I do CP but it should work just as well for MP.

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

Cutting a MP loaf is hard work. I managed to bend my soap cutter on an MP loaf.

The sooner you cut it, the easier it is. I've cut some of mine while they have been luke warm to the touch in the middle before. You just have to judge it well as too warm and they leak out.

I actually use a butchers knife from my kitchen block to cut mine. Anything less than a super sharp edge just makes it too hard and I ended up with uneven, crooked or bowed bars (curtesy of bending my soap cutter lol).

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The Soapinatrix! *whip-crack*
- Posting the trials and tribulations of my Soaping Journey!

I purchased a wonderful soap cutter from a craftsman on etsy. It can be used to cut MP and CP soap which is awesome! Although it can only cut one at a time, it cuts like butter, and it has something like 3 or 4 different premarked measurements. Best of all it was under $90 even after shipping! If you'd like I can get the link for you. He also makes cutters specifically for cutting multiple CP bars at a time.

For MP, I use a miter box and drywall taping knife as well. Much cheaper. For CP soaps, I use the Tank, but that's not made for MP soap, which is more dense and could make the strings break.

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

I've always used a sharp kitchen knife. But mine are never very straight because I suck at cutting! You can get a miter box at Lowes for ~$5 and use a kitchen knife, this will give you straight cuts and even sizes!

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

I've been pretty fortunate with the "eyeball" method. I usually take a ruler, hold it to the side and make a tiny hash mark on the top edge of the soap after each inch, on both sides. Then when I use the slicing tool, I just line it up to both side marks... But the boxes everyone mentions sounds like a great idea.

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~*~ Jennifer ~*~

I "eyeball" it, too, but with a little help from a template I made (using Word) that has boxes drawn (dark lines) going in both directions, like giant graph paper. I have one for 3/4 inch slices and one for 1 inch slices. I can print them as I need them.

I put the loaf down on the paper on top of a cutting board, on a table, not my higher kitchen counter (I find it helps if you are looking down at it, birdseye view), line up the ends with the paper lines, and cut. I use a large meat cleaver for everything. I also find that running the knife under hot water for a few seconds, then drying, makes it much easier. Like cutting an ice-cream birthday cake.

Connie

Here is the link to the craftsman on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/budhaffner

I purchased the guillotine type cutter which can be used on both MP and CP and it can easily be wiped down. I love it!!