Teach Soap

Tomorrow I'm going to **try** to raid my dad's tools and make my own wooden mold...this might just be laughable. Gotta start somewhere I guess. I'm looking for *simple* instructions/plans for how to make a wooden mold. I'm really looking for helpful links, but if you have any tips or advice (or even support lol), I won't get mad if you share

Also, if I'm feeling REALLY crazy tomorrow, I might just try to make a PVC mold too....so, yeah, links, advice, anything helpful.

I am not the most experienced woodworker, but I did have to design and install a fence panel (wood) for a landscape architecture program I was in. Our design was somewhat like a log soap mold, as it consisted of a series of boxes that made up the panel.

What we learned, the hard way, is that whenever you make anything "box like" - make sure all your wood is nicely planed and has nice, square, 90 degree corners. We forgot to plane our wood - many headaches ensued as we had to fix many angles to get them to 90 degrees. What a pain!

So make sure your wood pieces are square all around!

I'd be curious if one could find enough used or cheap silicone to line the mold with by gluing silicone sheets to the inside of the wood - like a permanent liner.

Good luck! There are lots of videos on YouTube!

Thanks!...lol this could very well end up being a total joke on me. 90 degree corners...here?!? PSH! LOL.

I did see somewhere someone lining their mold with Oven liner(??)
http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Oven-Liner ... B000FQ0V2Q
....I'm not sure if that would be worth it at $17 a pop. I'll stick with my $4 freezer paper. With as much soap as I make at this point, that should last me a while.

Oh, another thing...

The Boyfriend made my molds in such a way that they are held together with a large screw. You can take it apart to get the soap out if needed. But I find that I just grab the edges of my freezer paper and lift it out.

So I don't know if you really need to make them so they come apart - that makes it simpler.

Yup...ditto what AprilPrey said on the level-square factor of the wood....

The first chicken coop I EVER built I had to learn the hard way to check the lumber I was buying...I let the guys at Lowes load it and EVERY piece was crooked as a dog's hind leg! My husband was MAD when he saw what I had brought home...AND unloaded already AND already begun to cut into the right lengths for stuff...there's just no taking it back once you've chopped it up into pieces you know? Oh yes...I had the most wompy crooked coop EVER but it was SUPER sturdy!

Next time around I let him do the shopping AND the cutting...and things are looking much more square now! Actually...if it needs to be all right angles and neat I generally make him in charge anyways at this point...I can't even hand a picture straight!

Now, as for PVC...I personally find PVC MUCH MUCH easier to work with...I kind make poetry out of some PVC pipe! Milk stands for the goats, molds for soap...I can do anything with PVC!

Maybe give the PVC a go first and then venture into the wood....that would be my route...

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Making soap one loaf at a time - it's better than bread 'cause soap doesn't have calories!

LOL! I've had a few close calls...almost sawed through the cord with the saw I was using....forgot to tighten the bit into the drill and sent it flying once (spent an hour with a magnet in the yard hunting that little thing so nothing would eat it....

YUP - WATCH OUT FOR THE POWER TOOLS TOO! Keep an eye on where your cords are at all times

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Making soap one loaf at a time - it's better than bread 'cause soap doesn't have calories!

Fairly easy. If you want the mold collapsible, attach the ends with small box hinges instead of wood glue or nails, and use a hasp (smallbox latch) at each corner (again, in place of glue or nails).

Thanks Ladies!!!!

So I was telling the hubby how I wanted to make some molds yesterday and when I got home from work he had already made me one!!!! Major brownie points!
AND THEN! It just so happened he was off today, so we made two more molds. He spent a whooping $9 on the wood and we got 3 molds out of it. Two are 4ish pounds with dividers and one is 1ish pounds (left over wood). Yeah, never could of done that on my own.
Now, time to get soapin.

AWESOME!!!

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

That's awesome! I have often found if I threaten to pull out my husbands tools he too will beat me to it - I think he's scared I will be the death of his skillsaw!

Now...where's the pictures????

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Making soap one loaf at a time - it's better than bread 'cause soap doesn't have calories!

I'll try to get pictures up tomorrow, I work all day today

He really enjoyed doing it...so much so that he said he is going to try to make more on Sunday. lol Going at this rate I'll have a new mold for every time I soap for a year.