# PVC molds -- anyone else use them?



## Linda Carney (Oct 27, 2007)

I use the round pvc molds and have been having a problem with holes in my soap. There are different kinds of holes that I have seen -- when my soap gells if it rises out of the tube there will be caverns in the top portion of the tube. Pin holes I am okay with and so are my customers, I guess they are just from the soap batter -- see it more with olive oil. 1/8 of an inch holes in the outside margin of the soap I find unacceptable. What am I doing wrong? I thought I was pouring it at thin enough trace. Am I causing bubbles by pouring straight down the tube at a high velocity? I need ideas.....

Thanks
Linda


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

are you tamping the pvc after you pour?


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## Sheryl (Oct 27, 2007)

Well, my sister made me (or had her hubby and son) make me 6 3" pvc molds, and 6 2" pvc molds. And I pour at very thin trace and have not had any holes. I don't use oo though. But if the soap seems kinda thick going in, I tamp, or bump the molds on the floor to make sure all the soap is packing down in there.

These molds are soooo cool. They made me a rack to put them in so they stand up straight while I am pouring, and stay that way until I am ready to unmold. And I have caps to put on them with a valve stem. All I do is hook up a bicycle pump to the valve, and pump that soap right out. :rofl Course don't get frustrated when you don't put enough mineral oil in them and use the air compressor. :crazy ever see a soap cannon and a soap....uh...18" bullet. :shocked

One of these days when I get through my rush of sewing, I'll post pics. These molds are so cool.

Sheryl


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## Linda Carney (Oct 27, 2007)

Yes, I did bang the molds and bang and bang and bang! (no one got out of bed to complain or investigate) and I kept seeing bubbles rise to the top, I stopped banging when I didn't see anymore bubbles come up. :/

Sheryl -- I would love to see your molds! I keep hearing talk about the shrader valve caps but am not having a lot of trouble with the unimproved molds that I am using. Let me rephrase that -- I am not having trouble getting soap out of the tube. The one thing I hate is not knowing what is happening inside the tube -- new concept CLEAR PVC PIPE!

I'll try to pour at very thin trace and hope that is the secret.
Thanks!
Linda


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

I tried a PVC pipe only one time. BUT I forgot the mineral oil and had such a hard time getting the soap out I never tried again. That was my own fault though. I never even cleaned it out, still has some soap stuck to the sides. LOL I would like to try it again sometime. Next year I think.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

http://www.busada.com/about.htm?kc=6aFGB&tsid=googleppc&gclid=COy6gdzL3pYCFQpuGgodm2pW2Q
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Linda google clear ridged plastic tubing...they even have square!!! Vicki


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I want to revist this thread.

In putting on this cap, so you can pump out your soap, is it threaded? Because otherwise it would just shoot off your pipe, not the soap in your pipe. Vicki


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## Linda Carney (Oct 27, 2007)

Look at this site. http://www.celestialnymph.com/CNPMOLDS.htm They have the pvc molds for sale with the shrader end caps, yes threaded but they use the test caps to seal the pvc at pour. I read on another site that someone else uses a mayo lid next to the soap and then uses the air pressure to push the soap out.

Hey Sheryl, how do your pvc caps work? Were they very hard to make? Please give us details!

Linda


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

OK, John brought home 50 loofas, he cleaned out the 99cent store and two wallmarts. So he is going to make one...if it won't push out the loofas like he does regular soap... you at least get a free mold  He said it's about $6 to add this to each of the molds, so that isn't bad at all. Vicki


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## Sheryl (Oct 27, 2007)

Okay, I think mine are about 18" long. They have a regular cap on the bottom, and the top which I pour in to, has a male threaded piece on it, then you use a threaded cap with a valve stem in it (the two piece screw together type). I oil them up prety good with mineral oil, put the regular cap on the bottom, put them in my rack, pour the soap. I usually make soap any where from 9 pm to 12 pm at night. The next morning when I get up, anywhere from 9 am to 12 noon, I pull the mold out of the rack, screw the cap with the valve stem on, then put the bicycle pump on the valve stem, and start pumping. After the pressure is built up, it will pop out the bottom, and I keep pumping and the log of soap comes right out. (I leave the bottom cap on or it will loose it's seal, and you can't pump it out. That is on the 3" ones. On the 2" ones, I do the same, but I take the bottom cap off before I start pumping air in. It works that way. I'll try to get some pics on here. Anyone care to tell me how to load pics on here?

:rofl

Sheryl


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## Linda Carney (Oct 27, 2007)

Vicki,

Could you put a shrader cap on a tiny 1 inch pvc pipe? Just a thought with your Mardi Gras soap..... If it cost 6 dollars to add the improvements to the 3 inch molds, what would John charge for his time? Might he take orders during the winter? <wink>

Linda


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I will watch him do mine and I will do the others. I ran all the PVC in the house when he worked in Houston so it can't be that big of a deal. And that is exactly what I am looking for today in Conroe Linda, to see if I could find an adapter to go down to that small of pipe! Vicki


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