# Bar Size



## carlidoe (Jul 30, 2010)

A friend of mine has volunteered to build several wooden log molds for me. Today he asked me what size the inner dimension needed to be. I have been using cake pans for molds so I'm pretty excited to have these suckers finished. My question is, how big are your finished bars of soap?


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

Mine are approx. 3.5 x 2.5 x 1. I cut them slightly thicker than 1" but by the time they are done curing they are 1" thick. Mine weigh between 4.5 and 5 usually. So, middle of the road, not big bars but not small ones either.


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## a4patch (Oct 7, 2009)

Mine are about the same size as as Kathy's. Hers are nice and even. Take some time look at the web sites of several members. Then get a small priority box. Now go back and look at how many bars they can fit into a priority box ( I so wish I had done this BEFORE my husband made our slab molds.) You want your size to allow you to put as many bars as possible into the small box. This will be where your bread and butter sales are. Selling 1-6 bars with $5 shipping. 

All that to say this. A shorter fatter bar will allow you to fit more bars in this priority sized box.

Look at PJ's and Vicki's sites in particular.


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## carlidoe (Jul 30, 2010)

I never would have thought of that!! Thanks for the input- great advice as always


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Definetly hit usps.com or the post office and take home the 4 flat rate boxes. The $5 small one, the two $11 medium ones and the $14 large box. Make cardboard soap in different sizes and figure out the most economical way of filling the box. I simply lucked out, 4 of my bars fit into the small box, 36 of my bars fit in the medium box that looks like it would hold a shirt, and 50 bars in the large box...I keep the square medium box around for order that also contain lotions and body butters etc.... This way you not only get them to ship you their boxes for free, but you can label and send them without leaving home...this is a huge boon to your business! And yes my bars are really too big, 6 ounces.


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## carlidoe (Jul 30, 2010)

I showed him a picture of one I found on the internet. Can't remember now which one it was now. Anyways, the one that holds 10lbs of soap is 33'' long! That sounds crazy to me. I know that one batch of my soap weighs 10lbs but I just can't picture it filling something that LONG. The mold is 2.5'' tall x 3.5'' wide. Just cannot picture it. 33'' long seems like it would be a pain in the butt to store and handle. Any of you use one this length?


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

That is very long. My longest 'log' is 20 inches. When I wanted to make larger batches, instead of going longer I went wider and now split the 'slab' into to logs (dh built a log splitter for me). Next year I'm going to have dh make a mold for me that is 3 logs wide and see if I can handle that. I don't like trying to pour into separate molds with my colored batches as the color just doesn't get evenly dispersed and I end up with a lot of bars with little color. But with the plain soaps I can pour one batch into multiple molds.


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## Faye Farms (Sep 14, 2009)

Not 33", but mine are 24". Not bad to handle at all.


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## a4patch (Oct 7, 2009)

If you use wood. Make sure the length will fit in your oven if you decide to oven process. CPOP..


Kathy do you have picts of your log cutter? Could you post them if not.


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