# Lets Talk Molds!



## Huminbird (Jul 22, 2008)

Since I started soaping I think figuring out a cost effective, simple, long lasting soap mold has been the my biggest challenge.

I did the milk cartons and yogurt cups to begin with.
I had my hubby make me some break apart wooden molds and lined them with butcher paper.
I tried to coat those same molds with silicone and that only worked for a while.
I have made new wooden molds and lined them with mylar stuff but now the mylar is cracking.
Now I have purchased some of these http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/ProductDetail.aspx?CatalogID=1&GroupID=261&CategoryID=1899&ProductID=7644&ProductName=Crafters+Choice%E2%84%A2+Regular+Loaf+Mold+0501 and hopefully won't need to try anything new for a long time.
Until those get here I am trying to line my molds (the ones that I previously lined with mylar) with craft foam since I heard that it works like a charm and for 39 cents a sheet you can't easily go wrong.

What have you tried, what do you use and why?

Becky


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

I had 35" long molds made out of metal. I line them with plastic. Yes it takes more time but minimal waste so it works for me. One batch fills 2 of these log molds and I cut when still soft. I am not working large scale and it would be hard for someone else to craft these specific molds. They are made so there are no divets inside the mold.
Tam


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## Huminbird (Jul 22, 2008)

Wow, 35" is pretty long. I don't think I have the counter space anywhere in my home that I could fit one of those onto.


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

I started with wood molds dh made for me, they come apart. I lined with freezer paper. Hate lining.

Then I went to using craft foam. It worked like a charm for months. Then I don't know what happened but it just quit working. Soap stuck and ended up with craters all over it. Recipe did not change. So I went back to using freezer paper. (I SHOULD have tried new foam, maybe it just 'wears out'?)

I bought a mold from silvermoon (out of business now). It's similar to an upland, wood box that that holds the silicone mold. Soap comes out great. But the size was a little off from what I wanted so I continued to use my original wood molds and lined with freezer paper.

Tried lining with mylar, soap sticks.

Dh made a plexiglass liner for my 1 lb test mold. Hmmm, I think it worked okay for my test. Don't know why I didn't pursue that. Maybe he didn't have a big enough piece for my regular mold and I wasn't sure I wanted to spend the $ on it. May have to give it a try again.

Purchased a Kelsei. Stuck soap. Suppose to let it cure only I can't see messing up however many batches that may take. I haven't been able to cut the soap out without messing it up. So I line it with freezer paper. I HATE lining!

I'm hoping I end up with enough funds at the end of this year to invest in a couple uplands. It should perform like the silvermoon mold I had. I just worry about tearing it and I don't think they come in a 20" size. That might be hard to handle flipping over and pulling the mold off. But I like that size batch.

I have a silicone muffin pan. It's not like the others out there. The finish on it is shiny and slick. I use it for test batches and the soap pops right out like a dream (no freezing necessary) and the soap is slick like glass. IDEALLY, I would find the same material in sheets and make liners for my current molds. I've even toyed with the idea of learning how to make our own silicone molds. I just hate lining.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Kathy if you sell your Kelsie I will buy it. I love my Kelsie molds, I will never go back to unprofessional molds again...I wish I had started out with their molds and just purchased their stock size that makes 4 ounce bars, but alas I didn't know about them. Now I have a custom mold for them that is now in their regular lineup...I love them. I am also getting another one for testing 4 ounce samples of scent so I can purchase scent in bulk, yet still have made it in my molds with my recipe. Vicki


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

www.makeyourownmolds.com


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## Huminbird (Jul 22, 2008)

From what I understand making your own molds from silicone would not be very cost effective and you may mess up and waste a LOT of money on that mix stuff. On the dish forum someone did the math and the cost was comparative to buying a professionally done one.

I will take pictures of using both craft foam and the new silicone molds that I am getting and post them on my website then tell y'all here when they are up.


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

I've been thinking about getting one like you posted for testing and such. I'm sure it will work fine and the size is comparable to my bars. 

But for production it's just not large (long) enough for me. And I'd like a little more headroom to play with. 2.5 is cutting it close. I don't like to pour in multiple molds esp. with a finicky FO that starts to thicken as I pour. By the time I get to the 3rd mold it might be mashed potatoes. LOL That, and batches that get color added the way I do might not get enough color in one of the molds. BUT not everything I make gets color and *most* are easy to work with FOs.

Looking forward to seeing your results.


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## Madfarmer (Nov 18, 2008)

I have a Kelsei. I got their liner, and it NEVER stuck, but it did shrink. You can buy that silicone in rolls at Calrubber.com. I now use the freezer paper that's plastic-coated on one side. It IS a PITA to use, but I like the results--and the price. If I made more soap, I'd go back to the silicon liner.

Tom


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

The shower/tub liners at lowes and home depot also are excellent liners. Vicki


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## Faye Farms (Sep 14, 2009)

I started off with a wood log mold I made. Then I did all sorts of experimenting with the different shaped silicone muffin pans. While the muffin pans worked nicely I don't use them anymore. When I moved to KS a good friend here made me a whole bunch of wood log molds which I use now. I started off lining my molds with butcher paper. Then I got some mylar. It comes off the soap but it doesn't leave the soap with a glass finish like I would like. I really don't want to go back to butcher paper so I will live with it until something better comes along or until I can afford some professional log molds. I got a Kelsie for christmas last year. I love it and would really like a big one. I got the liner along with it but one corner of it got warped so I would have one bar of soap with a crater in it if I used the liner. Now I just line it with saran wrap. All though, one time I poured soap and forgot to put a bottom liner on. I thought for sure I would have a huge mess but the bars of soap actually came off without a problem.


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## mullerslanefarm (Sep 12, 2009)

love, love, love my Kelsei molds and won't use anything else (I'm cutting impaired) I have 3 (one 42 bar and two 30 bar)

To prevent the soap from sticking on the bottom of the mold or having to leave the soap in the mold for an unreasonable time ... I simply put a plastic garbage bag on the mold, snap in the sides and I'm ready to go! The soap slides off the sides with a gentle push and no sticking to the bottom.


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## Huminbird (Jul 22, 2008)

I used the foam yesterday. It came off like a dream! I did have a problem with the foam being hard to keep strait, my log that I used the foam for kinda bows in and out along the sides and the ends. Not a big deal because you won't hardly be able to see it on individual bars when they are cut. My customers don't mind a little bit of a rustic look to my soaps. I am going to try again tomorrow but take everything together really well and cut it PERFECT to fit into my molds. Someone suggested using vaceline to temporaraly adhere the foam to the mold. Sounds messy.


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

When I used foam I used the vaseline and it worked well.


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## Huminbird (Jul 22, 2008)

So I have been sick and haven't posted any pictures yet of my new molds and the soap. I hope to work on that later this week. My son and I are finally getting over this bug and boy oh boy was it an icky one. I will say that I do love the silicone molds but have only gotten to use them once before I got sick and didn't get any good pictures. Next week maybe.

Becky


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Hope you start feeling better! Vicki


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