My question is if I am to do a hot process soap will these molds still work ? 
I have been told that if you are buying wood that an associate at Lowes will cut it down into the dimensions you use if you ask. Your maximum safe weight-lift limits will ultimately determine the maximum amount of soap and the number of bars you should get out of each mold. Hi, Im Rebecca! Im an off and on again soapmaker, DIY-er and writer whose life is controlled daily by a miniature dachshund. Bolts tend to run anywhere from $1.00 to $3.00 each up to 12" lengths, which is long enough for a slab that is three loaves of 3.5" width soap. I cant wait until we move and I have more space (well, smarter space) for ventures like this. Soap mold is one of the most difficult parts of soap making but this method makes it easy to use and follow, the instructions are easy and concise, all you have to do is get the necessary supplies to build the mold. I like to use 5/8" diameter bolts, as they feel substantial enough without being gigantic, but again, it's entirely up to you. If youre having trouble figuring out how much your soap will weigh once cured, my average recipe for one of these molds uses 36oz. in oils & butters (fats) prior to adding the lye/water, and fragrance. You can also find Potassium Hydroxide Flakes for liquid soapmaking available through the same company through Amazon with the same deal. Here are the few materials you'll need, a sturdy cardboard box 95" x 95", box knife, freezer paper, or trash can liner, scissors, cutting mat (optional), ruler, tape, and an extra piece of cardboard. No more scary power tools! Its advisable you consider a maximum length of 18 for a single loaf configuration, as beyond that, it will become unwieldy to move and/or store when not in use. For instance, if youre building a premium-priced soap brand, your soaps can be sold for at least $9.95 per bar. Thanks for sharing. Just figure out your dimensions, and bring them along with you when you purchase your supplies! Before then, here are a few items you need to get started, a ruler, masking tape, an exact knife, packaging tape, 2 rubber bands, and much more. Yes, you can use these for melt and pour soaps. If you want perfect bars I would consider using a silicone cavity soap mold. Find out how we can help. Ready to get started on your own wood soap molds? They currently have locations in Roanoke, VA (my hometown), Colonial Heights, VA, Piney Flats, TN and Rock Hill, SC. I purchase what they call caustic soda beads. Of course, how you choose to line your molds is personal preference. We've rounded up budget and high-end soapmaking tools for big batches. Soap molds can be made from several inexpensive tools. Although, there are a few optional things, a plastic garbage bag, foam fill, additional scrap wood, and a few more other items. Also, if you are fond of tall and skinny soaps, then you should probably try out this method, and the yield is 1 mold, 1 liner. And then place the end boards in place and tracea light pencil line on the outside edge of each end board. Add about 6 drops of a gel soap colorant of your choice. of (cured) soap and will make approximately 10-12 4oz. I've included tips and tricks I've learned over the many times of making these. Stick to grit levels below 100, as anything above 100 level grit is best used on large furniture. Most wood molds are made out of top-grade birch plywood that is both sturdy and durable. To create one mold youll need to use wood that is 1/2 thick. Here are a few materials you need, wood boards, a miter saw, polyurethane, and wood glue. This article discusses how to calculate your recipe and mold size, and it's helpful for deciding what size of mold you'd like to use. Are you ready to start making amazing soap molds? In soap making, lye is very important. (It will fit into one of the wooden soap molds described above but will make large square bars about 5 1/2oz. I recommend doing whatever works best for you. The following are the ways soap increases in volume; To make oil soap for wood, get about 4 cups of warm water, 1 teaspoon of castile soap, 10 drops of lemon essential oil, an empty spray bottle, and a mop. After you must have cut your wood into the proper dimensions, you can begin assembling your mold. Set it aside for 3 to 4 weeks to allow it to dry completely. If youre practical and dont mind a few minor creases on the sides and bottom of your soap, then this method may be the one for you. Once youve assembled everything, set it aside and let it dry. Then, use the router to remove most of the wood but stop just short of your lines. am from Africa,and this has been of great help to me! It's almost always cheaper to build your own supporting mold box for silicone liners than it is to buy the accompanying mold from the supplier. Yes, you can use them for hot process soap as well. To make this process easier, many wood molds come with silicone liners. You could but your exterior measurements will change and youd need to account on all sides for the extra width the wood adds so the interior measurements stay the same. The following tips are the processes in making round soap; A 2lb of soap which is 24oz makes roughly 6 bars of soap. Then, place the 3 by 4 sides between the 12 by 4 boards, creating a rectangle shape with your boards. Freezer paper is much different from wax paper as it is sturdier, and will not melt under high temperatures. It actually reacts with the soap and you may end up peeling pieces of paper off your soap. One of the most costly parts of soapmaking is the molds and cutters you use as you grow from making smallsingle batches to wanting to make tons of soap all at once. If you make 2.5" tall, 3.5" wide, and 1" thick soap, you will want to: You may also want to consider what silicone liners are available from soapmaking suppliers. Its similar in size, a little nice but also a little more expensive. Through the magic of chemistry, the vegetable oils in our bar soap produce a chemical reaction with lye that leads to the creation of a glycerin-rich soap bar that nourishes your skin. How big your wooden soap mold is will affect the cost of supplies needed. One of the best features of wood molds is they insulate the soap well. Thank you for sharing I am going to take a look at the recipe for the soap too Rhondda. For the end boards of your wood soap mold, the height should match the sideboards, and clear 1" taller than any fill capacity of the mold. Do you run a soap-making business and need a cutter or mold? Making soap is without doubt a fun hobby that can potentially earn you money if you sell your soap at craft shows or online. People that make soap in small batches on almost a daily basis might want to start making it in larger batches all at once, if you fall into this category of people, you should consider using this method to make your soap mold with ease. Soap-making molds come in various shapes, sizes, and can be made with different materials. Therefore what I recommend is to look in your local yellow pages for a local chemical supply company. To unmold the soap, loosen the nuts about a half-inch. But note that because they are individual molds they probably wont gel and so might need a lot of extra soap. Yup! How Much Polysorbate 80 to Use in Bath Bombs? If soap is too hot, keep stirring slowly until the soap reaches 130. Another important feature is the soap mold, this usually takes time and can be quite tricky without proper guidance. You can learn more about Rebecca by checking out her bio. Once you ascertain the glue is dry to the touch, and the rectangle feels secure without the wood clamps, you can add the bottom board. The length of your bolts will be determined by the width of your mold cavity and the thickness of your sideboards. Spray the solution on the wood floor and then use a mop with a soft cloth to clean the floors. For this mold, you will need the following: Have it in mind that you may not find craft wood cut into the exact dimensions you need. Tug on the sideboard to break the suction and release it from the soap loaf.
You're ready to line your new wooden soap molds and rock your soap pot. Just as the creator of this video tutorial made it video with her smartphone, something that was easy to come by and not expensive, you can also make your soap out of something easy to come by and not at all expensive, like a pringles can. However, its necessary to consider what kind of mold you will be using when designing a soap project. If you don't have a saw at home, many home improvement stores will cut your wood for you,if you ask, so keep that in mind! As craft glue is fairly soft, you do not need high grit sandpaper for your soap mold. You can find the answers to your questions and learn how to make soap within this tutorial. The 12 by 4 boards make up the long sides of the rectangle. Basically you fold the paper in a way that is similar to wrapping a present but with an open top. Set up your trim router with a straight bit and set the depth to half the height of the closed hinge. Let's go. I can now line all nine of my molds in 5 minutes or less. You can use hex bolts or tap bolts, or even carriage bolts if you wish. The 3 by 4 sides make up the shorter sides. The great thing about this method is that the mold is easily adjustable. Clay makes a harder soap by absorbing water, Discount your water- Soaping with a water discount helps your soap to harden enough to unmold with no issues, Use sodium lactate- Sodium lactate helps to create a harder soap upon unmolding. You can also use cling film and tape at the top edges. Another soapmakerwho has built their own wooden soap molds also mentioned watching out for woods that are either glued together or treated, especially if you CPOP (cold process oven process.) Of course I want to try CP too so this is a perfect project to do beforehand . You can use wax paper to line a soap mold, though it is so thin and it tends to stick to the soap, making it very hard to pull off the soap at once. Lye made from wood ash is potassium hydroxide and not sodium hydroxide. If you want to avoid the gel phase completely, you may want to place the mold and soap into the fridge or a cool place. container of Roebic lye had gone up to $16. Give it more time- You can leave your soap in the mold for an extra one or two days. If you need and prefer a printable step-by-step version of this guide you can check this link for the link description for more info on that. To remove the soap, I just lift it out of the mold by the plastic bag I lined it with and peel off the soap. (Plus the soap gave them a nice, fresh scent.) I simply place cardboard on the top of the filled mold and then cover with towels to insulate during the 24 hour saponification period. ASSEMBLE & ROCK YOUR SOAP POT:Hurray! The smaller cube has to be the exact shape and size of the soap you want to make with your silicone, while the bigger cube will take the shape of the smaller one and hold it firm to make it easy for the small one to come out of the big one and create your silicone mold for the soap mold. Anyone can start a successful blog, so why cant I (or you, too!)? You can mark the placement of the holes prior to drilling if you wish. You just want to make sure to avoid aluminum. Wash all your containers well and let dry completely- Take special care with the Pringles can since its made out of cardboard. Making a lid for these is optional. The secrets keeping soap from sticking to mold are the following; The following are the processes to make homemade soap molds; The following are the steps you need to use a pringles can for a soap mold; Making your own soap can be cheaper than buying one at the store. The shorter sides will fit inside the longer sides. The final dimensions of the soap mold will measure (from the outside) 12 Long x 4 1/2 Wide x 4 High. It's usually cheaper to buy a box of bolts instead of individual bolts, so it's more economical to build multiple molds at one time. In order to make soap, however, you must have a mold and a cutter in which to pour the liquid soap so that it can harden. If you dont have a chemical supply store near you, you can buy 2lb. Release any tape you have securing your liner to the mold. This will further secure the board, as wood glue may lose strength over time. I personally use the same method as Amy at Great Cakes Soapworks, you can view her video tutorial about how to line soap molds with freezer paper here. It was a horrible mistake that resulted in leaky messes. One of these molds with the soap loaf completely removed and the mold disassembled. And I just use a Chefs knife. Most importantly, you'll need a piece of cardboard, just something to protect your surface while pouring the liquid soap.
Use the wood clamps to secure while the wood is drying. See my, the same process that this tutorial by Inner Earth blog uses with contact paper, 2lb. Recently, they stopped carrying it all together. 4 Difference Between White and Yellow BeesWax Pellets, 7 Tips on How to Safely Dispose of Lye Water and Crystals, 20 Smart Tips on How to Sell Homemade Soap Online, 6 Commercial Soap Making Equipment Suppliers in USA, 17 Small Scale Soap Making Equipment and Their Uses, 20 Tips on How to Sell Homemade Soap to Hotels in 2022, 43 Best Soap Making Business ideas & Opportunities, Two pieces of 12 inch (1.3 cm) thick craft wood, cut into 12 by 4 length, Two pieces of 12 inch (1.3 cm) thick craft wood, cut into 3 x 4 length, One piece of 12 inch (1.3 cm) thick craft wood, cut into 3 x 11 length, Mix 5 tablespoons of cornstarch into the silicone, Wipe the original shape with a mold release, such as vegetable oil or vaseline, Pour the silicone over the object you want to mold, Force gel phase- Use a heating pad or oven process to force your soap through gel phase until your soap is completely gelled, Clay- Use clay to color the soap that you will be molding in a tall-skinny mold. This article is a compilation of some of the best DIY soap mold ideas that you could find. Ive had some people ask me how to make a basic wooden loaf soap mold for cold process soap, so I thought Id share a tutorial on how to make your own soap molds. Here are the best molds you can buy for every level of soapmaking.).
I'm just going to go straight into the materials you need for this guide. Yes! The idea is to make a simple cheap soap mold from wood. I really want to do this & appreciate any help w/ this slather of questions.
To use these molds for melt and pour glycerin soap, simply line with trash bags as indicated for cold process soap. The directions to follow to make this amazing soap mold is super quick and easy. Heres one that you will love. And if the soap delays in coming out, pop it in the freezer for about 10 to 15 minutes. You should be able to find the materials for this mold at most craft stores. The two short sides should be cut to 3 1/2 x 4 and the bottom piece of the mold should be cut to 3 1/2 x 11. For your baseboard, the length should match the sideboards and the width should accommodate the largest width of soap loaf you will make in this mold, plus the width of the sideboard pieces and an additional inch or so. Once youre done creating your board, you can use it to make soap. If you are just venturing into making homemade soap and want to learn how to make soap, be sure to visit my DIY Cold Process Soapmaking Tutorial. Learn more. 20 Ways To Make A DIY Pottery Wheel: Do It Yourself Easily! Here is an amazing video that will show you how to make a wooden soap mold that can take 5 pounds of soap in each soap mold you make. If putting them together or taking them apart seems confusing, here are some "live-action" photographs of using these molds: One of these wooden soap molds lined with freezer paper and filled with soap. (Need to scale up all of your soapmaking equipment for production? There are some molds that come together with wire cutters for soap making.
2lb. Mix all these ingredients into a spray bottle and shake well before using. . However, If this option is not available, you can cut most craft wood on your own with a small handsaw. Just remember, the problem of longer wires bending is a limitation and the amount of strength required to push those wires down through a thicker amount of soap. And there you have it!
I live in Manassas, VA i will go to your hometown for my lye. Youll need to use wood clamps and wood glue to assemble your mold as pictured above. Thread your steel bolts through the securedsideboard, and your loose sideboard. Home Business ideas Beauty Care Industry Cosmetics Line Soap Making Business . Parchment Paper is not the best for soap making. Run some wood glue along each side of the bottom board and then place it inside the rectangle. ANYONE can build these wood soap molds, you don't have to be a woodworker to do it! You can alsocreate an extra end board of each dimension to use as a dam, creating a shorter loaf of soapthan the intended mold cavity you make.
To calculate the volume of a mold, First of all, fill the mold with water and then pour that water into a measuring cup. Plus, you can use the drill to stir large batches of soap with a paint mixer when you start doing production size batches of 20 lbs or more.). The following are the processes in making a soap mold; To unmold soap from a wooden mold, first of all, pull on the sides of the mold. Indeed you want a mold that is big enough to be profitable. I bought a huge box of 1000 10 gallon light duty commercial trash bags to line my molds with as they a lot less expensive than parchment paper and can be used again for my office trash. My pine molds were made and used when I was a hobbyist, and held up fine, but there are others who have reported that they warp over time. Using a self centering bit, you can drill pilot holes for each of the screws and drive the screws in by hand. The following can be recycled to make soap molds; No! Sandpaper is rated by grit number. You can use a knife to outline the hinges and pencil in the lines so that they can be easier to see. The placement hereisimportant, as you need to ensure that you place the bolts with enough room for the soap mold cavity and the end boards. 10 DIY Car Wash Soap Ideas: Homemade Car Wash Soap, 23 DIY Homemade Soap Recipes for Almost Anyone, 25 DIY Soap Dish Projects That Will Make Your Bathroom Look Good, 25 DIY Moss Wall Art - Best Faux & Living Wall Art With Moss. If you are planning on only making one, you will likely spend upwards of $20 to $30 on supplies as smaller wood boards at hardware stores are more expensive and you will have leftover wood. Pour the soap base slowly into the Pringles can, spritz the top with alcohol, and set aside. You can use parchment paper or trash bags to line your Board. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If you are not going to fill the mold to the top, calculate the height you want the soap. If you did not build your wood soap molds to fit a silicone liner, you will need to line your mold. I used to cut parchment paper to line my molds as demonstrated in this the same process that this tutorial by Inner Earth blog uses with contact paper. Old-fashioned soap was produced by cooking fatty acids like the fat rendered from a slaughtered cow, sheep, or goat together with water and an alkaline-like lye, a caustic substance derived from wood ashes. To determine the minimum length of the bolts, take the width of the soap loaf,add the thickness of your two sideboards, and an additional inch. If you build block molds, you will want to use a trash bag liner or a silicone liner. These bags with tax in case you dont have a resale license runs $38 and change. You also want to consider how heavy the wood soap mold will be when filled with soap. Several months ago I noticed that their price for a 2lb. To make this long rectangular soap mold today, you need a few essential materials like two pieces of 1.3cm inch thick craft wood cut into several lengths, one piece of craft wood with the same thickness but a different length, wood glue, and wood clamps. This wooden cold process loaf soap mold is so easy to make and it will last forever. To start making your mold, gather your materials first. Multiply the number of fluid ounces of water by 1.8 to get the total cubic inches of the mold. After that, put the craft wood pieces and form your rectangle mold. White birch wood was used to make this soap mold, pieces of it were cut to make the side and end of the soap mold. Take your time to measure the wood using a ruler or measuring tape. xo, Join me in this free workshop to learn what holds soapmakers back from the success they dream of - and how to overcome it. If you dont line your mold, your soap will get stuck. To be 100 percent sure everything is dry, its best to set your board aside overnight before use. The higher the grit number, the stronger the sandpaper. How long to cool, or to what temperature? If you don't already have one, this Black & Decker Drill and Project Kit will have everything you need. The freezer paper willlikely leak when used for a block mold. This technique is for making tall and skinny soap molds but you can also use the technique to make any size of soap mold you want, so if your current soap mold is not giving you what you want, why not try this method and see how good it is. If you dont have clamps or want to add extra reinforcement, you can use a cordless screwdriver to place screws where the sides connect. For the two long sides, youll need to cut two pieces of wood that measure 12 x 4. If you cut them right away while they are soft it doesnt require much effort. Opting for any width of soap mold cavity beyond 12 wide will greatly affect the cost, as the bolts will increase in price. Also, we would love it if you shared this article across your social media networks to friends who might be interested in making a DIY soap mold. The two short sides fit on the inside of the two longer sides to form a rectangle and the bottom piece of the mold fits on the inside bottom of the mold. (Not into DIY? (, Create Sustainable Success (Free Program), molds and cutters you use as you grow from making smallsingle batches to wanting to make tons of soap all at once, use the drill to stir large batches of soap with a paint mixer when you start doing production size batches of 20 lbs or more, view her video tutorial about how to line soap molds with freezer paper here, How to Use Your Soapmaking Skills for Soap Business Success, How to Invest in Your Soap Business's Success Wisely, Three New Team Members? Cut up ultra-clear melt and pour base into small cubes, Take 16 ounces of cubed soap base and place in a microwave-safe glass container- Melt in the microwave in 30-second bursts until melted. This method is gentle on hands and super quick. However, you must line the mold with plastic so there are no gaps. This soap mold is super easy to make, you just need a few materials to get started. Also, do you just turn the finished soap in mold upside down & tap to remove it? Use glue and clamps to hold the pieces together until dry. This soap mold is rectangular, but you can make whatever size you want. ), No spam, even if the gremlins threaten our soap pot. Below are the necessary steps to make a homemade mold and cutter for your soap production. Your two holes (and thus the bolts) should be evenly spaced across the height of the mold. You can use any kind of wood you desire. Keep in mind that you can control the height, too, which means you can make a block mold! Rebecca D. Dillon is a soapmaker, DIY-er and blogger whose life is controlled daily by a dachshund. Get the real deal on your bottom line in under 5 minutes - what are you waiting for? How big your wooden soap mold is will ultimately influence the cost of supplies needed. Doing that will make sure that your drilled holes are perfectly lined up so that the bolts are level. Ive heard of using wire, & seen the metal w/ wood grip, but it seems like the metal w/ wood grip would need to be the perfect width, & I would need to make mold interior dimensions fit the metal w/ wood grip. Hi, I'm Allison! Ive been using loaf pans & lining them with parchment paper. After 12" of length, the bolts tend to get much more expensive. You don't have to use stainless steel or any high-grade steel, the standard zinc plated steel is fine. Of course you do! Out of curiosity, could this mold be used for melt & pour loaf soaps, or would you recommend something different? So, to make this silicone soap mold, first, you need a two cube box, one slightly bigger than the other. This gives me a clear indication of where I should place the holes for the bolts. Join me in this free workshop to learnwhat holds soapmakers back from the success they dream of - and how toovercome it. A simple handheld cordless power drill set tends to come withthe standard drill bits you'll need. I like to mark thecenter of the board, and then measure and mark where the end of the soap cavity should be on either end. I tend to default to making the width the same as the length of the steel bolts I'm using so that the bolts don't stick out awkwardly past the base of the mold. You'll need wood glue(optional) and at least 2"long wood screws to securely fasten one sideboard to the baseboard. To line a mold I simply unfold the bag but dont open it press it into the mold and then tape the outer edges where the bag folds over the outside of the mold to keep it in place. So you're going to learn how to make a great soap fragrance, pour It into a Pringles can, and leave it to dry for removal. What I use are thin, clear office trash bags. Get a paper plate, Elmer's glue, latex rubber, scrap wood, castin craft brand mold builder in liquid format, and Accent piece for the soap if you want to or not, and finally a cheap paintbrush. How do you evenly cut the loaf into bars? If you were to build a mold that is 12" square inside, that's a whopping 40 lbs of soap or so. Woods that containglue or are chemically treated should NOT be used in the oven as they could fall apart ormay off-gas toxic chemicals. (Do you cut in or out of the box, & what do you use)? I use a soap guide/cutter to cut even bars. The first time Ibuilt these molds, I only put one bolt in each end. Add 1 teaspoon per pound or 450 grams of oils to your warm lye solution, Use salt- Add 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt per pound or 450 grams of oils to your hot lye solution to dissolve. I was just wondering. ), Join me in this free workshop to learn what holds soapmakers back from the success they dream of - and how to overcome it. 6oz. Draw a line marking the dimensions with a pen or pencil. The 3 x 11 board fits inside the rectangle. The best part is, they are pretty cheap to make. Gluing the sideboard to the base is optional, but recommended. I recommend a maximum length of 18" for a single loafconfiguration, as beyond that, it will become unwieldy to move and/or store when, not in use. Add more starch if need be. Pre-drill holes for your wood screws along the edge of the baseboard within the section you outlined. And what type of liner would you recommend? This soap mold will take you 50 minutes to make if you get this material first, things you need are a piece of corrugated cardboard, packaging tape, glue, cutting mat, freezer paper, ruler, masking tape, and a few other supplies. A single loaf at 18" in length will range in weight from approximately 6 to 8 lbs of soap. Wood soap molds that areso versatile, you can truly tailor them to your own needs. I am doing lots of research before trying my hand at soap making. I've stuffed as much information in here that I can! Then use gloves, work the starch into the silicone- It will be messy at first, but will come together after a few minutes. And trimming the loafs when theyre done is quite tedious. Why two holes at each end instead ofone, you ask? The listed below are the materials that can be used as a soap mold; No, you dont need to grease them. They offer an economical alternative to purchasing expensive plastic soap molds. containers of Food Grade Sodium Hydroxide from Amazon. Indeed, you will also need larger pieces of wood to make a larger mold.
You can also use a chisel to finish removing the waist then repeat this step for the second hinge and for the top.