# Homemade soap beveler



## Todd Ziegler (Jun 22, 2020)

I just finished the wood part of my beveler and as soon as I get the blade mounted, it will be ready to go. Saved some money and got a better product. Any comments or questions are welcome.


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## shunt2011 (Jun 22, 2020)

I have a question, how do you bevel with it?  I don't see a guide to give the appropriate bevel.  I have one like that as a planer.  It has a guide to use as a beveler.   I don't use it but I have it.   I still like my potato peeler.


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## Todd Ziegler (Jun 22, 2020)

shunt2011 said:


> I have a question, how do you bevel with it?  I don't see a guide to give the appropriate bevel.  I have one like that as a planer.  It has a guide to use as a beveler.   I don't use it but I have it.   I still like my potato peeler.


I have a 90° router bit that I will make a groove in the wood for guiding it. You can do it freehand but the groove will help. It is not completely done. Just wanted to show it off.


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## Misschief (Jun 22, 2020)

Looks great!


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## Obsidian (Jun 22, 2020)

Good job. Definitely beats using a old hand planner like I've done in the past.

I'd really like to see how you mount the blade once its done.


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## Todd Ziegler (Jun 22, 2020)

Obsidian said:


> Good job. Definitely beats using a old hand planner like I've done in the past.
> 
> I'd really like to see how you mount the blade once its done.


Here's a picture of the blade and mounting equipment. The brass are threaded inserts, which I will drill a pilot hole for and then screw them in, which will allow me to use the bolts to hold the blade tight for whatever depth I set. I will send you a picture of it when I complete it tomorrow. I have a friend who is going to put some grooves in it that will help me keep it square.


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## Todd Ziegler (Jun 22, 2020)

Misschief said:


> Looks great!


Thanks, I hope it works out like I planned.


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## shunt2011 (Jun 23, 2020)

Awesome job!


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## penelopejane (Jun 23, 2020)

Todd Ziegler said:


> Here's a picture of the blade and mounting equipment. The brass are threaded inserts, which I will drill a pilot hole for and then screw them in, which will allow me to use the bolts to hold the blade tight for whatever depth I set. I will send you a picture of it when I complete it tomorrow. I have a friend who is going to put some grooves in it that will help me keep it square.



Looks great. Good luck with it.
Don’t want to be negative but I had one that had a metal blade that eventually rusted and that made me worry about DOS so I got an acrylic one. I also had trouble making the blade 100% square - not a problem for bevels but annoying when using it as a plane


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## jcandleattic (Jun 23, 2020)

That looks soo good. Much better than the one I had my hub make, which was just a beveler (no planer) and that thing was HUGE!! LOL 
I eventually bought one that is similar to yours, but have since stopped beveling my soaps, and I only plane if I cut too soon and get the wire bumps that need to be planed out.


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## SPowers (Jun 23, 2020)

I so admire anyone who can make their own tools!  I ordered a beveler/planer but it won't arrive before August which is so annoying!


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## Dianae (Jun 23, 2020)

Todd Ziegler said:


> Here's a picture of the blade and mounting equipment. The brass are threaded inserts, which I will drill a pilot hole for and then screw them in, which will allow me to use the bolts to hold the blade tight for whatever depth I set. I will send you a picture of it when I complete it tomorrow. I have a friend who is going to put some grooves in it that will help me keep it square.


I admire diy and great craftsmanship.  Looks really good, Todd. Maybe one day I’ll attempt it myself. Where did you purchase the blade?


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## ShySoaper (Jun 23, 2020)

Todd Ziegler said:


> I just finished the wood part of my beveler and as soon as I get the blade mounted, it will be ready to go. Saved some money and got a better product. Any comments or questions are welcome.
> [/QUOTE Well for a start I’ll like to order one. Got some bumpy soaps to fix.  I’m impressed.


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## Todd Ziegler (Jun 23, 2020)

Dianae said:


> I admire diy and great craftsmanship.  Looks really good, Todd. Maybe one day I’ll attempt it myself. Where did you purchase the blade?


Here's the link for the blade. 






						planer blades HSS 3-1/4 inch - Replacement compatible with Makita N1900B DeWalt DW680 BOSCH 1594 - OXEMIZE - - Amazon.com
					

planer blades HSS 3-1/4 inch - Replacement compatible with Makita N1900B DeWalt DW680 BOSCH 1594 - OXEMIZE - - Amazon.com



					www.amazon.com
				





penelopejane said:


> Looks great. Good luck with it.
> Don’t want to be negative but I had one that had a metal blade that eventually rusted and that made me worry about DOS so I got an acrylic one. I also had trouble making the blade 100% square - not a problem for bevels but annoying when using it as a plane


I have the same worries as you do, that is why I ordered a piece of 1/4 inch acrylic. I'm going to make a blade out of it. After I test it, to see if it works any better than the one's you can buy online, we may build a few to sell. 





jcandleattic said:


> That looks soo good. Much better than the one I had my hub make, which was just a beveler (no planer) and that thing was HUGE!! LOL
> I eventually bought one that is similar to yours, but have since stopped beveling my soaps, and I only plane if I cut too soon and get the wire bumps that need to be planed out.


That's basically my intention for this one. It seems that bevelers/planers are either loved or hated by people on the forums. I just like making a good bar of soap with some eye appeal and if this works great, if not, no harm done.


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## jcandleattic (Jun 23, 2020)

Todd Ziegler said:


> That's basically my intention for this one. It seems that bevelers/planers are either loved or hated by people on the forums. I just like making a good bar of soap with some eye appeal and if this works great, if not, no harm done.


Exactly. I still have mine, and I do use it occasionally. It's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.


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## Megan (Jun 23, 2020)

My planer has been well used for two years and the stainless steel blade has not rusted.


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## Todd Ziegler (Jun 23, 2020)

jcandleattic said:


> Exactly. I still have mine, and I do use it occasionally. It's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.


Well put! 





Megan said:


> My planer has been well used for two years and the stainless steel blade has not rusted.


My blade is not stainless steel. I had to order it and it hasn't come in yet. But it is exactly like this one.


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## Megan (Jun 23, 2020)

I'd be worried about those steel blades rusting. For wood working, you don't really need to clean the blade with water, but my planer blade needs to be wiped down frequently.


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## Todd Ziegler (Jun 23, 2020)

Megan said:


> I'd be worried about those steel blades rusting. For wood working, you don't really need to clean the blade with water, but my planer blade needs to be wiped down frequently.


That's why remove the blade and wipe it down with 99% isopropyl alcohol and then dry it. I have steel knife blades that never rust because I clean and dry them properly when they get wet.


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## Megan (Jun 23, 2020)

Todd Ziegler said:


> That's why remove the blade and wipe it down with 99% isopropyl alcohol and then dry it. I have steel knife blades that never rust because I clean and dry them properly when they get wet.


Okay, well, godspeed then!


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## Todd Ziegler (Jun 23, 2020)

I got the blade mounted and it still needs some adjustment.

Here's some pictures of what happens when you don't pay attention to the depth of your drill bit. I can fix it and you won't even notice the mistakes.

I'm taking it to a friend of mine who has an electric wood planer and he is going to make it absolutely square, all the way around. Then we are going to install a fence on both sides to create a 90° angel for guiding the soap through.


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## penelopejane (Jun 28, 2020)

Todd Ziegler said:


> I have the same worries as you do, that is why I ordered a piece of 1/4 inch acrylic. I'm going to make a blade out of it.
> After I test it, to see if it works any better than the one's you can buy online, we may build a few to sell.
> That's basically my intention for this one. It seems that bevelers/planers are either loved or hated by people on the forums. I just like making a good bar of soap with some eye appeal and if this works great, if not, no harm done.


I like the idea of planing but I am hopeless at it and end up with a wedge shape soap.
But I do bevel every soap. Customers like it - they don’t get cut on sharp sides of soap!
My bevel is tiny though. I just take the edge off.  Since my acrylic blade is fixed this requires putting a thin piece of plastic on the bottom of the planer so the cut/bevel isn’t as thick. Such a pain. An adjustable acrylic blade or the ability to order the depth you want would be excellent!


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## CathyB (Jun 28, 2020)

A tip I just learned from Royalty Soap's soap making videos--use a spoon to scrape the rough edges.  It worked really well, and since I have problem controlling the veg peeler, so I'm going to give it a try.  And the price is right!


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## Malleebird (Jun 29, 2020)

CathyB said:


> A tip I just learned from Royalty Soap's soap making videos--use a spoon to scrape the rough edges.


Just tried this...and it works brilliantly ! A great tip, thanks CathyB  
Perfect for someone like me who doesn't like hard sharp edges, but doesn't like the look of a really bevelled edge either....and can't do the vegetable peeler thing evenly enough                                                                       It was so easy to achieve just what I wanted !


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## shermluge (Jul 3, 2020)

Todd Ziegler said:


> I just finished the wood part of my beveler and as soon as I get the blade mounted, it will be ready to go. Saved some money and got a better product. Any comments or questions are welcome.



Todd !!! awesome work.. I've been thinking of making one and I'm glad you put a link to the blades..  I was looking for some good ones.. Now I'll start my build soon.


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## Sparks (Jul 3, 2020)

I've been thinking about doing this too, as well as a wire soap cutter. Thanks for sharing this, you've inspired me.


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## earlene (Jul 4, 2020)

Beautiful work. *Todd*!

The only problem I had with a wooden planer/beveler was that over time and with washing to get it clean, the wood warped a little bit from swelling, which created a mark on the surface of my soap.  The blade never rusted, though.  

If I had been confident in my skills or interested in sanding it down and refinishing the wood with a clear coating to make it water resistant, it could be repaired.  I still have it and only use when I travel because the Acrylic replacement one I have is bigger & I'd rather it stays at home.


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## Todd Ziegler (Jul 5, 2020)

earlene said:


> Beautiful work. *Todd*!
> 
> The only problem I had with a wooden planer/beveler was that over time and with washing to get it clean, the wood warped a little bit from swelling, which created a mark on the surface of my soap.  The blade never rusted, though.
> 
> If I had been confident in my skills or interested in sanding it down and refinishing the wood with a clear coating to make it water resistant, it could be repaired.  I still have it and only use when I travel because the Acrylic replacement one I have is bigger & I'd rather it stays at home.


Sorry for the late reply, had surgery. I thought about the warping problem too. So what I did is used a 2 inch piece of recycled hickory. It is at least 20 years old and by making it 2 inches thick warping should not be a problem. I also applied beeswax to the wood. I used a hot air gun to warm up the wood then I applied the wax. What didn't soak into the wood, I just heated it up until it melted in. Then I let the wood cool down and repeated the steps until the wood couldn't take any more. This will help repeat the water. 

I have one more piece to install as soon as I am healthy enough. I will be installing a 4 inch fence on one side so I can hold my soap next to it while I push it through. This helps create a perfect right angle and squares my soap up.

I also took the piece to a wood shop and had them square the whole piece up by running it through a computer controlled sander.

I am basically just using this to clean up soaps that went wrong.


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## Todd Ziegler (Jul 5, 2020)

shermluge said:


> Todd !!! awesome work.. I've been thinking of making one and I'm glad you put a link to the blades..  I was looking for some good ones.. Now I'll start my build soon.


These were the cheapest blades I could find. Most of them were $20 or more. As long as you dry the blade after each use they won't rust. They are very sharp, I found out the hard way. I shaved a piece of my finger that was so thin I almost didn't notice.


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## shermluge (Jul 5, 2020)

As long as you almost didn't notice, missing a piece of finger is okay...


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## nframe (Jul 6, 2020)

Your planer looks great.  Congratulations!  I really like the picture of the soap with a bow on the top.  Is the bow part of the mould or did you add it to the soap?


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## Todd Ziegler (Jul 6, 2020)

nframe said:


> Your planer looks great.  Congratulations!  I really like the picture of the soap with a bow on the top.  Is the bow part of the mould or did you add it to the soap?


Thanks for the compliment. The bow is part of the mold and that mold was a gift from my friend Obsidian.

The beveler looks like the ones that you can get online but the material is different. We used a reclaimed 2 inch piece of hickory wood that we think is 20-25 years old. It is eco friendly and since it is so hard and thick, it should prevent warping.


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## Todd Ziegler (Jul 6, 2020)

We don't have any drawn up plans but if anyone wants to try building one, I will be more than happy to help you out with it.


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## Todd Ziegler (Jul 6, 2020)

shermluge said:


> As long as you almost didn't notice, missing a piece of finger is okay...


At first I didn't know how it happened but then I noticed the little piece of skin on the blade.


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## Susie (Jul 6, 2020)

Prayers for a fast recovery!


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## Todd Ziegler (Jul 6, 2020)

Susie said:


> Prayers for a fast recovery!


Thanks, I am pretty much recovered. I just had a fatty tumor removed. I was in and out, in just 3 hours.


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## Susie (Jul 6, 2020)

Lipomas are unsightly, but thankfully benign.  They can pop up in the oddest of places, though.  My dad had one on top of his head that grew to the size of an orange in less than two months.  They had to do a skin graft for that one.


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## Todd Ziegler (Jul 6, 2020)

Susie said:


> Lipomas are unsightly, but thankfully benign.  They can pop up in the oddest of places, though.  My dad had one on top of his head that grew to the size of an orange in less than two months.  They had to do a skin graft for that one.


Yeah mine was 12 ounces.


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## Susie (Jul 8, 2020)

Todd Ziegler said:


> Yeah mine was 12 ounces.



That's really large.  Good thing you got it removed.


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## CaraBou (Jul 10, 2020)

Looks great! I've always looked at my beloved beveler (wood & stainless steel) as potentially easy to replicate. But not for me because I don't have the equipment or skills! So I look forward to knowing how it turns out.


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## Jillyb (Aug 4, 2020)

I think i might have to give making planer/beveller a try after reading all this. They sell the blades at my local hardware store. I've been looking at them for a while. Just working out how I can make a guide I can attach when needed for doing 45s. 
I just love working with wood, find it very therapeutic.


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## shermluge (Aug 4, 2020)

Jillyb said:


> I think i might have to give making planer/beveller a try after reading all this



I agree, I've actually been working on 2 different models, 1) a 3d printed disposable one that will last and unknown amount of time (mainly for testing), 2) 3d printed permanent one. And 3) a wood one.


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