cure times

I have some questions regarding curing. I know to monitor weight loss to determine when a bar may be ready, however, I have monitored a couple bars for 18 months and they seem to never stop losing weight. It, of course slows down dramatically, but it seems to never come to a complete halt. I...

I'm wondering if cure time is related to thickness of the soap or if it is just a factor of chemical reaction. I've grated some soap into a very fine grating (finer than angel hair pasta) and I'd like to press it into some shapes. I'm curious if the very fine shavings will cure faster than it...