Acrylic or other moulds?

[Tracy von Elling]

Hi everyone,

I am trying to find a new mould. I bought a 'Nicole' one off Amazon years ago but it has never made a straight loaf. I have always added a piece of cardboard my husband suggested to try straighten out the bars but lately that doesn't seem to be helping. I don't want to get one I have to line (issues with my hands so lining makes it harder). I'm in Canada, so buying from the US is out for now. I am seeing some acrylic moulds on Etsy Canada and wondering what everyone's opinion is of using this kind of mould. This one has places for dividers which I think may be nice! Only thing is it's on the larger side and I was hoping for something under 900g but at this point I will try not to be too fussy! I would love some help with this! I don't want to spend more money where I don't need to and I have improvised in the past and used a lined box and all of that but trying to get something I don't need to line! Thanks for any help!

 

[lsg]

Can you find silicone liners that will fit the mold?

 

[Tracy von Elling]

Can you find silicone liners that will fit the mold?

Are you meaning for the Nicole Mould (sorry if I wasn't clear but it's a wooden mould with a silicone liner) or for the acrylic mould? The acrylic mould seems to have good reviews but I do wonder if it will need to be lined, which to me would defeat the purpose.

 

[Babyshoes]

Lisa at I Dream in Soap uses an acrylic mould that isn't lined, but it does easily come apart for unmoulding. Look her up on YouTube.

 

[lsg]

I

Are you meaning for the Nicole Mould (sorry if I wasn't clear but it's a wooden mould with a silicone liner) or for the acrylic mould? The acrylic mould seems to have good reviews but I do wonder if it will need to be lined, which to me would defeat the purpose.

For the acrylic mold. I am thinking that soap may stick without a liner.

 

[dibbles]

If I were to only have one mold, I would choose a wood mold with a silicone liner. I have an acrylic mold that I like but it can take an extra day or so to unmold and I am not patient. But to be fair, my acrylic mold is a small slab which could take longer to be ready to unmold anyway.

 

[earlene]

Is applying a release-agent to the acrylic mold something that you would want to do, Tracy? I have used lanolin, Vaseline, or mineral oil as a release agent in molds that sometimes make removal difficult. I do rub that in using my fingers, so it may be an issue for you. You can also brush a release agent on using a fine brush, and you can purchase spray release-agents, but I have never tried them.

ETA: Having dividers is nice for certain pours. You can also make a divider to shorten the length of the mold, if you are so inclined. Something along the lines of this type of thing:

 

[Tracy von Elling]

Thank you for the feedback everyone. It helps a lot. I haven't decided yet but you have given me something to think about I may be able to find the spray to help release the soap Earlene. I didn't know that existed. I may be able to manage it or ask my daughter if she can do it for me since it isn't something she would need to know how to do like lining a mould. I did see that Lisa from 'I dream in soap' uses an acrylic mould. I didn't think she sprayed anything or rubbed anything on it but maybe she just didn't say she does and it is maybe a different kind of acrylic?
Thank you, Dibbles - I am thinking an extra day would be okay although it is hard to wait!!
In any case now I'm wondering if maybe a wooden one with a silicone liner may be better - but a decently made one and with a silcone liner that is going to last and not be caved in such a short amount of time.

 

[msunnerstood]

I have a HDPE mold that was supposed to be liner-free and after butchering a loaf trying to get it out, searched the forum and the web and found the idea to use a thin coat of vaseline which worked great for the sides but not the bottom. I wound up lining the bottom only with press and seal. Since the mold comes apart, doing that was easy.

 

[glendam]

Kenny from Royal Apple Berry in YouTube also uses acrylic, custom made molds. She does not seem to have issues removing the soap, however most of her soaps seem to be poured fairly thick, which probably helps with quicker saponification.
Nurture soaps has thick silicone green liners for their wooden molds that are less prone to caving in, I have had one for a few years and no issues, but I have also seen them caved in slightly, in someone’s video and it looked like they were not stored properly.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Ive used acrylic & wood soap molds' both needed to be lined "such a pain" my favorite is a silicone mold' it un-molds beautifully' BB & NS has them both the box & silicone liner in different sizes. If you choose the acrylic mold you can make a reusable liner for them, their is threads here & on youtube DIY.