Brambleberry's Slab Mold

linnaete · Dec 3, 2013

I'm looking at the Brambleberry 9 bar birchwood slab mold to purchase, can anyone share their input? Do you love it? I really want to do swirls, and my biggest need is ease of use/unmolding & least amount of hassle. Price isn't a huge issue for me.

Do you line the box with a bag, and THEN put the side inserts in... and then put dividers after doing your soap thing? Are these inserts HDPE plastic? Why not just buy a pure HDPE slab mold or acrylic mold? Thanks!

juliab86 · Dec 3, 2013

I'd like to hear the responses to this

I've also been considering purchasing this.

kazmi · Dec 3, 2013

I've been looking at the new silicone liner that you can purchase to go with her slab mold. Much easier than lining it with paper. It's on my wish-list that my DH refuses to look at LOL

The dividers are HDPE and so are the side inserts. With the silicone liner you won't need the side inserts - just use the dividers (or make the slab and cut your bars once you unmold). Some people have luck with HDPE but I've read that some people struggle to get the soap out of a HDPE mold. Even with the HDPE dividers you will need to learn how to work with them to release your soap. I think she's got a video to show you how to slide the soap/dividers apart.

linnaete · Dec 3, 2013

The description of the slab mold with dividers says that you still need to line the inner wooden box, or do they have a complete silicone liner that is a half-box that doesn't let any soap touch the wood? Sorry I didn't see the silicone inserts that you described.

I've used an all HDPE loaf mold before and didn't have too much trouble with it. Some softer soaps I had to slide the pieces off but nothing that totally ruined my soap or anything.

Candybee · Dec 3, 2013

I have the 18 bar mold with the dividers. I do line the bottom of the mold with a plastic liners I precut from garbage bags. Then put in the dividers over it except for the bottom piece. I put the plastic over the flat bottom piece. Why? Because its easier to peel off the liner than the bottom piece. The bottom piece tended to stick on my. Anyway, once I place the plastic liner over the bottom piece I put in the sides, then the divider pieces. Easy peasy.

I bought 2 of them last Christmas and have used them extensively since. You can do stuff like column swirls which come out awesome. I am swirl challenged so I don't know of many slab swirls other than that. I used them more for my undyed soaps and goat milk soaps.

I'd say they are worth the money. Personally I wanted them more for the dividers. You get great smooth sides and bottom using the dividers.