I want a soap mold that turns out a loaf not a slab

[Maythorn]

I know about milk cartons (quart) and if you filled up the whole carton you could cut soap in 1" increments or maybe a little more for shrinkage instead of 3 and a half inches rectangles. Not that there is anything wrong with slab soaps. I would just like to be able to have a messy top and it looks really neat and you can crinkle cut the entire big sides if you want. The back of some of my soaps are messy and should have been cake-iced by me to really be at their best. It's hard sometimes to have smooth unless you pour in the nick of time.

What are some good square or rectangle loaves molds? They don't have to be fancy, they can be hardware store stuff that you just fold a piece of freezer paper into. I like round pvc but what kind of packaging to do with those baffles me. I've just seen ones in boxes at nutrition stores and you buy them bare. (The soaps not yourself!)

 

[2lilboots]

Maythorn yesterday I made a loaf mold out of a cardboard box and ducktape. I just measured how big I wanted the mold and marked it on the cardboard, started cutting and taping. I wanted to make sure it was sturdy so I double layered the cardboard.

 

[2lilboots]

Here is my makeshift cardboard mold.

 

[Stinkydancer]

The Dollar Tree if your looking for cheap:

http://www.dollartree.com/catalog/searc ... er&x=0&y=0

I like the 2 medium size organizers when your in a pinch.

I just bought a mold I dearly love that has a silicone liner from someone on Etsy who happened to be a member here which is amazing!

Are you handy with wood- you can make your own wood molds which are always great and inexpensive to make depending on what wood you use.

 

[lsg]

A reinforced Velveeta box makes a good rectangle mold also. You will have to line it with freezer paper to keep the soap from sticking.

 

[Maythorn]

I like your thrifty ideas and I must have missed that at Dollar Tree because I'm always looking at stuff through soapmaking eyes now. . I've used wood but it's shallow so is a slab. Could try for a diferent taller and shorter shape with boards, though. Heading for Lowe's this week to browse the aisles and there's a Dollar Tree down the way from it and a Walmart for some Velveeta which I haven't had in years. Thank you, ladies!

 

[Yooper]

I bought a silicone bread loaf pan at a Dollar Store- and I love it! I use it all the time. It might be the right size for you, but if not I'm sure there are lots of others just like it!

 

[Maythorn]

I went to Dollar Tree and didn't find anything but there's a better DT a few miles away I could try. Do you have to line the silicone bread loaf pan, Yooper?

 

[Hausfrau007]

The advantage of silicone is that it's completely non-stick. No lining or oiling required.

I personally don't like bake ware for soap molds, because the corners of your soap aren't at 90 degree angles, but that's just a personal preference. I prefer straight, square corners on my soap, a pure 2.5 x 3.5 x 1 inch bar. I'm more of a traditionalist that way. :wink:

 

[Lilahblossom]

Hey those are good ideas. All of em. No reason to limit ourselves now.

 

[Cosmo]

The Dollar Tree if your looking for cheap:

http://www.dollartree.com/catalog/searc ... er&x=0&y=0

I like the 2 medium size organizers when your in a pinch.

I just bought a mold I dearly love that has a silicone liner from someone on Etsy who happened to be a member here which is amazing!

Are you handy with wood- you can make your own wood molds which are always great and inexpensive to make depending on what wood you use.

Thank you Stinkydancer! I hope the mold is making beautiful soaps for you!

 

[chicklet]

I have a couple of different cardboard boxes I use, but my favorite is still the drawer from the cabinet my TV sits on. Actually, there are 3 drawers the same size so I can (potentially) make 3 batches a day. The drawers are the right height but they're twice as wide as they need to be - I slice the loaf then cut the bars in half.

 

[Hazel]

Maythorn -

Don't forget to check out Goodwill or Salvation Army stores. A friend found silicone loaf pans at a Goodwill and gave them to me. One is huge but I cut the soap in rectangles and then cut them in half again. The other one was a mini-loaf bread pan. It makes slightly larger bars but they're a good size for people with larger hands.

 

[Yooper]

I went to Dollar Tree and didn't find anything but there's a better DT a few miles away I could try. Do you have to line the silicone bread loaf pan, Yooper?

As Esther said, you don't! That's why I love mine. All soaps pop right out. I've never been great with lining the molds and not having creases, so I don't mind the "not exactly perpendicular" sides because I can trim them if I want.

 

[Maythorn]

This is going to be fun weekend Christmas shopping for a New Year of loaf soaps. Love the ones I've seen that look like a mini slice of bread.

The mold in Cosmo's reply looks very professional. I prefer square corners, too but somehow or another the ends of my soaps don't come out smooth and have to be trimmed off anyway. The drawer thing sounds very handy. I've never made more than one batch a day but that's going to change with getting a 2nd stick blender at Kmart. They have a 2-speed online is really reasonable, no shipping charge when you pick it up.

I don't mind lining with freezer paper because it ultimately does the job but awfully nice not to have to. Thanks!

 

[Kansas Farm Girl]

I use shoe boxes or boot boxes lined with freezer paper. One of the good things about those is that you can put the lids on to help insulate if you gel. You can pour as deep as you want. To decide which boxes I want to use I figure out how I am gong to cut them before I pour. I also have a wooden loaf mold I made out of scraps. Nailed the long sides to a bottom board and used hooks to hold the end pcs on so that I can open it up easily for lining and removing the soap. No point in paying for something when there are so many free options.

 

[Stinkydancer]

This is going to be fun weekend Christmas shopping for a New Year of loaf soaps. Love the ones I've seen that look like a mini slice of bread.

The mold in Cosmo's reply looks very professional. I prefer square corners, too but somehow or another the ends of my soaps don't come out smooth and have to be trimmed off anyway. The drawer thing sounds very handy. I've never made more than one batch a day but that's going to change with getting a 2nd stick blender at Kmart. They have a 2-speed online is really reasonable, no shipping charge when you pick it up.

I don't mind lining with freezer paper because it ultimately does the job but awfully nice not to have to. Thanks!

Cosmo's mold is very professional- IMO. The sides of the soap are perfectly square- no fighting with the silicone even when new. There is a lot of attention to detail when this was made which I haven't seen before in a mold and I have tons of molds. Trust me. LOL
The bar size is one that I enjoy- I soaped 30oz of oils with a 33% lye concentration and my bar weight before cure was where I wanted it. I could go 32 ounces or more if I pile the soap on top since there is a gap between the cover and mold in case you have high peaks. I also had no ash from a fragrance that always ashes on me. I was going to do a review on it but couldn't find a review section. So here it is. If you want a good smaller mold- that is one I would go with.

I too love the ones that look like bread especially with bakery scents- I'm a sucker for that for some reason.

 

[Maythorn]

Stinkydancer it sounds and looks like the perfect mold. I was at Walmart today and saw Velveeta on sale and I thought cool, I'll just line it and put it in its lid for support, which you could do. Oh, but then I saw that on sale was $5.88 (when did it stop being dirt cheap even not on sale? ) and everyone in my family likes real cheese and thought of putting the dollars towards something a little more substantial. I don't know how many times you could use the box. The size though was good and definitely could be cut into 6 or so soaps (I didn't have a ruler handy).

I'm kind of holding off making soap until I make some decision. Time to think about a little consistency which I haven't had for trying this that and the other thing to use. Then also the question remains to crinkle (cut) all or some?

 

[Stinkydancer]

Stinkydancer it sounds and looks like the perfect mold. I was at Walmart today and saw Velveeta on sale and I thought cool, I'll just line it and put it in its lid for support, which you could do. Oh, but then I saw that on sale was $5.88 (when did it stop being dirt cheap even not on sale? ) and everyone in my family likes real cheese and thought of putting the dollars towards something a little more substantial. I don't know how many times you could use the box. The size though was good and definitely could be cut into 6 or so soaps (I didn't have a ruler handy).

I'm kind of holding off making soap until I make some decision. Time to think about a little consistency which I haven't had for trying this that and the other thing to use. Then also the question remains to crinkle (cut) all or some?

Go onto Ebay and search Velveeta cheese box- they are plastic and you can get them pretty cheap. It will give you the shape of the box and you can use it more than once without eating Velveeta.
Here is one but there are more:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Velveet ... 1e753dee8a

I have one and they work well.

As far as the cut- I sell a bunch of loaves and give my customers an option of wavy or straight- everyone picks straight. I say cut what you like if you aren't selling to customers who are particular about it.

I was shocked when I saw Velveeta in the store- I was wondering when it got so expensive as well.
I hope this helps.

 

[Maythorn]

Oh thanks so much! I had no idea there was a plastic container. That rocks for the idea of something more durable you wouldn't have to throw away. And by the by, I thinka lot of kids like Velveeta just fine. Love it in fact.

Some people use Rubbermaid odds and ends trays and they have them at libraries here full of scratch paper and pencils but the new kind has a textured inner bottom. You might have to place a piece of cardboard inside the container it to make it smooth.

This is such a great board with the most helpful people.