Does anybody know where I can find a decent 2-3 pound slab mold, preferably with a silicone liner? I've found a couple on Etsy that seem very well made and have great reviews, but they don't come with liners. I'm not really comfortable with having to take the mold apart to get the soap out, I'm scared I'll end up ripping it and ruining it. Is it worth the money to get the mold on etsy with dividers? Do any of you use the molds without lining them?
Looking for a slab mold
- Thread starter LunaLe
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Nurture and Bramble Berry both have a 6x6 silicone slab mold which works pretty well. Nurture also has this slab mold which has a silicone liner, which you wouldn't have to fill completely and would work for a 2-3 pound batch. There are more than one slab mold on etsy, so you'd have to show us which one you are looking at for an opinion.
I was looking at these:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/509418...th-bottom-liner?ref=shop_home_active_16&crt=1
https://www.etsy.com/listing/804824053/tallskinny-slab-soap-mold-3lbs?ref=shop_home_active_2
I was also considering this, but asking if they could make it smaller to hold 3 pounds since they do customs: Clear slab soap mold with bottom liner solution 5-7LBS
I'm just very worried about unmolding and ripping the soap.
Thank you for posting that link! I've never been to that website before. I like that price much better than the Etsy molds, but I don't mind splurging a little for a good mold.
I don't have any of those molds, but I do know that Custom Craft Tools makes good products, so I wouldn't hesitate to order from them. I do have several Nurture molds and love them. To pieces. Highly recommend.
There are several YouTube videos reviewing the molds from Custom Craft Tools if you want to see how they work. For the most part, people seem to love them but recommend using sodium lactate for easier removal. I think being able to see the soap in an acrylic mold would be cool.
There are several YouTube videos reviewing the molds from Custom Craft Tools if you want to see how they work. For the most part, people seem to love them but recommend using sodium lactate for easier removal. I think being able to see the soap in an acrylic mold would be cool.
Thank you! I'm glad to hear they have a good reputation and I will definitely check out the youtube videos. I think I'm going to go ahead and splurge while I can. I think the clear molds are so cool. I'm so inpatient, so I'm thinking that if can see the soap the wait won't be so bad lol.
atiz
Well-Known Member
I have the little 6x6 silicone one from Nurture, and never had a problem getting the soap out. It's really convenient. (But is probably smaller than you're looking for; more like 1lb.)
I would also recommend using Sodium Lactate to help with unfolding. Soap does like to stick to acrylic as well as hdpe. I usually apply a thin coat of silicone on my 1lb acrylic test molds. Although with my hard recipes if fully gelled they will un-mold with firm coaxing and sometimes freezing if I do not use silicone for a release agent.
I’ve never used acrylic myself. I think there is a bit of a learning curve, just so you are aware of that.
I've been looking at this slab mold, with dividers for 2.5" x 3.5" bars. I guess it's bigger than what you're looking for, but it makes what I think is the ideal bar size. Plus, there's plenty of room depth-wise to adjust the bar thickness, and maybe even get two 1.2" thick bars if you wanted to make 18!
https://www.workshopheritage.com/co...tall-9-bar-slab-soap-mold-with-silicone-liner
https://www.workshopheritage.com/co...tall-9-bar-slab-soap-mold-with-silicone-liner
I don't use a liner in my HDPE slab mold. It is large though. I do have one for sale in the member's classifieds. I use one identical to that but don't need two. New Price on HDPE mold
Claudette Carignan
Well-Known Member
II’ve been trying to find one as well and like you I’m not comfortable at this point with having to take a mold appart to get the soap out.
I needed a small slab mold for a soapmaking challenge two years ago, but didn't want to pay the high prices for what was out there, so I shopped around and found this wooden box at Target that I line with freezer paper to create a perfectly suitable slab mold for small batches. I don't think it's as big as you are looking for, but it gives you an idea of alternatives to the pricier molds out there if you aren't sure you're going to really like making soap in a slab mold. Some soapers use slab molds frequently. Others only rarely - I'm in the rarer category.
Here is a Crafter's Choice 10" square slab mold that I think makes about a 3-pound recipe. I show it because smaller slab molds are less available than the larger ones for 5 or more pounds of soap. Although there is also this one on Etsy, but to me it doesn't look as if it is as sturdy as the Crafter's Choice molds. But of course, since I don't have them side-by-side to compare, I don't really know. But the CC mold is actually a better price.
I own the Crafter's Choice one-pound silicone mold and can verify that it is really well constructed to holds its shape and not bow out from the weight of the soap. I am not sure how well constructed the 10" square one it, but I suspect it also has pretty rigid sides.
I have a long wooden mold with a very thin, rather flimsy silicone liner that sags when there is no soap in it, so it's a sort of a pain keeping the liner out of the way while pouring the soap. (I tape it to the wooden box with painters tape to keep it out of the way.) But I only use that mold when I am making a very large batch of soap. I think its like 5 or 6 pounds of soap (I don't remember as I haven't used it in a while.) I mention this because it is something to keep in mind if you look at wooden molds with those very thin silicone liners. The thin liners are easier to remove from the soap (easier than the thicker liners), once it is removed from the wooden box, but it can be a pain when pouring the raw soap into the mold as I mentioned.
I don't like taking a mold apart to get the soap out either, but I do have one I bought last year from another soaper. It's the 18-bar birch wood mold from Bramble Berry with inserts. It's rather a pain taking apart and putting back together, but it serves a purpose and is useful for some soap designs. And I do like the fact that it has it's own lid and since I bought it very gently used, I felt I got a decent bargain and did not have to pay shipping. Still I'm glad I didn't buy it right off the bat because slab mold soaps aren't something I make very often.
Here is a Crafter's Choice 10" square slab mold that I think makes about a 3-pound recipe. I show it because smaller slab molds are less available than the larger ones for 5 or more pounds of soap. Although there is also this one on Etsy, but to me it doesn't look as if it is as sturdy as the Crafter's Choice molds. But of course, since I don't have them side-by-side to compare, I don't really know. But the CC mold is actually a better price.
I own the Crafter's Choice one-pound silicone mold and can verify that it is really well constructed to holds its shape and not bow out from the weight of the soap. I am not sure how well constructed the 10" square one it, but I suspect it also has pretty rigid sides.
I have a long wooden mold with a very thin, rather flimsy silicone liner that sags when there is no soap in it, so it's a sort of a pain keeping the liner out of the way while pouring the soap. (I tape it to the wooden box with painters tape to keep it out of the way.) But I only use that mold when I am making a very large batch of soap. I think its like 5 or 6 pounds of soap (I don't remember as I haven't used it in a while.) I mention this because it is something to keep in mind if you look at wooden molds with those very thin silicone liners. The thin liners are easier to remove from the soap (easier than the thicker liners), once it is removed from the wooden box, but it can be a pain when pouring the raw soap into the mold as I mentioned.
I don't like taking a mold apart to get the soap out either, but I do have one I bought last year from another soaper. It's the 18-bar birch wood mold from Bramble Berry with inserts. It's rather a pain taking apart and putting back together, but it serves a purpose and is useful for some soap designs. And I do like the fact that it has it's own lid and since I bought it very gently used, I felt I got a decent bargain and did not have to pay shipping. Still I'm glad I didn't buy it right off the bat because slab mold soaps aren't something I make very often.
LilianNoir
Well-Known Member
I had this idea myself when I first starting looking at slab molds. Have you used your Target box to do CPOP? I'm wondering how well it would hold up to that heat although 150F isn't that hot
This confuses me. Why would one have to take the mold apart? If you're using paper to line, couldn't you just lift it out? same with a silicone mold? Or am I underestimating the weight?
