Using PVC as a soap mold

[Noreen Moore]

Good idea Right now I’m looking at everything as a possible mold and imagining the possibilities for shapes. I saw another soaper mention the same thing and thought it was funny because I caught myself doing the same ;D I bet your soaps look so pretty!

Oh some are so cool! I do have 2 questionable batches! I watched YouTube videos on how to make your own silicone molds! Crazy stuff! Might have to try it!

 

[Rsapienza]

I use PVC here and there. I do not line mine. When it comes time to unmold, I take it outside to the concrete, and whack the hell out of it! Works like a charm.

 

[bookreader451]

I made soap in PVC last weekend and I noticed it heated up more than batches in my wood/silicone mold. Has anyone else found this? The FO I used is not one that usually heats up.

I lined it with freezer paper and stuck it in a cap. The cap was tight but once I got that off removing it was easy.

 

[Kcryss]

I still line my PVC pipe with freezer paper. I like to think the freezer paper protects the soap per se. A dab of Vaseline on the pipe holds the paper pretty good too. The caps seal them nicely on the bottom with saran wrap inside as well. I love my round Soaps!

How do you get the paper into the tube without it getting all wrinkled and messed up? I would love to try it, but I'm so messy it would probably not work very well. lol

I use PVC here and there. I do not line mine. When it comes time to unmold, I take it outside to the concrete, and whack the hell out of it! Works like a charm.

 

[DeeAnna]

I made soap in PVC last weekend and I noticed it heated up more than batches in my wood/silicone mold. Has anyone else found this? ...

Yeah, that will happen because the soap is insulated almost entirely with the thick plastic pipe - only the soap at the ends is in direct contact with air. When you put a cap on one end, that slowed heat loss even more.

A loaf mold is next in line for heat retention, then a slab mold, followed by individual bar molds.

 

[Frenchy-C]

I line mine with acetate sheets. ( old fashion projector clear sheets...for US old ones...) even pringle cans too. The acetate sheet form better then freezer paper and do not leave wrinkles. You can also wash them.
I just found this trick...

 

[Noreen Moore]

How do you get the paper into the tube without it getting all wrinkled and messed up? I would love to try it, but I'm so messy it would probably not work very well. lol

Well I usually just have a visible seam. Just a smear of Vaseline holds it in place. The top that extends out of the mold I just cut into strips, gently fold them over and masking tape to hold it down. I lined Pringles cans the same way.

 

[Garden Gives Me Joy]

I have used PVC for a few years.

... there are hazards ... As saponification is a chemical reaction, it may adversely interact with the material used in the PVC and leech into your final product. www.epa.gov ... excerpt: “polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic ... Acute (short-term) exposure has resulted in central nervous system effects (CNS), such as dizziness, drowsiness, and headaches in humans. Chronic (long-term) exposure to vinyl chloride through inhalation and oral exposure in humans has resulted in liver damage. Cancer is a major concern from exposure to vinyl chloride via inhalation, as vinyl chloride exposure has been shown to increase the risk of a rare form of liver cancer in humans. EPA has classified vinyl chloride as a Group A, human carcinogen.”

I use the 'plastic' report cover sheets from the stationery store (for covering folders) as a flexible, re-useable liner for the PVC tube. Unsure what they are made of. Happy for feedback if there are known risks associated with these too. They roll up inside the PVC tube easily and prevent the soap from making direct contact with the PVC. When removed from the PVC tubes, these sheets literally peel away from the sides of the soap. I find them very convenient because I can even remove them from the PVC when the soap has already assumed the PVC shape but is not yet ready to be cut. So I can actually re-use the mold even before the soap is ready.

Flat (not rounded) bottomed caps are ideal not only for sealing one end of the tube but also for preventing leaks from the banging that soapers do to release air pockets and then to stand vertically without support.

 

[Noreen Moore]

Sweet idea!

 

[Garden Gives Me Joy]

I use PVC here and there. I do not line mine. When it comes time to unmold, I take it outside to the concrete, and whack the hell out of it! Works like a charm.

Absolutely! I also found that leaving an air space (of roughly 1 inch) helps with this so that the soap has somewhere to slide to internally. Sometimes, it was useful banging from one side to the next to ensure it slide back and forth freely. After that point, it could even remain in the mold without un-molding problems later.

When I used to pour directly into PVC, I also used a very flexible spatula to smear my cheapest and thinnest oil (sunflower oil) on the inner surface of the tube. With that, the concrete banging was only necessary for unusually stubborn cases. The soap slid out easily when I pushed one end with my fingers.

 

[ShirleyHailstock]

After seeing a video of Kaleidoscope soap, I looked at the $9.99 Brambleberry mold. The shipping was $12.24 and I was appalled. So finding, the PVC option, I went to my local Home Depot and bought the cylinder. I made two 12 inch molds yesterday. I cut and sanded the raw edges. I also bought encaps ($.45 each) that seal the tubes to prevent spillage. Total for the two molds = $9.69 USD. After a while, I'll get up the courage to try the soap that way.

 

[Natalie Sunbear]

I just made soap in a
PVC piping I brought from the hard were store. I cut it in half and put caps on the end. Before I made the soap I lined it easy enough with baking paper. I also put a round of Bali g paper in th e cap end. The next day the soap came out easy. I peeled the paper off the soap and cut it by h

 

[Noreen Moore]

I just made soap in a
PVC piping I brought from the hard were store. I cut it in half and put caps on the end. Before I made the soap I lined it easy enough with baking paper. I also put a round of Bali g paper in th e cap end. The next day the soap came out easy. I peeled the paper off the soap and cut it by h

Nice!!! I did the same! The smallest PVC pipe was 2 feet long! So now I have 2 foot long molds! And 1 is full right now! And l have used both parchment and freezer paper as liners. I still put it in the freezer or outside in the snow for an hour or so. And after 20 min of room temp it slides out beautifully!
Wish I had this luck with my silicone molds. Happy soaping!!!!

 

[Kcryss]

This is a great thread! I've been watching with interest and found a couple of soapers on youtube doing the same thing.
Went to home depot last night and bought a piece of 2 foot long 3in pipe and had them cut it down.
One soaper uses flexible cutting mats to line ... so I grabbed a package of those at the dollar store.
Will be trying it out today.

 

[Natalie Sunbear]

This is a great thread! I've been watching with interest and found a couple of soapers on youtube doing the same thing.
Went to home depot last night and bought a piece of 2 foot long 3in pipe and had them cut it down.
One soaper uses flexible cutting mats to line ... so I grabbed a package of those at the dollar store.
Will be trying it out today.

Have fun and let us know how It turned out.

 

[Kcryss]

Have fun and let us know how It turned out.

One of the soapers used bubble wrap to make it look like honeycomb. I was making Oatmeal, Milk, and Honey soap, so thought I would give it a try. LOL, came out of the mold looking like a cob of corn. Not sure I like the way it looks on the soap after cutting. May not use the bubble wrap like this again. I've also decided that the pvc pipes are maybe best for CP or very fluid HP. Overall, not bad though.

 

[Nan Sherri]

Is there an optimal length for PVC as a soap mold?

 

[Kcryss]

I honestly don't know what would be optimal. I had mine cut to 8 inches, but I think 10 would have been better. I always make 900g batches and there isn't enough room ... so I should have gone a little longer.

 

[ShirleyHailstock]

For mine, I bought the 24 inch tube and cut it in half. So the mold is 12 inches. I would calculate the soap to be 11 inches, so it won't overfill.

 

[GGMA0317]

When I first started soaping in '04 all the soapers were using pvc piping. I'm surprised there are soapers who still use it. It's such a headache. I tried it once because I was new at soaping and experienced soapers suggested it. But it only took one attempt to make me hate it. There are better and and more versatile options.