What do you use to line your mould?

[brewsie]

I have been using parchment paper to line my wood mould. I've seen people use butcher's paper, and I've also seen something that looks like silicone lining (what is that?). What do you use ?

 

[LadyM]

Freezer paper, freezer paper, freezer paper!!

 

[brewsie]

oh yeah! and freezer paper!

okay, so, depending on what you use (freezer paper in LadyM's case), why do use it? strength? durability? holds up in oven? doesnt wrinkle as much?

 

[LadyM]

I use freezer paper because wax paper used to peel and shed a bit due to the thinness. Freezer paper is hardy, gives a smooth surface to the soap and is EXCELLENT for popping soap right out of my molds. I've never had any problem with it in the oven.

 

[brewsie]

I use freezer paper because wax paper used to peel and shed a bit due to the thinness. Freezer paper is hardy, gives a smooth surface to the soap and is EXCELLENT for popping soap right out of my molds. I've never had any problem with it in the oven.

"strength? durability? holds up in oven? doesnt wrinkle as much?"

all of the above! nice! i'll have to get some freezer paper now.

the parchment paper i've been using (my mom has it on hand) is alright. at times it is quite wrinkly and its a pain to cut since it's so thin. also if my soap sweats or is a particularly 'wet' batch it will get weak and tear. it has served me well until now but i'm looking for something the pro's use i like the sound of freezer paper! any idea if that's the same as butcher's paper?

 

[IrishLass]

Of all the paper-type liners, freezer paper is far superior over all the others because it's sturdy, and one side of the paper is coated with smooth, shiny plastic which is leak-proof and easily peels off the soap like buttah. The shiny side is the side you want facing your soap in the mold.

I myself use heat-resistant mylar to line my wood molds, cut to fit in 5 separate pieces (one for the bottom and 4 for the each of the sides). I used to line with freezer paper, but it became a rather constant chore for me to have to cut out new liners for as often as I soaped/soap. So I switched over to using mylar, which need only be cut-to-fit once and lasts forever (well, at least 3 years so far and going :wink: ) By the way, I should mention that my molds are the collapsable kind, which make unmolding a breeze. I haven't tested these on non-collapsable molds.

Also- another great liner that I just recently started using for certain soaps that I want to give a more decorative flair to is silicone in the form of a fondant impression mat. I use this one: http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Fondant-Im ... d_sim_k_39.

I cut it to fit 2 of my collapsable log molds and I just smear a light coating of vaseline on the back to make them stick to the sides of my mold. Absolutely no coating of any kind is needed to coat the side that will be touching your soap, btw, for it peels off soap quite easily all on its own with just a gentle tug of your hand. Again- these are also being used on collapsable molds.

IrishLass

 

[erniemay]

As a newbie I line my hard plastic mould with plain ole black plastic bin liner secured with masking tape - cheap from the corner shop. I spread vasaline on the inside of the mould which helps the liner to adhere and also helps the liner plus solid soap to slip out easily after the mix has hardened. It's then easy to peel the liner off and cut the soap. It does leave lines on the soap, however, as it is impossible to get the liner to lie completely flat in the mould. This doesn't bother me as I'm making for fun and friends but may bother others.

I want to get a nice silicone log mould at some point so i end up with neater soap but for now this method suits me fine.

 

[dirrdee]

Irishlass,

I am interested in using the mylar to line my molds, where did you get a sheet of it? I wondered also if they sell silicone mats that you could just cut and shape to fit?

 

[IrishLass]

Irishlass,

I am interested in using the mylar to line my molds, where did you get a sheet of it? I wondered also if they sell silicone mats that you could just cut and shape to fit?

I bought my heat-resistant mylar from Joanne's Fabric Store down the quiliting aisle.

As for plain silicone mats- Amazon sells plenty that you could just cut-to-fit your molds: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_ ... rden%2C385

Silicone is a great liner, and heat resistant to boot.

IrishLass

 

[wildflower]

Very interesting topic.

Irishlass...could you show pictures of how you cut/insert the mylar/silicone? How do you do it so that there are no spaces at the edges?

This makes me wonder too... is there something undesirable about no-liner molds? Like the plastic, or acrylic ones?

 

[HutCar92]

Freezer paper! I've also cut up those thin cutting boards, that works pretty well but needs to stay in the mold longer and I've used coroplastic which isn't bad either but sometimes a pain to get my soap out of and leaves a pattern on the sides. But I'd def.vote freezer paper,comes off the soap super easy, leaves smooth sides and holds up well

 

[brewsie]

I am also interested in seeing how you use the mylar. Irishlass you said the mylar is 'heat resistant', is that to a certain degree? Like, could you still do CPOP with it?

 

[IrishLass]

Very interesting topic.

Irishlass...could you show pictures of how you cut/insert the mylar/silicone? How do you do it so that there are no spaces at the edges?

This makes me wonder too... is there something undesirable about no-liner molds? Like the plastic, or acrylic ones?

Unfortunately, I have no pictures to show of how I cut my mylar, but I'll try to explain.

1) First- I measured the inside dimensions of each side of my mold, being as exact and precise as possible.

2) Then, using a sharpened #2 pencil and ruler, I measured and drew out directly on the mylar where I needed to cut. The pencil marks will be light, but they show up enough to get the job done, and it erases off easily, too.

3) Then I took my Fiskar's cutter that I use for scrapbooking, and I cut just a little bit outside the drawn lines (it's best to slightly undercut at the first swipe or else you'll cut too much and have your piece of mylar be too small and useless).

4) Now comes the exacting, nerve-wracking part. Then I placed the cut pieces into my mold and made minor adjustments here and there with scizzors until they fit perfectly. When I made my minor adjustments with the scizzors, I made sure to cut in such a way that the corners of the individual liner pieces overlapped each other so that it made for a tight enough fit with good seal to prevent leakage.

The first time I tried making the Mylar liners, I screwed up by cutting too much off at first, and I had to go out any buy more Mylar and try again. I had learned my lesson, though, and the second try was successful. As nerve-wracking as step #4 can be, once you're able to get it right, you'll never need to do it again.

When I cut my silicone impression mat, I measured, but had a hard time drawing my measurements directly onto the silicone with a pencil, so I used a sharpie marker. The marker kinda worked, but it was very light (don't worry- it washed off fine ). And for whatever reason, my Fiskar's cutter had a hard time cutting it, so I ended up using just my scizzors to cut instead. For whatever reason, it was actually much easier for me to cut and adjust the impression mat than it was to cut and adjust the mylar.

This makes me wonder too... is there something undesirable about no-liner molds? Like the plastic, or acrylic ones?

Actually, I'd never had experience using acrylic liners until just the other day when I used my new acrylic lined vertical mold from Brambleberry for the first time (it came with the liners). The acrylic liners worked very well- the edges of my soap are just as sharp and crisp as my soaps made with Mylar, but I did have to freeze my soap in the acrylic liners for about 40 minutes before they would finally release my soap.

Irishlass you said the mylar is 'heat resistant', is that to a certain degree? Like, could you still do CPOP with it?

Yes- it's heat resistant to a certain degree and can warp if the temp is too high. From all I've read, the temp limit depends on the type and thickness of the Mylar used. I remember hearing of someone who poured her hot HP batter (which was quite hot at 240 degreesF) into her mold with heat-resistant quilter's Mylar liners (from Joanne's- the same kind that I use), and the liners warped.

I use my Mylar liners for CPOP all the time without any issues, but the absolute hottest I've ever set my oven temp to for CPOP is 170F. Usually, though, all it takes to get my soap to gel in the oven is to turn it off when the oven temp reaches 120F (I soap warm at 120F to 125F).


HTH!
IrishLass

 

[Soapy Gurl]

Thanks IrishLass, you have told me about this before. I am waiting for my Paul liners to die. I just went to JoAnn's and bought Wilson molds, I need to check out the Mylars. I have seen the textured silicone mats, they are really cool.

 

[Maythorn]

I use freezer paper. I hate working with the curly stuff but it does the job.

 

[brewsie]

When I made my minor adjustments with the scizzors, I made sure to cut in such a way that the corners of the individual liner pieces overlapped each other so that it made for a tight enough fit with good seal to prevent leakage.

I am having a seriously hard time envisioning these overlapping corners! lol. would you be able to post a pic of your liners in place? it sounds like a really ideal solution!

 

[Kadryann]

Well I am farely new at this but I used freezer paper. It worked great.
I also tryed regular baking waxy paper and it sort of half melted... it was very strange. Maybe the quality was bad, I don't know, maybe I didn't know and I shouldn't use that kind of paper, so I ended up throwing that batch away.

I also found in my cubbards old silicon cupcake molds and bread molds, the kind that you just wash and re-use, and it worked great, because it is heat resistant. I had stopped using those molds to bake because my cupcakes never lifted in these (but I am a terrible baker so that might just be the problem). The only thing I didn't like about the silicon mold was that it's not a hard mold, it sort of whiggles easily, so I had to set it on a flat pan somewhere to make sure nothing spilled out of it.

 

[AmyW]

I actually found freezer paper today... couldn't find it in the "city" (Edmonton) but I went to our local store (tiny town) and there was a big roll. I was SO excited to see it! So now I'll make soap happily tomorrow knowing I don't have to fight with plastic wrap and wax paper

(I'm easily amused)

 

[mommyray]

Silicone

There is a cake decorating site called sugarcraft.com that has the compounds to make silicone in whatever shape you want. It might be expensive....haven't priced it out in a long time.

 

[Dragonkaz]

I use mostly silicon moulds that don't need lining.

I have one wooden mould that I line with a silicon sheet that's used for baking biscuits on. At the ends I put pieces of laminated plastic.