What is the most you would pay for a soap mold?

[KD]

most you would pay for a mold

Well, I have been cheap for long enough! Since I am selling more and more of my soap all the time, I decided to bite the bullet and shell out for a "cadillac" mold from Soaphutch. I am paying $250 for it, and it pretty much serves every mold need I have or might have in any future soaping adventures. It is my opinion that the hobby soapers and business soapers probably have pretty different needs/wants for a mold. I made a sales goal for myself this fall, and decided that I would order the mold of my dreams if I met it. I met it on my third sale of the season. If I wasn't selling soap, I believe that $30 would probably have gotten me adequate molds for a hobby.

 

[pixybratt]

I would much rather buy the wood and put something together myself

 

[TessC]

For a quality mold that is well-crafted and has the features I want (like not needing lined, I won't line molds anymore) I'm quite willing to cough up some money. This is an older topic but kinda neat to see it revived, wonder if anyone who answered last year has a different answer or perspective now.

 

[SudsyKat]

I've had a philosophy that has served me well in most purchases - buy the best that I can afford and it will last and meet my needs for a long time. So, I would buy one of those really nice, variable SoapHutch HDPE molds. I'm thinking about getting one for Christmas, but it is a bit painful shelling out the $250 or so that it costs. And of course, you can't spend what you don't have, so I say get the best that YOU can afford if you plan to be soaping for some time.

Anyhow, that's my 2 cents (or 25,000 cents, to be exact)!

 

[Bean13]

I'm cheap to, and proud of it. My log molds are made from left over bamboo flooring and my embed molds are from Value Village, I think .50 cents a tray. I seen the heart shapped Wilton's cupcake silicone molds at Michaels and want them so bad, but will never ever ever pay $19.00 Canadian. Because the oils can get very expensive I will go the cheapest I can on the molds....unless someone know of where I can get some nice butters, oils, FO's or EO's for cheap. Maybe someone knows of an oil underground.....pssstt, hey mister. Wanna buy some oil? Real Cheap.

 

[MissMori]

I'm in the process of making my own silicon lined wood molds like Upland's. My brother is a machinist and is making the mold to pour silicon into. It's expensive to have the machined parts made (but free for me!) but not so expensive to purchase the silicon and wood. Luckily I took wood working classes a few years ago, so I will be able to make the molds myself once I have the machined parts. Total, I'm looking at under $50 for each of my 24 bar molds.

 

[nattynoo]

I'd pay thru the nose for a quality no lining mould.
Like a woodfields or the likes.
But how do u chooooossssseee.
Square slab long high 30 bars ..... so many decision to make.

 

[ToniD]

I soap just for the family and some gifts, so I can't justify expensive no-liner-needed log molds. My husband made me 3 logs and a slab, which are very nice, from scrap wood. He even had most of the screws on hand. Grand total for what we had to purchase was 39 cents. I have to line them with freezer paper each time, of course.

I do like the oval individuals, 4 to a tray, from WSP and paid $13 each for them, I think.

 

[cwarren]

I think soapers are creative people, so they can figure a way to make a mold..

I would like a square upright mold .. but not gona pay 280.00 for it.. I will figure a way to make it somehow

 

[jennikate]

I fall in super cheap catagory most i've spent is 3 for a milky way mold haven't used it other wise can you say pringles can or tuperware.

 

[dagmar88]

I need a lot of molds that. I'm willing to spend quite a bit of money on molds that don't need liners and that will last for a long time during heavy use...
In the end that's cheaper then having to replace your molds often.

 

[loveit_latherit]

I refuse to buy them - they are tempting ... I make 'em. Under $10

 

[Mayren]

I'd pay about $50 after shipping and handling for good soap molds.
Anything else and I can make them myself out of silicone to my
specifications.

 

[judymoody]

Anna, me too. I made myself two hinged loaf molds with lids with movable ends so they can accommodate anything from a 1 to 3.5 lbs batch. I use corrugated plastic sheeting which I scored on one side to line the molds. The soap rarely sticks and if a little does, you can rinse and reuse. Materials for each ran maybe 10 bucks. I've also used the ever popular Pringles can.

I'd rather spend my limited funds on raw materials. But I have to admit that those uplands silicone lined molds are awfully tempting.

 

[SudsyKat]

Judymoody - I've been thinking about making a log mold. I'm wondering if you could share how you designed the "movable ends" - or if anyone out there wants to share how they designed a "dam" type insert for log molds. I'm sure a block of wood would be okay, but I'm trying to imagine how to do it so that it fits tightly enough to avoid leeks.

 

[judymoody]

It is a dam type end. Basically I made a hinged box using 1x6 boards for top and lid and 1x4s for the sides. Hinges on the bottom. Eye bolts holding the long sides together. I had smaller pieces of wood cut - about 3.5 inches wide and when I tighten the bolts, they are super snug. I also cover them with plastic wrap or use a piece of corrugated plastic sheeting to cover the end and more sheeting on the sides. A picture is worth a thousand words, so I will take one soon and upload to this post so you can see what I'm talking about. So far no leaks, although a small drip or splash or two has happened. Stay tuned!

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/2432/soapboxs.jpg

Edited twice because I forgot the link the first time.

 

[maryannm]

I started out with a cardboard box, moved to a home made log mold, but my husband always did the lining - he's a perfectionist about stuff like that. Now I have two of the WSP log molds, and one 12 bar tray mold, same type. I love not having to line anything, and I am particular about how the end product looks, so these are perfect for my needs - family, friends, coworkers and whoever else looks like they might like a bar of soap.
Mary Ann

 

[MrsFusion]

My hubby has made all my molds of out wood scraps in his garage. He also made me a drying rack. Gotta love a handy hubby! I'm small time, nothing huge. I make small batches, just for family and friends.

Except yesterday I did order some silicone cavity molds from wsp, they were almost 50%. Under $8.

I've also used the pringles can & pvc pipes.

 

[kaelily]

Right now I'm being a big cheap-o. There are a couple of molds I'm looking at but don't want to spend the money yet, so I bought a piece of wood at Menard's for .59! DH made a mold for me and I'll get to try it out next week (supplies came today ).

 

[dcornett]

Have to say I'm a cheap-o too! I just make my own.