When to label for minimum shrinkage?

[earlene]

Perhaps this will help, Carl:

https://www.mariegale.com/calculating-net-weight-soap-part-1/
https://www.mariegale.com/calculating-net-weight-soap-part-2/

 

[Carl]

Perhaps this will help, Carl:

https://www.mariegale.com/calculating-net-weight-soap-part-1/
https://www.mariegale.com/calculating-net-weight-soap-part-2/

Nice read!

I'm not sure if her example numbers are actual/real or if they are something she made up for the creation of a blog post. But if true numbers, her biggest weight loss (as a percentage of starting weight for that time period) was between 60 and 90 days. But then again, since the weight is decreasing which skews the percentages a bit.

 

[earlene]

That is pretty much how it works in my experience. The greatest weight loss in the beginning and the decreasing weight loss as time goes by.

However, if you want to know the lowest possible weight of your soap, in case you may hold onto it for an extended period of time, then the lowest possible weight method in Part Two would be the better option. You wouldn't have to weight it periodically unless you want to follow the weight loss patterns and your net weight is most likely going to be the least it would weigh if the soap lost all the water weight.

 

[DeeAnna]

The biggest weight loss is in the first 30-40 days. My tests show this, and Marie's data shows this trend as well.

You're misinterpreting Marie's table -- the percentages in her table are cumulative amounts since Day 0. The weight loss is 8% in the first time period. The soap loses another 2% (for 10% total) in the second time period, another 2.5% in the third for a total of 12.5%, and so on.

 

[dixiedragon]

LOL funny here! I guess my wacky self likes to see things finished. I can't consider it finished in my brain until it's labeled. But yes, I guess optimal would be to label them when you need them.

I don't think it would be optimal to label them when you need them. You never know when somebody will need some soap, and you aren't always able to take time to wrap and label. It would be nice to have a bunch of wrapped soaps ready to go!

You could also get some boxes like this.
http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/store-search.aspx?FBK=soap+box

For me personally that's too much $ in packaging, but it looks nice, and is easy.

 

[Carl]

The biggest weight loss is in the first 30-40 days. My tests show this, and Marie's data shows this trend as well.

You're misinterpreting Marie's table -- the percentages in her table are cumulative amounts since Day 0. The weight loss is 8% in the first time period. The soap loses another 2% (for 10% total) in the second time period, another 2.5% in the third for a total of 12.5%, and so on.

Thanks, I didn't realize it was a cumulative number!

That would have been a pretty large weight loss if it was.

 

[DeeAnna]

Yes, it would be an unusually large loss if the numbers are per month. As cumulative percentages, the numbers are reasonable.

You can see a similar pattern here -- https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/cure-time.35831/