@Vicki C - Uh Yeaaaaaa , that looks like a pricey proposition and out of my price range, too.Well that definitely got a bar that was rounded all the way around, but I bet that equipment was a weeeee bit more than I can afford.
@Ford, I think a column mold could be made which would require the two sides to clip together. But, you would only be able to make ONE bar of soap at a time. It would be nice to have a multi cavity mold.
if only I were an engineer ....
Oh, absolutely - I am just showing how I think rounded commercial bars are made and why it’s not simple for crafters like us.@Vicki C - Uh Yeaaaaaa , that looks like a pricey proposition and out of my price range, too.
It seems to me like it has to be possible to make a mold with a really thick bottom (or supports like that Etsy mold seemed to have ) so that the bottom keeps its rounded/ oval shape, and then a top that is closed enough to fill the oval shape on top so that the soap batter doesn't collapse like it did with my mold BUT where the silicone on the top is still thin enough and flexible enough that you can pry the mold open to get the soap out.
I would do a google search for 3D Ice molds. I found quite a few. You never know who is in the market for a Grenade shaped soap! LOL Really cute molds though on Amazon!
These stone soaps are on their “good” sides, the mold entry point is on the bottom. There must be a real name for the place where you fill a mold.
Edited to add the hole you use to fill a mold does have a word, at least in metal and plastic casting - it is called a “sprue”
Who'd a thunk that hole in the top would even have a name!!! Great rock molds and soaps !!! Darm near perfect!
Well, thanks! This morning I was driving to my local discount store to hit the early bird senior discount hours to see if I could score cheap coconut oil (Idid not, but I managed to find other things I “needed”Dang, @Vicki C you have really been working on this ! Your rock molds are EXACTLY what I had envisioned. Here, I thought I had a true brainstorm
) and I had a brainstorm. What if… I created a little funnel on my 3D printer and used that instead of the pedestal when making my mold. Then I could create a little silicone plug by filling it before I put the rock in, and after pouring batter into the mold I could replace the little plug. The batter would have to be very full and a little batter would sort of squish out when I put the plug in to the sprue, but that sort of happens anyway. I will try it and report back.
Great idea! But do you need a plug at all? Instead, could you simply cover the sprue with plastic wrap?Well, thanks! This morning I was driving to my local discount store to hit the early bird senior discount hours to see if I could score cheap coconut oil (Idid not, but I managed to find other things I “needed”
I don’t know how to make a cast of a stone and then 3d print it, but someone probably does. The cool thing about the silicone molds is the level of detail that the silicone picks up - the surface really looks like a stone.Great idea! But do you need a plug at all? Instead, could you simply cover the sprue with plastic wrap?
Also, what about making a two-piece mold that snaps together along the seams? The two pieces don't have to be equal in size; the bottom one could be the majority of the mold, with the top one being more of a lid with an edge around it, and a sprue on top. I can see it in my mind but am having trouble explaining it.
We gave one of our grandsons a 3D printer for Christmas, and he's having a blast with it. If you come up with some soap mold casting designs, I know that he and others would be interested in purchasing the design files. That might be a nice "product" to add to your soapy business.
