jcandleattic
Well-Known Member
Nor mine.
Yay! No more parchment or freezer paper!
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I had HDPE molds and sold them off in a hurry. I have 1 slab left. I love my Nurture molds. I purchased 6 of her 7.5 lb basic molds 3 years ago and love them. Soap pops out with no problem. I also have 6 of the Brambleberry silicone molds when they had the really thin silicone liners (husband made boxes for them). I used large binder clips to hold them up in the mold until my soap was poured. Had a problem with tape not sticking to the silicone.
It sticks like crazy to mine. The HDPE liners in question are the ones that came with my wooden vertical mold from Brambleberry. None of the usual 'tricks' help.....sodium lactate in the batch does not help, nor does completely gelling, or waiting more hours before unmolding, or 'greasing' the liners with a light coating of mineral oil, etc.... None, nada, zip. I got so frustrated with mangled soap from those liners that I took to lining the liners with heat resistant quilters mylar.....which works like a charm.
Quilter's mylar is actually my liner of choice for all my wood molds..... I custom-cut out a complete set for each of them years ago and they are still holding up great after all these years. And for those times when I'm feeling in a bit fancier mood, I've also custom-cut a set of liners for each of my molds out of those decorative silicone fondant mats with the 'Graceful Vines' design on them (which are also holding up great). For what it's worth, all my wood molds are collapsible. I mention that because I would have a hard time unmolding with my homemade liners if the molds weren't collapsible, because the liners are such that they need to be peeled off the surface of the soap, which, by the way, they do quite easily and gracefully, leaving me with beautifully smooth, glossy edges.
IrishLass
Mine are not HDPE liners but solid HDPE that my husband made for me.
@shunt2011 Maybe you didn't give them enough time. They get better with use. But you're happy with your set up, it sounds wonderful and I'm not trying to convince you otherwise.
@IrishLass We've already discussed your molds and they sound wonderful.
@shunt2011 Maybe you didn't give them enough time. They get better with use. But you're happy with your set up, it sounds wonderful and I'm not trying to convince you otherwise.
@IrishLass We've already discussed your molds and they sound wonderful.
Lin19687
Well-Known Member
Do you do CP ? Hp doesn't need molding and MP not either. If you I think color or scent CP it does... I can't remember what the guy who makes them told me.
My molds are ever so slightly textured.
My molds are ever so slightly textured.
penelopejane
Well-Known Member
Sorry, I don’t understand this post. You said HP and M& P don’t need molding?
jcandleattic
Well-Known Member
I think she meant lining.
Lin19687
Well-Known Member
I did, lining is the word I meant.
I have two of those as well! Good to know they have longevity. I hadn't thought about marking them for the box they came with, so far no issues so hopefully they stay that way.
I tried min for a year. Stuck like crazy. The one I kept I do sal bars in and they are hard enough to get out.
Sounds long enough for sure. Then it must be the difference in the soap recipe or the HDPE material.
If you are asking me, I do CP with colour and scent. My molds are perfectly smooth on the inside (where the soap is) and slightly textured on the outside where the soap never touches.
jcandleattic
Well-Known Member
Must be the type of HDPE then, I'm thinking. I have an old Kelsei slab mold with thick dividers, and a few black HDPE log molds. None of them stick for me, at least not after the first 3-4 uses that is. After that my soap just slides right out of them when I'm ready to unmold. I usually wait 18-24 hours to unmold.
The Kelsei slab is the only one I kept.
jcandleattic
Well-Known Member
I rarely use mine. In fact I think the last time I used mine was about 3 years ago I think. I just don't make slab loaf soaps much anymore because they are not the right size or shape for my soaps.
My only HDPE mold leaks if it is not lined. Not all HDPE molds are created equal, apparently. As not all silicone molds are created equal and not all wooden molds are created equal, etc. We do what we need to do, I am sure.
Would you say that the HDPE in this mold is different than the others and works better or why did you keep this one?
chela1261
Well-Known Member
Your post cracked me up and I have never even attempted to line a mold with freezer paper. I know I wouldn't be able to do it and I'd just get frustrated so I have silicone molds and for my two wooden molds I have liners. Thanks for making my day with your hilarious post!
Soap sticks to all my hdpe molds. The only one's it does not stick to is my little 1lb molds that are smooth hdpe, but I still line them. I do not like silicone molds except the few I have that are single cavity molds and I love my hdpe molds. Thank goodness I do not mind lining them.
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The liners are silicone; does silicone contain hdpe?
I've used mine for 3+ years and except for the converging corners, no sticking problems (as long as I'm patient and wait until soap is ready).
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