Bar Mold Vs Loaf Tell me your Pros and Cons. Help me Decide on A Bar Mold

So I have been debating wether to purchase a bar mold like Bramble or stay with my loafs I was also thinking of cutom making my molds with my own design.

My favorite IS the OVAL mold. Just love it.
Never really like Loafs.
Love the Bar look but need to find out if the Edge are nice and clean.

I prefer my loaf molds. My husband made my molds and I line them with the BB silicone liners. I love the look of a nicely beveled bar of soap. I use a slab with dividers salt bars.

I think you will eventually have some of both. There are things you can do with a loaf mold that you can't with an individual mold, and vice versa. I would recommend the BB 10-inch log, the BB silicone cylinder and on of the BB individual silicone molds.

I like both, they both have their uses.

I love the BB silicone cylinder. I have two that I make my shave soap refills in.

I the past year or so I have collected both wood and silicone loaf molds in different sizes, as well as several individual silicone bar molds. I like them all. I think if you are wanting to do designs you definitely want loaf and/or slab molds. Individual bar molds, for me work best when I am not doing multi- colors or designs. It is really good to have both.

I am with everyone else, it is good to have some of both/all. I use bar molds for mp and (silicone ones b/c of the lye) for cp salt bars because they are harder to unmold in logs. For regular cp I use log molds, best for swirling and I just like the look/feel/discovery in cutting process, generally silicone ones b/c I hate to line. In an ideal world where I could make my own wooden molds without cutting off digits, I would have Shunt's molds, where I could buy some good silicone liners and then I (or a handy DH) could make wooden frames to fit them.

If you are looking for a good, inexpensive tall/skinny silicone loaf mold, I like the WSP one, very good value for the money.

ETA: I really like the Brambleberry individual rounds/squares/rectangle silicone molds for making bars, you can use them for mp or cp, they are good and sturdy (although you do have to put them on a baking dish/cutting board or something sturdy if you are going to move them b/c they are a bit floppy) and not too expensive.

I agree with everyone else. It's very good to have a variety of molds in your soapy repertoire for different reasons. I have a handy stash of different kinds of molds in my repertoire, all the way from wood slab and log molds to indy-type molds to column molds, to silicone molds, etc..

Having said that, though, if you want to kill 2 birds with one stone as the old saying goes, my favorite mold to use is my collapsible dual slab/log mold that was made by a former member here back in 2006. It provides me with the best of both worlds- I can either use it in slab mode or I can use it in log mode, depending of what kind of swirls I'm attempting. And I can make large 4 lb. batches with it, or small 1 lb. sample batches in it. It's truly an ingenious design, and it takes well to whatever liner (cut to fit) I feel like using at whatever moment. Alas, the member that made it for me is no longer in business and hasn't been heard from in years, but for what it's worth, a mold using the same kind of dual slab/log design is sold here (I have one of them as a spare and it is well-made):https://diannassundries.com/product/wood-soap-mold/. Or if you have a crafty woodworker in your circle of family/friends, maybe they could attempt to make such a one for you.



IrishLass

The link doesn't have a picture of the mold, Irish Lass. I can't quite wrap my mind around the convertible idea without a picture to clarify things, but it sounds intriguing.

I was looking at BB i was wondering i can do design in these and the place the dividers in? IS NOT PRACTICLE ?
I was also looking at the Measurements. Of probably creating my own and purchasing the Dividers and silicone.. I make impressions and such but I dont want to use so much Silicone It just is not cost effective.
I wanted a Lego bar. So Now i am using my Son Legos to create a decent size and mold it out

But if i can create a slab mold that i can also place divider in after I swirl that would be nice ?

SO the question is Can I do both in one ?

not_ally said:

I am with everyone else, it is good to have some of both/all. I use bar molds for mp and (silicone ones b/c of the lye) for cp salt bars because they are harder to unmold in logs. For regular cp I use log molds, best for swirling and I just like the look/feel/discovery in cutting process, generally silicone ones b/c I hate to line. In an ideal world where I could make my own wooden molds without cutting off digits, I would have Shunt's molds, where I could buy some good silicone liners and then I (or a handy DH) could make wooden frames to fit them.

If you are looking for a good, inexpensive tall/skinny silicone loaf mold, I like the WSP one, very good value for the money.

ETA: I really like the Brambleberry individual rounds/squares/rectangle silicone molds for making bars, you can use them for mp or cp, they are good and sturdy (although you do have to put them on a baking dish/cutting board or something sturdy if you are going to move them b/c they are a bit floppy) and not too expensive.

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Zolveria, I have thought of making my own dividers for slab molds (I have a couple of the smaller Brambleberry ones) and concluded that it would be too complicated, expensive (if I was using something that would last) and unpredictable. Plus, I don't really like using slab molds that much except for very specific designs (eg, funnel/spin ones.) The materials for making molds - except for wood are pretty expensive, and there is a learning curve, which makes it even worse, so I buy most of mine, it ends up better that way. If I could make wooden ones it might be different, though.

Also, everyone already knows this, but I love having small individual silicone molds on standby to pour leftovers/testers into. Those are sometimes the most useful ones.

I Have made my own Wood mold. Those are easy to me. I have been thinking of the PVC Lumber the only thing like i told my husband is that the plastic heats up. i would have to hold a cold water hose on the plastic while he cuts it. That will be the most cost effective way.

I was thinking of making my slab mold to accomodate BB liner and dividers

not_ally said:

Zolveria, I have thought of making my own dividers for slab molds (I have a couple of the smaller Brambleberry ones) and concluded that it would be too complicated, expensive (if I was using something that would last) and unpredictable. Plus, I don't really like using slab molds that much except for very specific designs (eg, funnel/spin ones.) The materials for making molds - except for wood are pretty expensive, and there is a learning curve, which makes it even worse, so I buy most of mine, it ends up better that way. If I could make wooden ones it might be different, though.

Also, everyone already knows this, but I love having small individual silicone molds on standby to pour leftovers/testers into. Those are sometimes the most useful ones.

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DeeAnna said:

The link doesn't have a picture of the mold, Irish Lass. I can't quite wrap my mind around the convertible idea without a picture to clarify things, but it sounds intriguing.

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Here are pics of my lovingly well-used dual slab/log mold:

Closed up with cover:




Log mode with divider in place (lined on the bottom with my fondant mat). Sides are not lined in this pic, but I either use fondant mats or mylar cut to size:



Slab mode with divider taken out. The sides are lined with mylar in this pic (albeit haphazardly for quick pic purposes just to give you the basic idea) and lined with a fondant mat on the bottom. The pencil lines you see drawn on the top sides are for where I lay my bamboo skewer grid so that I can 'see' where my bars will be for those times that I strategically place embeds on the top of my soap:



Fully collapsed:


The one that is sold at Diana's is built pretty much the same, only the sides are a little bit higher, and instead of nails to keep things together, there are swivel hooks. Also Diana's cover is built a little differently. I'll try to post pics of that particular mold later on.


IrishLass

LOVE IT I guess im just a practical thinker. One mold that be my Transformer that would so Awesome. (sigh) slab loaf bars :-(

Ahhhh, I see now. Basically a slab mold with higher sides and an appropriate divider. Gotcha! Thank you, Irish Lass -- I appreciate your help and thoughtfulness!

Oh wow that's fantastic - I totally have mould envy now!

Zolveria, I too love variety, and have loved my silicones because I can't line. Then, I got my soaphutch mold. Which I absolutely love. They can be customized. However, the one I have can be a slab, individual bars, or 1-3 loaves at a time or even a1lb mold using a dam if I want to try something new like a FO etc.. They may seem costly, but when you figure the diversity given with one mold, they are not. I haven't seen one that has oval bars, but you could ask him. Soaphutch.com. His name is rich, and it's easier to reach him by phone. He's a dream to work with. I'm not affiliated with him in any way, I just love his molds.

IrishLass said:

Here are pics of my lovingly well-used dual slab/log mold:

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IL, any way I could talk you into making some measurements? I know it *could* be any size a person wants, but there's something to be said for emulating something that works now.

If you have time, I'd love to see the measurements for:

Depth
Length
Width
Wood Thickness

It looks like a person could make that with a $9 hand miterbox and a trip to the store.

LBussy said:

If you have time, I'd love to see the measurements for:

Depth
Length
Width
Wood Thickness

It looks like a person could make that with a $9 hand miterbox and a trip to the store.

Click to expand...

My pleasure!

The actual inside dimensions of the total soap-pouring area when in slab mode are as follows: 7.75" wide x 10" long x 2.5" deep (as depicted in the 3rd picture down in my above post).

When the center divider is in place, I have 2 side-by-side log molds with these dimensions each: 10" long x 2.5" high x 3.5" wide.

The bottom/base slab of wood that makes up the foundation of the mold is made of plywood and has these measurements: 10.5" x 11 14/16", and the thickness of it is 1/2". Although not shown, there are 4 circular (oven-safe) rubber feet attached to each bottom corner.

The solid hardwood divider (not sure what kind of wood it is, but it's solid hardwood as opposed to plywood) that gets placed into the center of the mold to covert it into log mode has these measurements: 10 7/16" long x 2.5" tall x 3/4" thick.

The two end-pieces that help make up the frame on the 2 shorter sides of the mold- and which are 100% detachable- are made of the same kind of solid wood as the center divider, and have these measurements: 10 7/16" long X 2.5" high x 3/4" thick. In the center of each of these is a form-fitting notch which you can see in my pictures that has been machine-carved out to accomodate and anchor the center divider in place for when you want to use the mold in log mode. Also, there is a small, narrow block of solid hardwood permantently glued perpendicularly to either side of these two end-pieces, which have these measurements: 5/8" x 1/2" x 2.5" tall. [you can see these little attached pieces of wood most clearly in picture #1 above.] They are what the removable brass nails are inserted through- the nails that hold the end pieces in place when the mold is assembled. The nails are 1.5" long and they pierce all the way through the little narrow blocks of wood and go a little bit into the abutting side-pieces of wood to hold the mold together as seen clearly in picture #2.

The two side pieces that make up the frame on the 2 longer sides- which are attached to the base/foundation of the mold by folding hinges- have these measurements: 10" long X 2.5" high x 3/4" thick.

The dimensions of the cover: The cover is made of the same kind of plywood as the base/foundation, with a pieces of solid hardwood tapered molding screwed to each side of the cover and which hang over each side of the mold to hold the cover solidly in place to provide full coverage. The plywood dimensions are: 9.25" wide x 11.5" long x 1/2" thick. The solid hardwood tapered molding pieces screwed onto either of the 2 short sides measure: 8 5/8" long x 1.25" x .25" thick on the top end and tapering down from there. The tapered molding on the 2 long sides measures: 9.25" x 1.25" x .25" thick on the top end and tapering down from there. There's also a hardwood knob on top.

As you can see in picture #1, the cover sits flat and fits over the top of the mold like a glove. I make mention of this because when I am making batches of log-type soap with textured tops that I don't want ruined by the cover, I can actually heighten the cover up by 3/4" to protect my fancy tops and still provide 100% full coverage of my mold by setting pieces of modeling clay that are 3/4" tall and wide enough to sit comfortably on top of each corner ledge of the mold (right above the nail area), and then resting the cover on top of the pieces of clay. Of course, though, if you were to build the mold with sides higher than 2.5", you wouldn't have the need to improvise like that to protect your textured tops.


IrishLass

Thank you!

I'm going to see if I can't figure out a way to line out how anyone here can make one. If I do I'll write up a tutorial. If I do not, well, I'll have a new soap mold.