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Being a beginner is great! Everything is new and exciting and you quickly realize that I CAN DO THIS! And for that first batch you've got to have a mold. My very first batch long ago was made in a square stainless baking pan I tried to keep out of sight of the lovely wife. Rounded corners. Who came up with that brilliant design? My first soap would have creases! And I would learn to love them. Lining it with parchment paper was a precursor of the agony I was to experience in the future.
After that first batch I knew a proper mold was needed. First I looked at molds sold by suppliers and my immediate and unchanging reaction to this day was, "I'm just making some soap, not trying to corner the world market!" There are beautiful products out there but being a poverty stricken individual in my earlier years and a successful cheapskate in some areas to this day I just couldn't pull the trigger. And so, I watched more videos, found one I liked and decided to build a couple - with modifications of course.
Girding my loins I marched off to the big box home improvement store prepared for financial battle. I prevailed and walked out, head held high, with a 12 foot long 1 inch x 4 inch pine board cut into three pieces for free instead of the usual limit of two and leaving me with fewer cuts to make. They love me.
Now, one of the things that I've noticed in the many videos is that people tend to use enough screws to build a small shed and drill counter sunk holes everywhere. Not me, no sir. Simplicity, KISS. There are no screws, other than the ones that hold the ends. Wood glue was my fastener of choice. That's all that's needed. If you have children and have purchased Elmer's School glue you have the skills. A bonus is that wood glue really smells good! I glued the sides onto the edge of the bottom piece and clamped them.. The screws holding the ends on are screws on one end and bolts on the other. Just put a couple of nuts on and screw them into the wood with a adjustable wrench. Or pliers. Or a ratchet. You could drill a pilot hole but in the pine wood that's not really necessary. You will need two holes in each end piece. Wing nuts are used on the ends. That's it. Piece of cake. I have dropped mine,, been tempted to throw them (but restrained myself) and they are still ok and have made many many logs of soap. If you just want to glue the ends on that's ok but it's probably a good idea to put the screws/bolts on one end. Jump right in and have some fun. The worst that can happen is you will screw up but that guarantees you will learn something. Here's mine, quick and simple. No, the corners are not square. I eyeballed the ends. They work great. The liner in the small mold has been used many times. I used them as many times as possible to keep from having to reline. Actually, to keep lovely wife from having to reline. If mama's not happy, nobody is!
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I suggest it might be a good idea to make your timber mold the right size to fit one of the nurture silicone liners. Then when you feel like indulging yourself (or someone wants an idea for a present to give you) you can buy a liner!

I can't put a picture of my molds up here after Dennis' post because I used countersunk holes and lots of screws! :rolleyes:
 
I suggest it might be a good idea to make your timber mold the right size to fit one of the nurture silicone liners. Then when you feel like indulging yourself (or someone wants an idea for a present to give you) you can buy a liner!

I can't put a picture of my molds up here after Dennis' post because I used countersunk holes and lots of screws! :rolleyes:

I have a silicone mold with a wooden box already - but it is a nightmare to get the soap out of. If I were to do a 'fancy' top on it, it would be damaged upon unmolding.

The next mould I want DH to make is a flat slab. But I have no idea how I will cut the soap when it comes out of it. A metal ruler and a veggie knife?
 
I have a silicone mold with a wooden box already - but it is a nightmare to get the soap out of. If I were to do a 'fancy' top on it, it would be damaged upon unmolding.

The next mould I want DH to make is a flat slab. But I have no idea how I will cut the soap when it comes out of it. A metal ruler and a veggie knife?
^^^ or a vertical wire cutter which you push the soap through?

At first my silicone molds were difficult to get out of the timber molds.
I put a large circle in the bottom of the mold so I could push the soap out but never used it!
I also made one end removable so I can pull the silicone liner out that way or tip it out while holding it vertically.

I don't have trouble with delicate tops because my nurture silicone liners are really thick and they are higher than my soap so when I turn it out the sides of the liner protect the log itself. Once it is free of the timber mold I pull the sides of the silicone away from the log and it comes out easily.
 
^^^ or a vertical wire cutter which you push the soap through?

At first my silicone molds were difficult to get out of the timber molds.
I put a large circle in the bottom of the mold so I could push the soap out but never used it!
I also made one end removable so I can pull the silicone liner out that way or tip it out while holding it vertically.

I don't have trouble with delicate tops because my nurture silicone liners are really thick and they are higher than my soap so when I turn it out the sides of the liner protect the log itself. Once it is free of the timber mold I pull the sides of the silicone away from the log and it comes out easily.
Getting them out the timber is fine, it's just the silicone part that's hard to get the soap out of. It's that floppy kind of silicone - not that nice rigid stuff I see y'all using.
 
My hubby made me a 5 lb mold (it will actually hold more like 7.5 lb, but I don't make bars that size because I can't handle them). It has 2 screws on each end holding the end pieces to the bottom, and 4 long bolts with wing nuts holding the sides together. You just slide the sides down over the end pieces, tighten the wing nuts to hold them on and line them with whatever you like. I use freezer paper, but I could just as easily use something reusable. I just don't have that hate-hate relationship with freezer paper that many people on this forum do. Will post a pic when someone wakes up so I can get them to fetch it down for me. I am on a continuing hiatus from making soap for another couple of weeks, so it is not in reach.
 
I can't put a picture of my molds up here after Dennis' post because I used countersunk holes and lots of screws! :rolleyes:

Be proud! Post it! I Dennis, have used many screws and glue in projects but now find it unnecessary for some things. If it brings happiness to the builder that is a wonderful thing. In my ongoing assault on the calendar I find my attitude becoming a mishmash of minimalist/utilitarianism. Hmm, another battle for balance in all things and perhaps a new hyphenated word for the Word Association game. ;)

I have a silicone mold with a wooden box already - but it is a nightmare to get the soap out of. If I were to do a 'fancy' top on it, it would be damaged upon unmolding.

The next mould I want DH to make is a flat slab. But I have no idea how I will cut the soap when it comes out of it. A metal ruler and a veggie knife?

My first cutter was a bread knife. Worked fine until I got something better. It also worked wonders with releasing the liner from the bottom of the mold if it happened to leak somewhere. I would just slide the knife between the bottom of the mold and the liner from the end. You don't have that option with the silicone liner though.

My darling hubby made this one for me for Christmas - very easy to get the soap out of, just turn and put all weight onto one side in your left hand, and 'flip' the other side open with your right. View attachment 34706View attachment 34707View attachment 34708
That is almost too pretty to use. Very nice!
 
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OMG, I don't think I have any pictures of my 1990 molds. they cost me a FORTUNE to have made. they were made from plexiglass and were 5 pieces. a bottom and 4 sides. they held 40 pounds, and we had to put them together and 'caulk' the corners with vaseline! we were still very much experimenting! We always made soap in the evening, after the babies were in bed. and so, we'd pour and go to bed. and we'd hope we would awake the next morning with no leaks. MOST of the time there weren't. but when there were, the entire kitchen floor might be covered, depending on how early in the process the leak had occurred. I had not yet discovered Butcher paper!!
 
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