Warning: long post/lots of text. Sorry for all the weird spacing, tried to fix it and gave up.
Rogue, I've been batting this idea around (to make one myself, not to sell), I think it would work if the price point is right. The reason I looked for ways to do it myself, although I have yet to undertake it. The great thing about it is that it is pretty easy to make and is truly adjustable to the cuts you want to make, which is why I started thinking about doing it in the first place.
I found suggestions for designs on line from Delsie, a woman who I think was a great soapmaker but passed away a while ago, and made adustable cutters that folks seemed to love. This might have been an initial prototype, kind of rough and ready but pretty good in terms of making adjustable cuts. I think her final design was more polished and useful, but this one is pretty cool. Take inspiration from it, but credit it if you use it and don't copy it probably an IP rights breach (I'm sure you won't anyway). I added notes on it based on what I wanted (the "BC" notations in caps, just ignore them if they are idiotic. Rereading them made me realize how OCD I am
I would definitely be on board to buy one from you if well priced, I am a lazy, clumsy so and so. I can post links of pictures, but this is already long enough and I am afraid that hey will come out as pics rather than links, and this will be even longer. If anyone wants the pics, let me know, I will post them separately.
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Soap Cutter - contributed by Delsie
Material needed: 2 side boards 18 in long, 3 1/2 in wide (all boards are scrape, 3/4 in thick).
BC: VARNISH OK/NON-REACTIVE W/LYE OR JUST LEAVE UNFINISHED? CHECK.]
1 base board 5 1/2 in wide and 18 in long (This might be better longer in order to have longer area to slide soap)
BC: TWO MACHINE HEAD GUITAR TUNERS, ONE LEFT/ONE RIGHT, ORDERED ON AMAZON.
2 triangle shaped key mounting boards [BC: FOR THE TUNERS TO SCREW INTO]
2 spacers to match [BC: THINK SHE MEANS SPACER TO GO B/W TUNER MOUNTING BDS AND SIDE WALLS SO THAT THE WIRE
WINDS AROUND TUNERS, DROPS INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN THE MOUNTING BD AND THE SPACER, AND THEN GETS THREADED
INTO THE SCREWS IN FRONT
Screws with straight slots to attach to front of side boards so guitar string wont cut into Wood , spaced at desired spaces. (mine has three, but I may add more)
[BC: REMEMBER TO GET SCREWS STRONG
ENOUGH TO HOLD THE WIRE BUT NOT SO BIG THEY WEAKEN THE BOARD. MAYBE ADD A FACING STRIP TO FRONT ON EACH SIDE
TO ADD STRENGTH/DEPTH SO CAN DRILL DEEPER, LESS CHANCE OF SPLITTING. DESIRED SPACES MEANS HEIGHT
FROM THE BOTTOM TO WHERE THE CUT ON THE SOAP SLAB WILL GO; IE; DIFFERENT FOR (1) TAIWANS/HORIZ. CUTS
(HALF OF HEIGHT OF BAR), (2)PLANING - SHE USES 1/8, (3) REGULAR LOAF SLICES [HERE, HOLD SLAB VERTICALLY,
WILL DO ONE AT AT A TIME, SO MAY WANT SEVERAL LEVELS DEPENDING ON HEIGHT OF LOAF MOLD, EG; 1", 3/4", 1.25.
NOTE, HOWEVER, CAUTION BELOW: "I am just afraid of spitting the side board if I put in too many screws."
#10 guitar string (what I had on hand)[BC: guy who makes the Tank uses 19 guage stainless steel wire; other posters have used 12 guage w/no problem. Another poster suggested a guitar "E string or B string". Advice from
poster on instructables site re making wire soap cutter: "Actually, if you scavenge at a music shop, they might even give away broken guitar strings. Check to see if they are made from stainless steel and use the thickest non-wound one. You would have to feel which one might work best. The wound ones are thicker because they are wrapped with an even thinner wire so you may want to use it for a textured raggy cut, Use a hardwood like maple to make the box frame, cut some grooves to align the wires, secure the ends wound around a screw and washer and you are all set. Good luck." From Catherine Failor: [use] "medium gauge guitar wire or 20 – 22 gauge music wire"]
The two side boards are mounted to edges of base board. Wider boards could be attached to sides, but you need at least 3 1/2 in guide for soap slab This is a level area to help cut even slices. Holes where drilled
in small triangle pieces, key is mounted through hole, triangle board is mounted with spacer so you can attach the wire. My husband said this type of mounting provided less "slack space" for the wire. And he says that
because either the key or the wire hole is hard to get to, the key needs to be easy to turn for easier adjusting. The screws are put in the front edge of side boards.
Thread the wire in one key, bring it around front slipping it into slots in appropriate screw head.
Thread into key on opponent side. So easy, to tighten and loosen to adjust. My husband put everything
together with screws so it can be tightened or what ever.
BC: SIDES OF BOARD SHOULD BE AT LEAST AS TALL, PREFERABLY A BIT TALLER, AS TALLEST SOAP/MOLD. CONSIDER MAKING
WOOD PUSH BAR SO AS TO AVOID MISHANDLING/FINGERPRINTING SOAP. ALSO CONSIDER ADDING NON SKID BOTTOM/FEET.
MAYBE UNECESSARY, ONE POSTER COMMENTED: " I hold the end of the cutter with my left hand, and push the soap logs through the wire with my right. No problems, and I can slice 36 bars in no time at all."]
I make most of my soap bars in a wooden box that has the inside dimensions of 14 1/4 wide 18 1/4 long I pour my soaps bout 2 3/4 thick.
To cut my soap I unmold my soap, I adjust the wire to 3 1/2 in screw, and cut 4 stripe on ways. I now have four strips of soap that at 3 1/2 wide and 18 1/4 long. I usually adjust the wire now to 1/8 and shave the top side of each strip as my cp soap is very rough or sometimes has ash on top. Next I adjust the wire to 1 1/4 in. and I cut each strip of soap into even bars. So neat. For the soap I make in the 3 1/2 in pvc. Pipe, I just unmold and slice at 1 1/4 in. When I want to cut guest soap at a less width, I just put a strip of wood in bottom of cutter, but more screws could be added. I am just afraid of spitting the side board if I put in too many screws. This cutter is light weight and easy to store also. delsie
