Brambleberry Soap mold (36 bar). Getting tired of these dividers... New options?

[Jamison]

I've been using the Brambleberry mold for about 2 years now. It's worked fine, but I'm upping my production lately and getting tired of the time and effort it takes to deal with the dividers.

The dividers are hard to pull out of the 'slap' and require pliers and a bit of strength. This bends the divider a little bit so I have go back through each time and try to bend it back into place (I try to do it as close to center as possible, but leverage is required to get those suckers loose). There's also a fair amount of cleaning involved with all those pieces (14 pieces to be cleaned). And due to this slight bend that I cannot get it I think that is what is causing my bars to vary in finished weight.

The reason I got this mold is so I didn't have to measure and cut the bars out. And so they would have a more organic rounded natural edge instead of a sharp cut.

So now I'm thinking I design or have made some wire cutter that would cut the whole slab out at once. Or maybe in two 'swoops' (strips then bars). And if I'm not using the dividers, I don't really need this fancy wood mold and could have something made as well. And perhaps even bigger. I could also dictate the actual shape of the bar. To be honest the bar is a bit tall when making 4.75+ oz bars. I'm not that keen on the shape. I could also make the mold bigger. Perhaps to hold 35lbs batch instead of the 17lb batch I use now (recently increased the amount to get 5oz bars).

Just throwing out some ideas and looking for any sort of input from you other soaper folks. Thanks!

 

[Ellacho]

I also have an 18 bar soap mold. From day 1, I too have had the same problem of bending dividers. About half of the 18 bars would not have straight cut sides. Not only the weight of each bar of soap is different, but un-even sided soaps are not as pretty as ones with perfect sides.

 

[Lin]

What about one of those large slabs that you cut down into loaves first, and then the loaves down into individual bars?

 

[crey15]

I would just get a cutter made with interchangeable widths btw each wire. One to cut into strips and one to cut into bars.

Or make a long slab mold so that u cut it in strips width wise and then cut those into bars by hand if that makes sense.

 

[Jamison]

I'll have to do slabs with the size of batch I'll be making (30lb or so). I could do a cut to make loafs then bars. I'd rather do it in one motion if I can though. I've seen a cutter that does this (I think in one motion. Maybe it's 2) that's nearly $2,000 though. :-O


I'm trying to find cutters now.

 

[Jamison]

I priced out equipment from a company to do large large scale (when a hotel wanted me to do 1oz bars for them) and it was around $30k.

This way seems to be pretty easy. A little muscle and elbow grease isn't a big deal, I just want things to work efficiently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBuoFQllzTE

 

[DeeAnna]

Check out Ariane Arsenault's system: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6fjQDgpiy8&list=UUMsQ78CkU5UtkA73jGcom3A[/ame]

 

[Jamison]

Check out Ariane Arsenault's system: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6fjQDgpiy8&list=UUMsQ78CkU5UtkA73jGcom3A

Brilliant. That's what I was looking for. Haven't found her cutting method yet though. She states they are custom made molds though. Hmmmm. I was looking at Essential Depot and they seem to have supplies like that.



The new thought is to make a mobile studio with a small bus. Food cart style, but much less complicated with the few things needed to make soap.

 

[Jamison]

Reusable Mylar sheet liners!? Yes! That's another thing that takes up time now. Lining the molds. I do like the idea of using freezer paper over anything petroleum based though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS8HEAUaNwg

 

[houseofwool]

Reusable Mylar sheet liners!? Yes! That's another thing that takes up time now. Lining the molds. I do like the idea of using freezer paper over anything petroleum based though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS8HEAUaNwg

Why, freezer paper has plastic on one side, which is petroleum based?

 

[DeeAnna]

Arianne's molds and cutters are custom made for her by forcraftssake.com

 

[Lin]

Have you checked out the stuff here? http://soapequipment.com/soapcutters/ They have a lot of good stuff from manual to automatic for cutting large blocks down to loaves and bars.

 

[Jamison]

Why, freezer paper has plastic on one side, which is petroleum based?

Oh is it? I was thinking wax paper. But I do use the freezer stuff.

 

[Jamison]

I found the molds on forcraftssake.com I'll probably go that route. That's about $1,000 in equipment though. :-O

 

[DeeAnna]

Unfortunately, it takes money to make money. :think:

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

And if you're selling, it's an investment. How much work is involved in the current mould - how much time is that - how much does that add to the cost of a bar? If you save that time with a better mould/cutter set up, you can increase profits and it'll pay for itself

 

[shunt2011]

I use a 15lb slab mold my husband built for me and then a loaf cutter & bar cutter (both made by husband). I like that and it only requires a few steps. Otherwise I love my log molds best.

 

[Beech]

25 lb and 50 lb

I use the 25 and the 50 lb molds from For Crafts sake. Both of these came with their own cutters. It is actually ridiculously easy.
I use the mylar liners... and i use the petroleum jelly technique to adhere them to the sides. It works flawlessly every time.
I use a small wall squeegee for shower cleaning to apply the jelly.

It should be noted that they are heavy as all get out when filled. The dolly that can be bought or made is needed. Not Optional!!!! Needed. They are rude heavy after. I use the cutter while my blocks are still on the dolly and leverage (being a big girl and all) lets the cutter slide down like butter. Not room temperature butter, but not fridge cold butter....

I do a weeks work in the same time it takes to cast one mold. Limitations obviously in the design...but thats a whole new thing to overcome and makes the challenge totally worth it. In the pot swirls and actual drop swirls with long sticks for styling have actually turned out some awesome bars.

Hope this was helpful

 

[Beech]

One More thing

Forgot to mention one more thing....
You have to be really careful about your trace when you are working with these molds... No forgiveness

Pour thinner and be ready because any seizing or acceleration will kick your behind. You can bang these all you want, if it gets too thick you will still have air pockets. Its a huge space and the only way to fill it with out air pockets is a slide that goes from top to bottom.

I use an acrylic slide that has a lip so i don't have to balance it on the mold, it just leans over the edge. I have these in different shapes to achieve some decent swirl techniques as well. I also have them with a funnel like slide... think PVC tubing cut in half to achieve very unique designs. But again... work quick.. Pour thin. Because its a deep and wide box and thick trace looks like hard rock cotton candy when its finished.

 

[Jamison]

Forgot to mention one more thing....
You have to be really careful about your trace when you are working with these molds... No forgiveness

Pour thinner and be ready because any seizing or acceleration will kick your behind. You can bang these all you want, if it gets too thick you will still have air pockets. Its a huge space and the only way to fill it with out air pockets is a slide that goes from top to bottom.

I use an acrylic slide that has a lip so i don't have to balance it on the mold, it just leans over the edge. I have these in different shapes to achieve some decent swirl techniques as well. I also have them with a funnel like slide... think PVC tubing cut in half to achieve very unique designs. But again... work quick.. Pour thin. Because its a deep and wide box and thick trace looks like hard rock cotton candy when its finished.

Good to hear someone else working with these. I called them this morning and it looks like I'll have to have a custom cutter made since I want 5oz bars. So with two 50lb molds I imagine I can make 240 bars in about 3 hours. That's pretty good. Considering I make 72 in over 3 hours now (with all the extra steps with my current molds).

They told me they are on a 4-6 week back order too. That many making soap, eh?

Just $1,400 in equipment is all.... sign. hahaa Gotta break some eggs to make an omelet.

I'm not familiar with the terms of 'seizing' or 'acceleration'. You're saying pour at a lighter trace so it's not to thick to get the air bubbles out?

I find it hard at times to find that line of where I want to trace since I had both essential oil and herbs to my soap. I add those at a light trace and by the time they are mixed in it's pretty thick. There's only a 5 min window (or so) from liquid to tick trace with a stick blender....