ENORMOUS mold

[not_ally]

I was just over on DISH looking for a thread, and came across this one. It is about a mold that one of the DISHERs made, it is HUGE. It was just such an epic goal that it was really interesting to read about.

I wondered why someone would ever make such a huge mold - just the silicone would be so expensive, it is costly stuff - and realized that if you are a seller, something like that might let you make all of your season's soaps in a week or two. Eg, this mold makes 27 lbs of soap, the one pictured was poured at a less than max and still made 8 logs/80 bars.

It is worth a read, if only to wonder in awe.

http://www.thedishforum.com/forum/index.php?/topic/181463-diy-silicone-mold/

 

[cmzaha]

I have been thinking about getting the 25# block mold from Crafts Sake. When I pour DB I usually pour 20-25 lbs at a time

 

[not_ally]

Wow, Carolyn. I just couldn't imagine handling such a huge block of soap. Don't you bang it up and get it all over yourself when you unmold? I guess not, you are used to doing it w/the DB (Dragon's Blood?)

Just looked at the CS mold, it is actually pretty nice and it looks like it will be easy to unmold since it is split. That looks like a good one, if expensive. But probably worth it in terms of your time, over time ...

 

[IrishLass]

I wasn't able to read the whole thread, but I looked at the pictures.....and wow- that's what I call an impressive mold (and endeavor)! Kudos to her!


IrishLass

 

[Jstar]

wow..thats Ginormous! :shock:

 

[Saponomancer]

Holy smokes that is big, and I dig the custom cutter she got for it too

 

[dixiedragon]

I'm not a member. So I can't see. But I have a hard time maneuvering a pot of soap batter for a 10lb batch - can't imagine a batch of that size! With water, that pot has to weight 35 lbs or more!

 

[kumudini]

I might be coming off as a big Ariane fan, which I'm. I have watched so many of her videos, she regularly mixes up these huge batches of soap, she has I think 2 or 4 of 20lb vertical log molds with custom made log splitters, a humongous slab mold out of which she gets atleast 8 very large loaves, again with an awesome log splitter. It's just amazing what she does single handed.

 

[boyago]

Who's Ariane? Is there a link to the log splitter?

 

[kumudini]

Ariane Arsenault( hope I spelled it right), is a soap maker based in Canada, she has a you tube channel and has the coolest soap making videos. I will google log splitters for you and hopefully provide a link here.

ETA: http://forcraftssake.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7_11&products_id=28
This is a single wire splitter, soap equipment has the monster ones that you can have custom made.

 

[TVivian]

That's crazy! I can't believe they made that successfully. It seems like unmolding that is going to be difficult since that silicone is so thick. There's a local soaper here who uses those huge sized molds. It's an amazing sight to watch the process. I'll try to find her links.

 

[TVivian]

http://instagram.com/p/q5r-d5nkQC/

 

[not_ally]

Viv, I didn't realize that was instagram, duh, I wondered why it kept repeating in short bursts. I was like "wow, she really likes advertising her business" It looks like she uses the Craftserver mold that Carolyn was talking about, the split vertical one. I would think that would be a lot easier to unmold, only 20 lbs max.

I hoisted a 50lb box of lard up the flight of steps to my apt yesterday, it was no fun (basically half of my body weight, I am a shrimp). If it had been soap it would have been totally mushed, I don't think I would have done much better w/half of that amount, either.

 

[kumudini]

Viv, I didn't realize that was instagram, duh, I wondered why it kept repeating in short bursts. I was like "wow, she really likes advertising her business" It looks like she uses the Craftserver mold that Carolyn was talking about, the split vertical one. I would think that would be a lot easier to unmold, only 20 lbs max.

I hoisted a 50lb box of lard up the flight of steps to my apt yesterday, it was no fun (basically half of my body weight, I am a shrimp). If it had been soap it would have been totally mushed, I don't think I would have done much better w/half of that amount, either.

If you keep lugging those boxes up your stairs which I'm sure you intend to, you will get better at it NA .

 

[not_ally]

K, it is the second one in four months! That shows you how much soap I make/lard I use. Crazy for a hobbyist, this is a total addiction.

 

[TVivian]

Viv, I didn't realize that was instagram, duh, I wondered why it kept repeating in short bursts. I was like "wow, she really likes advertising her business" It looks like she uses the Craftserver mold that Carolyn was talking about, the split vertical one. I would think that would be a lot easier to unmold, only 20 lbs max.

I hoisted a 50lb box of lard up the flight of steps to my apt yesterday, it was no fun (basically half of my body weight, I am a shrimp). If it had been soap it would have been totally mushed, I don't think I would have done much better w/half of that amount, either.

She says on one of her posts that each block is 50 pounds! So the two side by side that she's pouring in the video =100#! There's an episode of her with Huell Howser where he visits her shop and she makes a loaf. I think you can really see the size of it there. I'll try to find it on you tube. She's a tiny girl as well. I love watching people make these huge batches of soap.

I can't believe you lug 50 pounds up stairs! I have a hard enough time just going up my driveway!

 

[kumudini]

K, it is the second one in four months! That shows you how much soap I make/lard I use. Crazy for a hobbyist, this is a total addiction.

I think you should really start selling and let people benefit from your wonderful skill.

 

[kumudini]

She says on one of her posts that each block is 50 pounds! So the two side by side that she's pouring in the video =100#! There's an episode of her with Huell Howser where he visits her shop and she makes a loaf. I think you can really see the size of it there. I'll try to find it on you tube. She's a tiny girl as well. I love watching people make these huge batches of soap.

I can't believe you lug 50 pounds up stairs! I have a hard enough time just going up my driveway!

I wonder what she's using to mix the soap batter up? It doesn't look like a regular SB

 

[not_ally]

You would not say that if you saw my last attempt at the challenge soap! Also, I have only been cp soaping six months and have so, so much more to learn, and do every day. From the soaps and the folks here.

And I read/post-question/soap/experiment constantly with careful tweaking and really careful notes. I don't know how people figure out if their soap is the best it can be without doing that for a long time. Maybe they are just naturals, I definitely am not.

But when it gets good enough I will send you some! From a special lard free batch, just for K!

 

[TVivian]

Here's a better video of her making soap! It's truly fascinating.

http://youtu.be/tX1fpjNV26I