First PVC molded Soap

[tlm884]

First attempt at using a PVC pipe. It was 2in pipe. I should have went with the 3 inch pipe. It turned out well, except I can't cut straight at all! I will invest in a cutting intrstument of some sort lol.

Its a shaving soap made of castor, lard, coconut, olive oil, with kaolin, extra glycerin, and NG Green Clover and Aloe



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[WomanInTheWoods]

These look so nice and smooth!

I didn't think to use a pvc pipe for my brother's shave bars until AFTER I unmolded them and was cutting them. I ended up cutting a lot of circles out of squares by hand~ it was a smack-my-head kinda moment. I will definitely use a pvc pipe next time. Did you find it difficult to get out? Did you stick it in the freezer?

 

[tlm884]

I had a heck of a time getting them out. Eventually I got them out! I froze it for two hours, let it warm up for about 5, dropped it on my patio about 3 times, then took a can that fit perfectly in the pipe and pushed it through. Apparently the more you use a pipe, the easier it gets to unmold.

 

[WomanInTheWoods]

LOL ~ All that banging around and the soaps still look nice and smooth! I will definitely pick up an appropriate size pipe next time I'm out toward Lowe's... actually, maybe I'll go shop my dad's basement first. He's an avid repurposer, like me. hehehe...

Does the soap gel in such a small space? If not, do you find you need to keep it in the mold longer and/or let it cure longer? I've been using CPOP, leaving the soap in a preheated 170* oven overnight with my wooden molds. Just thinking out loud here, but I wonder if I put a few shorter pieces of pipe in a group, somehow held them together (tape, pan, etc.), and set them in the oven like this overnight if they might gel. Hmm... think I might test this out!

Good to know that unmolding gets easier the more you use a pipe. Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

 

[Soaplady22]

Yes - PVC pipes get easier to unmold the more you use it.
Glad you finally got to see your soap!!

 

[tlm884]

I think using a larger diameter PVC pipe will help. I used a 2.5 inch piece of pipe. I work at a hardware store and it was lying around so I didn't have to cut up a 12 foot length so I just used that.

As for gelling, I can't answer that for you. I either don't gel or overheat and separate. I haven't had a successful gel yet so I am now a non-geller. I refrigerate/freeze all my soap as soon as its molded. Now that its winter I may just stuff it in the patio door overnight.

I will admit, the reason I probably haven't had a succesful gel is I had a really shotty themometer and was soaping to hot to begin with. The thermometer broke and now I honestly don't check the temperatures of my oils and lye. I just let the lye sit in a cold water bath for about 20 minutes and take the oils off the stove as soon as the solid oils are melted and the oils don't look grainy anymore. I haven't had any problems with my soaps doing it this way. The only time I have troubles is if I try CPOP at 150F. Every single one of my soaps I did CPOP seperate.