Happy Standard Time Day Peeps!
This week I thought I would share the very effective, lightweight foam mold I made for my Tall & Narrow Silicone Soap Mold.
I initially thought of making it solely to reinforce the sides in the middle where the mold might have a tendency to bulge out from the weight of the soap batter.
Then, upon deeper thought... yes @Johnez and @Zany_in_CO & @ResolvableOwl I am capable of it in rare instances!
The insulating foam box is made of extruded polystyrene foam board, such as used in construction. I used the brand name Foamular© made by Owens Corning. I purchased a 2' x 2' x 1" piece at Home Depot. However, any type of EXTRUDED polystyrene foam will work, but it must be the extruded type because it is so much stronger and easier to cut and work with compared to expanded polystyrene; which is a the regular bead-type of foam we see in packing electronics, appliances and such. It cuts like butter to be honest, the trickiest part is keeping the knife at a 90 degree perpendicular angle to the foam board. The expanded type of polystyrene the knife will catch and the little beads will bunch up too.
along with an extendable utility knife
& Gorilla Glue
Measure the outside dimensions of the mold you want to support and insulate. You don't have to be exact or precise, within 1/8" or 3mm for you folks in Europe. The Gorilla Glue is actually a type of polyurethane glue and will bond the foam together very well with no fumes or flammability to it. It works with the humidity in the air to cure, gradually getting slightly foamy in the process. Wear disposable gloves while working with it because it will stick to your skin rather tenaciously if you get any on it.
Let it cure for about 8-12 hours with the boxes sides first glued, the attach the bottom. Use masking tape to temporarily hold the pieces together until the glue is set. The top piece is loose and used to cover the mold while the soap is curing. I use a piece of plastic kitchen wrap to cover the loaf and then place the lid on top. Then put a weight of 1 to 2 pounds or .5 to 1Kg for you Europeans.
The soap heats up well in this type of foam box and maintains it's heat for much longer compared to using towels, blankets or Reflectix. It has an R Factor of 5 which is the equivalent of 2.5 inches of blown fiberglass or 2 inches batt fiberglass insulation.
It weighs a total of 4-1/2 ounces minus the mold. So it is lightweight and easy to use and store.
An easy project to do in an hour or so. Plus with the 2'x2' size board, you can get at least two insulating boxes out of it.
Let me know what you think! So far it's been working great for my bar soaps and the gel process lasts much longer than previously for me.
This week I thought I would share the very effective, lightweight foam mold I made for my Tall & Narrow Silicone Soap Mold.
I initially thought of making it solely to reinforce the sides in the middle where the mold might have a tendency to bulge out from the weight of the soap batter.
Then, upon deeper thought... yes @Johnez and @Zany_in_CO & @ResolvableOwl I am capable of it in rare instances!
The insulating foam box is made of extruded polystyrene foam board, such as used in construction. I used the brand name Foamular© made by Owens Corning. I purchased a 2' x 2' x 1" piece at Home Depot. However, any type of EXTRUDED polystyrene foam will work, but it must be the extruded type because it is so much stronger and easier to cut and work with compared to expanded polystyrene; which is a the regular bead-type of foam we see in packing electronics, appliances and such. It cuts like butter to be honest, the trickiest part is keeping the knife at a 90 degree perpendicular angle to the foam board. The expanded type of polystyrene the knife will catch and the little beads will bunch up too.
along with an extendable utility knife
Measure the outside dimensions of the mold you want to support and insulate. You don't have to be exact or precise, within 1/8" or 3mm for you folks in Europe. The Gorilla Glue is actually a type of polyurethane glue and will bond the foam together very well with no fumes or flammability to it. It works with the humidity in the air to cure, gradually getting slightly foamy in the process. Wear disposable gloves while working with it because it will stick to your skin rather tenaciously if you get any on it.
Let it cure for about 8-12 hours with the boxes sides first glued, the attach the bottom. Use masking tape to temporarily hold the pieces together until the glue is set. The top piece is loose and used to cover the mold while the soap is curing. I use a piece of plastic kitchen wrap to cover the loaf and then place the lid on top. Then put a weight of 1 to 2 pounds or .5 to 1Kg for you Europeans.
The soap heats up well in this type of foam box and maintains it's heat for much longer compared to using towels, blankets or Reflectix. It has an R Factor of 5 which is the equivalent of 2.5 inches of blown fiberglass or 2 inches batt fiberglass insulation.
It weighs a total of 4-1/2 ounces minus the mold. So it is lightweight and easy to use and store.
An easy project to do in an hour or so. Plus with the 2'x2' size board, you can get at least two insulating boxes out of it.
Let me know what you think! So far it's been working great for my bar soaps and the gel process lasts much longer than previously for me.
