when you have an emergency mold situation....

[Guspuppy]

Some time ago I built this cardboard mold, which is taped together in the back and lined with press n' seal. It would hold a 40 oz oils batch of soap with room to spare at the top. So today I decided to try my hand at salt bars, and calculated everything out for 40 oz oils, figuring it would be good to be able to peel away the mold when it came time to cut. But then I was looking at 30 oz salt and thinking, "that's going to increase the volume of soap batter!" so I had emergency molds on standby. Much to my surprise it did not make THAT much more volume, however it did fill my box up totally and put serious pressure on the taped side, which was trying to come undone. I stood there holding it together thinking, "I am not standing here for an hour or three until I can cut this soap!" So this is what I came up with to hold it all together - using my extra mold boxes and my robe tie! :mrgreen:

 

[Lion Of Judah]

that's the world of soap making , you're force to innovate, revolutionize , and create out of necessity . great job Guspuppy

 

[snappyllama]

MacGyver would be proud!

 

[IrishLass]

Excellent!


IrishLass

 

[KristaY]

That's an awesome way to think "outside the box" Guspuppy! Every time you look at that soap you're going to remember your mold set up and chuckle. Maybe you should name that soap Giggles.

 

[SuzieOz]

Cool stuff, we're an ingenious lot aren't we?

 

[Guspuppy]

Haha Thanks all! It did make me laugh!

Now I have a question, well, not really a question because I'm pretty sure what happened. I cut the salt bars at 3.5 hours in. It was hard enough to cut but the bottom of the batch was crumbly. I'm pretty sure I added the salt at too thin of a trace and it settled out of the batter once I poured, as opposed to the soap graining. I was so terrified of the fast set-up once the salt was added that I mixed it super well but then poured it still fairly thin. Anything to be done? I suppose the extra salt at the bottoms of those bars will just wash away sooner after it cures? It didn't fall apart or anything though, just some crumbly bits on the knife, and a few chunks along the sliced edges. I laid the bars out on a cardboard box lid and covered with a towel to keep what was left of the heat in.

 

[CoolSuds]

It's amazing what we do when we have a little extra soap! Great job!