Why does my mold do this?

[lenarenee]

I have these molds: https://www.amazon.com/DD-life-Flex...s=soap+molds&qid=1565909000&s=gateway&sr=8-18

Several of them, and I've used them for years. The soap started coming out wonky; narrower on the top and I don't know why. I tried new silicone liners - which were not exactly the same size as the old ones which really didn't work. Then I just bought all new molds, labeled liners and their boxes so I could always match up which liner was meant to fit which box. Used them just a few times and I've started having that narrowing problem again.

I can't figure out what causes it? Sometimes I had to really work to wiggle the loaf out but that wouldn't explain why it happens with loaves that I don't have to wiggle out. Any ideas?

These pics should give you an idea what I mean - compare the pink bar with the others.

 

[Lin19687]

It is from the liners. Sometimes it will do that and others not.
I have those molds too, hate those liners
One reason I don't like them. Try using Freezer paper ?

 

[Obsidian]

Could be that the thinner, cheap silicon is collapsing in as it ages. I have a couple of those molds and really dislike them, just too floppy.

 

[DKing]

I have mold as well, and it is fairly new so I am not having this issue currently. I will be keeping my eye out for it weakening in the future. Maybe the wooden box is warping a little since it is fairly thin wood?

 

[lenarenee]

The wood is in great shape - as far as my eye can tell. I haven't checked it with a level.

Perhaps the liners collapse inward - however I never noticed it when the soap was wet. My liners aren't that floppy and stand up on their own - but they do sag in the center. They straighten up 95% of the way when inserted into the box.

Would simply clipping the sides work? Although I usually fill these over the top so the clip would get in the way.

I could skip the liners and use paper like Lin suggested, but it would add width to the bars that I don't want. So....either I quit being a perfectionist or invest in some new molds but saving money is the name of my game right now.

I actually loved these molds for years, and the bar is almost the perfect size - not as narrow as a tall/skinny mold, and not the standard 1701 rectangle shape.

Thank you all for your input!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I have those molds and each has been used for about a dozen batches of soap. My liners fit very tightly into the wood mold regardless of which liner I use. Do you put your liners in the dishwasher? I read somewhere along the way that they should be hand washed.

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

I put things in my mold when it isn't being used. try makin a heavy cardboard box that would fit snug in it while not being used

 

[Roe]

Use a little valve or glueglue stick to keep the silicone flat toto the wood. Saw on YouTube. Didn't try yet. Also leaveleave 1/2 inch from top down.

 

[Dawni]

I get that. Not always. That particular mold is less than a year old. I could be wrong but I have a theory, based solely on observation.

It happens when my tops are very fluid, like the last one I made, and I've made a slight mess so the top batter stuck to the sides of the mold, and not neatly swirled or piled up in the center. As the soap cools n contracts it pulls the sides of the mold in, and since there's nothing dense up top (no more soap lol) it bends.

I notice it doesn't always happen with the same mold in my case, especially not when my batter isn't overly liquidy.

No science behind this for sure, I'm just guessing hehehe

 

[Lin19687]

Try a batch with Freezer paper and see how it goes.
Do you use a Box for your soaps ? it really would be a slight difference in size.

Oh, or try Oil Clothe ? IT is thicker. I was going to do that with mine but it would be too thick for the Boxes I use for selling

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I like the idea of trying something sticky to hold the liner to the wood. If you decide to try freezer paper, could you cut one or two pieces of cardboard the length and height of the mold (false sides) to put between the wood and the freezer paper in order to reduce the width of the mold?

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

I could be wrong but I have a theory, based solely on observation.

I guess I didn't understand the OP. I think you might be on to something. when I was having trouble getting stuff out of my tube molds and followed the advice (which was good advice) of putting some freezer paper inside so the soap slipped out--I got soap that the freezer paper pulled into the soap and it was WAY out of round, but it did come out easy

 

[Lin19687]

Using freezer paper in the round tubes can be a pain, you just have to use a batter that is not too 'ploppy' More fluid is better for those.
I also did Mineral oil and the freezer paper in them because my freezer is too tiny to put it in there

Great Idea on the Cardboard !!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I get that. Not always. That particular mold is less than a year old. I could be wrong but I have a theory, based solely on observation.

It happens when my tops are very fluid, like the last one I made, and I've made a slight mess so the top batter stuck to the sides of the mold, and not neatly swirled or piled up in the center. As the soap cools n contracts it pulls the sides of the mold in, and since there's nothing dense up top (no more soap lol) it bends.

I notice it doesn't always happen with the same mold in my case, especially not when my batter isn't overly liquidy.

No science behind this for sure, I'm just guessing hehehe

This makes sense, especially if the liner is stretching, which would force the center top of the long sides of the liner towards the middle of the mold (i.e. there's no where else for a tiny bit of extra length to go except towards the middle)

 

[earlene]

If you have a planer, you could plane the edges. That's what I do when I get wonky shapes from the folds from Freezer Paper. Yes, you can still get wonky shapes from freezer paper, particularly if you don't cut away the excess paper, and just fold it neatly like a when making a bed. There are ways to avoid the excess width with freezer paper, but with very fluid batter, that leads to leaking and I don't like my soap batter to leak into the mold, so I choose planing.

 

[Dawni]

Use a little valve or glueglue stick to keep the silicone flat toto the wood. Saw on YouTube. Didn't try yet. Also leaveleave 1/2 inch from top down.

Did you mean not filling the mold til the very top? I think the problem is the space on top. My soap that completely filled the mold aren't bowed like this latest one.. I miscalculated batch size.

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

Using freezer paper in the round tubes can be a pain, you just have to use a batter that is not too 'ploppy' More fluid is better for those.
I also did Mineral oil and the freezer paper in them because my freezer is too tiny to put it in there

Great Idea on the Cardboard !!

I stopped throwing my tube molds in the freezer and wrap the heating pad around it so it gels all the way. oh I bet you meant to freeze them to get them out of the mold--never mind me I am exhausted and not thinking straight. I soap at emulsion. I think out of 9 bars I got 5 that were out of round and they were in the middle of the tube. I kinda like it for myself cuz its almost like its got dips to put your fingers in to hold the bar easier. I got the mineral oil idea from you I think!! I have been using it on the molds and I think it helps (I don't use freezer paper anymore) I have a smaller chest freezer in the garage so I throw the tube in there after it gels

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Hat pins pushed through the lip of the silicone liner into the top edge of the mold? Don’t let a pin fall in the soap!

 

[KristaY]

I like the idea of trying something sticky to hold the liner to the wood. If you decide to try freezer paper, could you cut one or two pieces of cardboard the length and height of the mold (false sides) to put between the wood and the freezer paper in order to reduce the width of the mold?

I have a mold that doesn't quite fit the wood box so did exactly this with the cardboard. It took me a while to find the right thickness of cardboard and I think I ended up using something that came in a box of goodies that divided the top layer of stuff from falling into the bottom layer of stuff. Once I started doing that, the bars come out with perfect straight sides.

 

[lenarenee]

I am a brand new soaped, getting ready to make my very first batch! I know that I over analyze things but could someone with experience look at what I ran through soap calc and see if it looks OK?? Thank you so much

Hi Zadielee. Can you tell us what kind of soap you hope to make? The recipe you have will make a very mild, low bubbling soap that will need a very long cure (because of the very high olive oil content). The coconut oil is at 10%, which means it won't make a lot of bubbles, but the good news is that it will be good if you have very dry skin. There is an old beloved traditional soap called castile - which is made of 100% olive oil. Your recipe will have some of the qualities of that soap; 1) it will take longer to "trace" aka more blending time before a solid emulsion forms. 2) gentle on the skin 3) the lather will probably have signs of stringiness, a stick film some call "snottiness". That bothers some people.

This is your first try at making soap. I'd like to suggest you change the recipe to a more balanced recipe. Why? Because this recipe will trace faster, and produce soap that is closer to what you're familiar with, without being too drying.

Here's a basic, classic recipe:

25% coconut oil (if you have dry skin - reduce to 15 or 20 percent, than add that unwanted percentage to the olive amount)
35% palm oil (not palm KERNEL oil)
40% olive oil. (or 30% olive and 10% almond oil)

If you have castor oil, I'd add 5% castor oil, and remove that percentage from the olive. Castor isn't necessary, but it does support the lather.

Use a 5% superfat on the lye calculator.

Good luck. Come back and ask questions if you need, and let us know how it goes!