Making a silicone Liner using Rose’s Box template

Rose Ericson, a good friend, from the States, who made my soap cutter and this soap cutter  for me sent me mould maker to test.
She also sent some combs for swirling but more on that soon.
I took the template apart so I could add putty to the cut in the wood.

Mixing the silicone as per the manufacturers directions.
See the YouTube video here 

#Riverlea soap 

Making Silicone Mould Liners - A tutorial

I have wanted silicone liners for my wooden moulds for a very long time as I am so sick of lining them with paper or plastic. No mater how easy it is to line them it still takes time! The only problem is you have to make a box that just fits into your mould leaving a 0.5-0.8cm space around the box so you can pour the silicone in. See this link from Amanda Griffen on how to make a mould. It is an eBook but looks really good. This is a real problem for me as I have quite a few different mould sizes and really did not want to make loads of boxes to fit. Too much work and then wasted wood when I was finished. I had to come up with a clever plan. And I think I did. I hope it helps all you you out there. It takes a little longer to do than the box in a box method. We will make the sides first then make the base afterwards. You may have seen my other posts on making silicone moulds, here, here, and here. You will need Some Silicone to mix up. I used Mould Max 30 from AMT Composites. A stick to stir it A small stick like a skewer to fill in the sides Metal clips/ grips    Make sure you have made the box/ sides that you will pour the silicone into. I used a huge tile and wood clamped together. Measure your moulds to make sure that you make the box the correct size. i.e. if your mould length is 60x10x10 high and you only make the box 50cm it will not be long enough for the longest side. 1 Mix the silicone as per the manufacturers instructions 2 Have your little sticks ready (this will be when you make/ pour the base which is coming later 3 Pour the silicone into the large box you have created and leave it to set, Usually 12-24 hours 4 Once the silicone has set measure and cut the silicone to fit into the sides of your mould as per pic 7 5 Place your mould on a flat, level surface 6 Fill all the cracks with putty to make sure the silicone does not leak out 7 Secure the cut pieces onto your mould - I used metal clips/ grips 8 Once all the sides and ends are cut and secure mix up a new batch of silicone, enough to fill the base of the mould. I made all my sides and base .6cm thick. Take your little stick and get a blob of silicone, slide it along the sides/ corners where the two pieces of silicone meet making sure there is enough to stick the sides to each other but not too much that it runs down and pools the the base. Work quickly as your silicone is setting up. See the picture below of the corner 9 Pour the silicone into the base of the mould making sure the it is evenly distributed and has no bubbles 10 I used a stick to spread it and make sure it went into the corners 11 Go back to the corners and if you need to re apply more silicone do it now while the silicone is still fluid 12 Wait for the silicone to set up and you can pull it out of the mould. It will be a perfect fit when you put it back. If the corners are not adequately stuck then the next time you mix silicone just reapply to the corners. This is not as neat and perfect as the box method but I prefer it (because I came up with the idea ha ha) because it saves me having to make the boxes to fit inside the moulds which would take time and money.

   

That is it - easy peesy. I have now done all my moulds and I will never have to line them again - YAY! I hope this makes sense and helps you all out there.

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How to use the easiest mould

My last post was about making a very easy mould. This week I will show you that it was not only easy to make but also very easy to use.

Take all the pieces and wrap them in plastic, taping them at the back. Once you have done that assemble the mould and there you have it - ready to use.

In this very short video you can see all the pieces of wood wrapped in plastic. To unmould the soap you simply slide each piece of wood off the soap block.

Making moulds for African Bee Trading. Tutorial Part 2

 

This week we will make a resin “template” so you can make a multi cavity mould.

Last week we made the single cavity mould that would then allow us to make resin templates.

Below you can see the single cavity mould all made up. This will be the “template” that I will use to make all the resin positives.

You will need:

• Smooth Cast resin 300 series from AMT part A and B.
• A stirring stick
• A disposable container to mix in big enough to hold part A and B
• The mould that I made last week

Procedure:

Mixing and pouring the resin:

• Place your mould on a flat surface and within easy reach to pour the resin into it.
• Mix your resin according to the manufacturers instructions. You will need to work fast as there is a very short pot life. I.e it sets quickly so have everything ready.
• Pour the resin into to silicone mould
• You will need to repeat this as many times as you want for the amount of cavities you wish your mould to have.

                             

Next week we will make the large cavity mould

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DIY Reusable Liners for Slab Mould by Lovin’ Soap

It’s no secret.  I love my Bramble Berry 9 Bar Slab Mould!  Take a look at most of my recent tutorials and you’ll see the mould in action.  They do have to be lined.  So to make that task a bit simpler I decided to make some reusable plastic liners. 
I went to my local plastic supplier, Allied Plastic Supply, and bought a big stack of lexan (polycarbonate) sheets for 15 bucks.  When looking for Lexan locally check out your local sign shops, sign shop suppliers and plastic suppliers.  It’s a really cheap material and works great for lining moulds.  You can buy it in large sheets if you have a big mould.  If you can’t find Lexan you can also use the thin plastic chopping mats (for cooking!).  Just make sure that whatever you find has a smooth side.  This will be the inside of your mould.  Also make sure that whatever material you choose is thin enough that you can still get your dividers back into the mould when lined.   
Measure your mould and cut out a bottom piece and 4 side pieces. 

 

Read more ....from Lovin Soap

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Technorati Tags: Riverlea soap,handmade soap,mould liners,cold process soap

Making Vintage Rose soaps–Part 3

Technorati Tags: Riverlea Soap,Cold process soap

You may have seen part 1 and part 2 of this journey. It started with wanting to make round soap and it morphed into the vintage soaps. Anyway I am still on the search and I think that this is the way I will continue to make them from now on. Sometimes the simplest route is the best route! Why we try to make things harder for ourselves I have no idea… or maybe it is just me that does that..

Prepare your moulds: I used a stainless steel pipe and a plastic drain, down pipe.

 Place a sheet of plastic on the bottom/ outside of the moulds and tape it down really well.. I also put a lid inside as well to prevent any leakage..

Then: take a sheet of PVC. For those of you who don’t know what that is – it is a medium thickness, clear plastic like sheet. Roll it up and place it inside the tube. It is now lining the inside of the tube. Stick the join down with tape.

Make your soap as usual and remember to wear your safety gear – the 3 G’s – Goggles, garment & gloves.. Once you have made your soap and are at trace,pour the mixture into the moulds. Make sure they are standing securely – you don’t want them to fall over.

Leave the soap to gel and set and don’t be impatient like me. The soap was still warm when I tried to peel the PVC sheet off it. So it was a little sticky and left the outside of the soap a little pitted. Never mind it’s handmade and not perfect.

 

Riverlea Soap

Make your own Silicone Mould Liner

Poor Linda thought I was much more efficient than I am and posted about using a mould liner made from Silicone, but I had not done it yet. You can see her post here.

I initially saw this tutorial from Tortoga Soaps and decided I had to make my own.

I will be using Silicone from AMT - Mould Max 30.
You will need:

Silicone part A and B

A stirring stick

A disposable container to mix in

A textured sheet of paper

A wooden "box/frame" large enough to incorporate the base and sides of your completed mould

Glue gun

Procedure:

Making the frame and pouring the silicone:

1. Lay the wooden pieces on the textured paper and glue the pieces together and onto the paper to ensure the silicone does not "escape".Make sure to use right angles to square your frame.

2. Mix your silicone as per the manufacturers instructions

3. Pour into the wooden structure and leave overnight.

4. Remove the silicone sheet and measure your mould, draw these measurements onto the silicone and cut with a craft knife.

5. Place the base of the cut silicone into your mould and all the sides and "glue" them together with silicone

Clean up is easy, just let the silicone cure and peal off! You can put the silicone pot with the extra silicone on the sides in the freezer to prevent it from curing for about 1-2 days, and use it later to join your sides.

 

Here you can see a block of soap we made using the completed liner.

Enjoy Your Liners!

  

 www.riverleasoap.com