Soap Mold Question

I am going to make my wife a wood soap mold box like the one that Hoegger sells. I was wondering if there is any type of finish I can use on the wood that will allow the soap to release without using wax/butcher paper. I was planning on using polyurethane as the finish.

Thanks.

You can buy silicone liners if you make your mold to fit them. They are pricey. I read somewhere that someone lined their molds with formica. Don't know how well it would work. You could also cut silicone baking mats to fit the mold.

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I have some aerosol silicone in aerosol form. I wonder if I used polyurethane to finish the wood, then spray with the silicone, if it would release?

I have tried food grade silicone spray and it didn't help all that much.

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My Hubs put the wooden boxes in the oven and got them warm. We sealed them with Gulfwax, which worked well since they were warm. Still need the paper to line, don't get me wrong, but it did seem to make bar removal easier.

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I saw a Utube video where a gal used the corrugated plastic cut half-way through and folded to fit. Seemed pretty cool but haven't tried it myself.

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I used two different liners...freezer paper (cut to fit, two pieces) and plastic quilt template sheets (cut to fit, two pieces, scored where appropriate to enable permanent creasing/folding). Leakage at box corner seams was minimal and easily scraped out of the mold with a putty knife.

Well, i'm new to the soap stuff, but an old hand at molding (plastics injection molding that is)

Is there any reason you couldn't put a little draft (angled walls, larger on the open "top", in case anyone doesn't know) on the molds to help with demolding? It'd be a bit of a pain from a woodworking standpoint, but it aught to help it. I'd think that 5° (more if you can handle it, wouldn't go more than 15°) aught to make an easy release.

I use the heaviest plastic sheets I can find at Hobby Lobby. Works well, and cheap when you use the 40% off coupon.

I just line w/ freezer paper and when I'm ready to unmold I just grab the sides of paper and pull up, and the whole loaf pulls out of the mold in one piece. It's pretty easy.

I use the large foam sheets from Wal-Mart (foamies?) Cut it to fit exact in the bottom & short ends, and make the long side about an inch or so bigger than the mold, for pulling out the soap. These last for quite a few batches, until the get stretched out a bit from pulling, but I finder them cheap, and easier than freezer paper.

I saw somewhere where someone used plastic sign material from Lowes as liners. In a youtube video I saw a woman using the corrugated plastic mentioned above and she had web straps that ran under the plastic perpendicular with the length of the mold. When she wanted to get the loaf out she pulled on the straps and the plastic and soap came out really easily.

Those little plastic cups applesauce and fruit come in work well. I use the food grade silicone or coat with vaseline and fill about half full with my favorite blender soap.

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