itsmejeffd

You're right. It is difficult to replicate a handcrafted item but not impossible. With the right tools, patience and attention to detail, it can be done to a very fine degree of accuracy. Taking notes is also very important just as it is in candle and soap making. If you were to buy a mold from me today and then purchase the same mold a year from now, I guarantee you that the pieces would be completely interchangeable. All my molds are within 1/64" of each other. In fact, if my mold business continues to increase, I will be looking to get a computerized router. That will tighten my tolerances to .001" (0.0254 mm). That's much thinner than an average human hair! Don't tell my wife though because it'll probably set me back $20k.

Yes, Patty. I'll make whatever size mold you want.

There are several mold makers here on this board (myself included) who make much higher quality molds than that. If you're looking for an HDPE mold, I would, of course, recommend mine at http://loganbearcandles.com/Molds.html There is also Rich at http://www.soaphutch.com/ , Kesei molds, Silvermoon, etc... If you are looking for a wood mold, there is Paul (soapmaker man) here http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5260931 Do a search here and maybe some other forums to see what people are saying about the different manufacturers. All of these will, most likely, be more expensive than Doright but you get what you pay for. You can get a Doright mold to play around with and learn to make soap but don't expect it to last much beyond that. I don't want this to sound like a shameless plug. That's why I'm suggesting you check out everyone I've listed and more. I'm sure others will chime in with their favorites. Good luck.

Here's the direct link to the supplier list in the fragrance forum that Emily posted. http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5492

Thank you, everyone for your support and condolences.

It’s funny how drastically things in a person’s life can change in such a short time. In late September, I posted this thread letting everyone know that I was temporarily retiring from custom soap mold making. Well, like I said, things have changed. Unfortunately, my wife had a miscarriage and ultimately had to have two D&C’s in three days. That was two weeks ago and she is now physically recovered. Emotional recovery will take a much longer time for both of us. The other huge change is that I have become a victim of our crumbling economy. This is where you say “Awwww, poor you.” Beginning last Monday, my hours at work have been cut from 40 to 20 per week. This has given me more free time on my hands than I know what to do with and a lot less cash in my pocket. There is a silver-lining though. I get to do what I love to do again – work with my hands and build things. Particularly, custom soap molds. Since I announced my (brief) retirement, I received many PM’s from members here supporting my decision and asking that I let them know when I’m back. I hope this serves that purpose. My one goal in making soap molds has always been to give my customers the best quality soap mold they can buy at competitive prices. To prove the quality of my custom soap molds, I am announcing “The Water Test.” This is very simple: I guarantee that any mold that leaves my workshop will hold water without the use of the supplied hardware. Just the fit and finish of my molds is enough to make them water tight. The hardware is only there for a little extra insurance. My website is still under construction. Soon you will be able to build your mold to your exact requirements and get actual shipping right on my site. Until then, I will have a link to a price list that will give you a basic price structure. That link should be up in the next day or two. Until the website is launched, shipping will still have to be calculated after your order is boxed and weighed. Thank you again to everyone who expressed their support. I look forward to helping anyone who is looking for a new soap mold.

I understand why the price of wax was going up when the price of oil was going up. But now that the price of oil is going back down, the price of wax is still going up. Riddle me that, Batman.

Thank you Carol. I will be sure to let everyone know when I'll be back in the game.

Thanks to everyone here, orders for my soap molds have steadily increased since I first started making them. It has gotten to the point where I have to make a big decision. Either I quit my regular job and make molds on a full time basis, or I take a break from mold making. I’ve given this a lot of thought and decided to take a break. There are several reasons for this decision. First: I haven’t had a day off in months. I work a regular, 40 hr/week desk job during the week as an architectural drafter, and I make candles, soap & molds in the evenings and weekends. I feel like I’ve been neglecting my family and missing out on doing “fun stuff” with my 5 year old son, Logan. Second: Years ago, my wife Lisa and I started renovating our house. When our son came along, that came to a screeching halt. Now that he’s 5, he’s getting to the point where we don’t have to watch him every minute and we feel comfortable letting him watch a movie or play in the back yard by himself. Those unfinished projects need to be attended to and a lot needs to be done in the next 8 months because… Third: We just found out that our son is going to be a big brother. This is something he’s been asking for on a regular basis for at least the past two years. With a new baby on the way, there’s no way I can keep up with the mold requests. I expect this break to last at least a year or two. I’ll still lurk around here once in a while though. In the meantime, while I’m gone, if anyone is looking for an HDPE soap mold, I would highly recommend my friend Rich Bartko at The Soap Hutch. Many of you have said that you would rank my molds and his at the top of your list for quality. Coincidentally, he only lives about 30 miles away from me in Georgetown, TX. I know he has a pretty long waiting list right now but you may find it worth the wait. As a last note, I’d like to thank everyone who took a chance on my molds (especially in the beginning when no one knew anything about the quality) and took the time to comment and post pictures. I strove to make the best quality mold you could find and from many of your comments, at least some of you agree with me. You had many molds on the market to choose from and I read the posts to learn what you were looking for and how I could improve on what was already out there. I will be back. p.s. For those of you whom I have already talked to about molds, I will still work with you on those orders but I will no longer be able to take new orders.

The only better thing to do with Bud Light is pour it down a drain. :spit: Beer aside, your soap looks great.

I'm passing along a message that was posted on the TX Soapmakers Assn. Yahoo group: It is with sad note that I post that Rich of Soaphutch molds has lost his mother. He will be out of state attending funeral services. If anyone has an order pending for a mold please note this information.

Now let's see the other 3 molds I made for you...

BCN still has Patchouli FO for $13.95/lb. $12.95/lb if you buy 5 or more.

Hi all, It's been a long time coming but my new site is up and running thanks to my FIL, Ken. There's still a bit of work to do. I have to add a couple pictures and, most importantly, a shopping cart. Now, those of you who are interested in my molds can get more info and see some pictures. Thanks to Grumpy Girl for allowing me to use one of her pictures. I'm working on the soap molds price list but in the meantime, you can always just contact me directly for a quote. Thanks for looking and please give your honest feedback (good or bad).

Angi, The length and width should be exactly what you gave me. I know it's deeper but it needs to be to support the hardware that holds it together. You should still be able to get the same size bars you were getting out of your domino box.

The dividers are 2.5" deep but I don't recommend pouring any deeper than 1.5" because you need room to grip the dividers. If you want to pour 2" deep, I can make the mold and dividers 3". That's what I did for Grumpy Girl and Care Bear. It cost slightly more and that amount would depend on the size of the mold. Actually, I've just started to make the molds shorter by a 1/2" for a couple reasons. 1 - Less air between the soap and lid cuts down the chance of ashing. 2 - Using less material (and keeping the same quality) helps me avoid raising prices. The cost of the HDPE I use increased 8% this month and is expected to go up another 12% next month.

If I remember, you got 2 molds. An 18 bar and 9 bar both having the same bar measurement of 2.5 x 3.5 x 1. The 18 bar mold will hold 6 lbs of finished soap and the 9 bar mold will hold 3 lbs. Remember, that's finished batch of soap weight, not just oils.

Thank you for your kind words Donna, GG & Diamond K. Diamond, how in the world have you had your molds for this long and not used them yet? I'm very disappointed in you. Don't forget that even though they're "linerless" molds, they still need to be broken in or "seasoned". Coat the surfaces with PAM or mineral oil before pouring the first 6 to 8 times you use the mold. After that, your soap will come out nice and easy.

For those of you who have gotten a toll free number for your business, what is the best way to go about getting one? I was thinking of just going through my local phone service but I see there are a ton of companies out there who offer toll free numbers.

Amazing as always, Sharon. I'm glad you like your mold. Just let me know if there are any more you need. CUT PICS PLEASE!!!

I don't know yet but as soon as it's announced, I'll post.

Anybody in or around TX going to the convention this year in Austin?

I prefer log molds because I don't swirl. As a maker of HDPE molds, I can tell you that slab molds have been more popular than log molds by a margin of about 3:1. Hope that helps.

I use it in 4627 @ 1oz pp. Smells great to me and I don't think it smells like Pledge at all. It's one of my favorites but not a popular scent with my customers

If it's the 75# scale from old will knott, it will read 0.1 oz. up to 2 lbs. and 0.5 oz. after that. Here's the link with the specs. http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=107 His prices are cheaper on Ebay. I got mine for $40 with shipping.