A soap cutter will save you time and energy when cutting your soap and give your bars a uniform shape and size. This project will take less than an hour (less than 20 minutes or a half hour if you’re good with tools) and is very low cost. Please remember when using any tools-SAFETY FIRST. If you’re not comfortable using a tool, please seek the help of someone who is.
This page is not as specific as I would like it to be. I may be making a couple sets of these for friends soon. If I do, I will take pictures of each step. I Think most of you will be able to figure this out on your own though.
Estimated Cost: Should be under $20.00
What you will Need:
• (2) 1×4 measuring the INSIDE dimension MINUS 1/18 of an inch of the length of your mold. (Home Depot can cut the boards to length. Just ask.)
• (2) 1×4 measuring the INSIDE dimension MINUS 1/18 of an inch of the width of your mold. (again, have the cut for you)
• 1 or 2 sheets of Aluminum sheet metal. (small sheets can be purchased in the hardware section of Home Depot. Get as much as you need for the project. You will need 2 pieces 7″ wide. One the length of your mold minus 1/8 of an inch, one the width minus 1/8 of an inch. This sheet metal is very soft and can easy be cut with a pair of tin snips. Try and make sure you have ONE edge of the factory cut left. This will turn into the BLADE side of your cutter. The dimension of 6″ is for MY molds which are about 3 inches deep. that makes my blades JUST about the right length. Adjust your accordingly.
• A couple dozen 1.25-1.5″ Drywall Screws ( I forget the length. Get your wood first and put two pieces of it together. The screw should go through the first piece and half way into the second. This is particularly nice because you will only see the screws on one side.
Unless your mold is square, I’ve found that it’s best to make 2 cutters. One for length and one for width. If you de-mold your soap before cutting, you could also get away with just the long one, but I recommend leaving it the mold when you cut it. You can pre-mark your mold so you line up your cutter on the same marks every time and always get perfect bars.
Sandwich the sheet metal between the two boards, and line up all three objects along the top edge. The side of the metal YOU cut should be lined up with the top of the wood so that the factory cut side becomes the “blade”. If you have a couple clamps, they would come in handy to keep everything in place while you screw it together.
Lay the cutter flat on it’s side, and using a power driver, screw in the drywall screws on ONE side of the cutter. There is no need to pre-drill holes. the wood and the aluminum are both very soft. A drywall screw will have no problem going through them. Once you have put in enough screws that you feel it is secure, the project is done. I have one screw about every 3-4 inches. Alternating top and bottom.
Special Notes:
• Be sure to WASH THE BLADE as soon as you are done cutting your soap. Fresh soap is still caustic, and aluminum corrodes very easily. If you don’t wash it, your blade will be ruined.
•The blade is 1/8 inch shorter than the mold to be sure it fits into the mold with ease. Press straight down the the bottom of your mold, then gently slide the cutter side to side to cut all the way to the edge.
• Enjoy your perfectly cut soap! you’ll find it makes wrapping your soap much easier being that all the bars are uniform.
