Soapmaking Equipment Buying Guide

Whether your production is a few kilos or several hundred kilos per month, Le Coin du Savonnier helps you choose the material that best suits your project.

1. How to define the final size and weight of your soaps?

Oils have a density which varies between 0.9 and 0.93, on the other hand soda dissolved in water will have a density greater than 1 (between 1.3 and 1.5). These two components mixed together bring the density of the soap paste to a value close to 1.

To quickly estimate the weight of a dry soap based on the poured weight, you can use a simple formula:

Length x width x height of the “fresh” soap (in cm) x0.9 = final weight of the soap after drying.

This formula is a quick approach, but the density of the ingredients and the percentage of water used in each recipe will vary the result significantly.

There is no substitute for experimentation.

Put into practice :
- If you want to make a 100g soap, you can use the dimensions of 7.5x5x3cm (Height cast in the mold x width of the mold x cutting width)
If we use the weight estimation formula:
7.5x5x3=112.5g before drying
After drying: 112.5x0.9=101.25g (we multiply by 0.9, because we consider that the soap will have lost 10% of its weight during drying)
Controlling the weight during drying is a crucial step. We advise you, for each recipe, to take a “test” soap and weigh it every week. When the weight is stabilized, drying is complete.
    - Another example :
    If we use the dimensions of 7.5x6x2.5cm
    7.5x6x2.5=112.5g
    112.5x0.9=101.25g after drying. In this case, the soap will be wider and cut thinner (2.5cm instead of 3cm) than in the previous example.
    As you will have understood, there are endless possibilities depending on everyone's needs!

    2. How to choose a mold based on soap dimensions and production volume?

    At Le Coin du Savonnier, we manufacture two main families of molds:

    “Bar” molds and “block” molds.

    We offer a full standard range of molds . Length and width vary, but height is always 9cm. If we consider 1cm of shrinkage from the top of the mold, the useful height is reduced to 8cm. It covers most needs. You are free to fill the mold according to the height of soap you have defined.


    The “bar” molds are the simplest. They are light, require only one soap cutter and represent a limited investment.


    “Block” molds allow a large volume to be poured in a single operation. They are more suitable for laboratories whose production exceeds 100/150kg monthly. They require the acquisition of a block cutter and a soap cutter .

    "Block" molds can also be used with a separator , in order to cast bars of variable width, for the purpose of experimenting or responding to specific requests.

    The "bar" molds and the "block" molds are available in several lengths (49/50 and 51cm). The choice will be made according to the chosen cutting width (2.5 or 3cm) and the desire or not to cut the ends of each bar (drops of 0.5cm). This cutting makes it possible to have soaps with an identical visual appearance.

    You have not found what you are looking for among our standard molds, do not hesitate to contact us, we will surely be able to manufacture some to your dimensions .

    3. Choose the cutting tools adapted to your production:

    At Le Coin du Savonnier, we produce two families of cutters :

    Soap cups ("30cm" and "50cm"):

    They allow the soaps to be cut from the bars, in order to obtain the finished product. The distance between the wires is fixed (2.5 or 3cm).

    The "30cm" soap cutters have a right-hand opening, which allows bars to be cut with no length limit.


    The "50cm" soap bowls are limited to bars of a maximum length of 55cm. They are more suitable for use with bars from "block" molds, but are of course compatible with "bar" molds, within the limit of 55cm in length.


    Why are the soap bowls actually a little more than 30 or 50cm?


    Let's take the example of a "50cm" soap cutter with a distance between wires of 2.5cm. The latter has 21 sons. It therefore allows you to cut 20 soaps from a 50cm bar or 20 soaps, plus two 0.5cm scraps from a 51cm bar. Here is the explanation.

    Fixed “block” cuts and adjustable “block” cuts:

    These two types of block cuts allow the cutting of “blocks” into “bars”. Secondly, the bars will be cut into soaps with a soap cutter .

    On fixed "block" cuts the cutting width is defined by the distance between the threads and is therefore not modifiable. The block is cut in a single operation. The time saving in production is significant.


    On the adjustable version , the width between the wire and the stop is adjustable from 3.5 to 8cm. This tool makes it possible to adapt to all "special" requests by cutting the bars individually.


    If you have a specific need for fixed “block” cuts, we can manufacture them with custom dimensions .