Best Tool to Cut a Large Bar of Soap in Half

[larkspur]

What would be the best way to cut a very large bar of soap in half? I have a bar of triple milled soap that is 11cm long, 7cm wide and 4cm thick. My hands too small to hold on to this bar in the shower.

I have a miter box and the saw that came with it or a hack saw. Which one would be best to use?

 

[russ_watters]

A drill, a 1/4 stick of dyn... er, nevermind.

 

[Danger]

I suspect that just a serrated bread knife would do nicely. Heating it will let it melt a bit rather than just sawing through. Fewer crumbs that way. Even one of those cheese slicer wires might work.

 

[DaveC426913]

I'll bet you could break it in half.

Well, I'll bet someone who doesn't have tiny hands could anyway...

 

[Cyrus]

Caution, slippery when wet.

If you are going to cut it with a knife, put it in a vise so that it does not slip away as you are applying pressure. You might slice your hand real nice.

 

[Moonbear]

Well, since the application doesn't really require cutting it in half, just something smaller you can grab with your hands in the shower...a big hammer should do the trick.

Where on Earth did you acquire such a ginormous bar of soap in the first place? Did someone really think this was practical?

 

[larkspur]

Well, since the application doesn't really require cutting it in half, just something smaller you can grab with your hands in the shower...a big hammer should do the trick.

Where on Earth did you acquire such a ginormous bar of soap in the first place? Did someone really think this was practical?

My Mom gave it to me for Christmas because it came in a cute yellow metal box...Reminds me of a lunch box I had in first grade.

 

[Gokul43201]

The mitre saw should work nicely. And please, cut it dry.

 

[larkspur]

I decided to try Danger's idea and heated the bar in the microwave until it began to blow bubbles out the ends(41 seconds). Then I took my Ginsu type knife and cut it in half. After it was heated it cut like butter- no crumbs either.
Thanks for the input everyone!

 

[hypatia]

Gotta love a Ginsu!

 

[Evo]

I used to carve animals out of soap bars when I was little. Had a fairly dull knife that was great for whittling the soft soap.

I also used to carve blocks of balsa wood. It was great for carving replicas of viking ships and old sailing ships.

You all did that, right?

 

[Moonbear]

I used to carve animals out of soap bars when I was little.

We had to do that for art class when I was little. I don't remember what I wanted to carve, but I know it never looked anything like it.

 

[Artman]

I used to carve animals out of soap bars when I was little. Had a fairly dull knife that was great for whittling the soft soap.

I also used to carve blocks of balsa wood. It was great for carving replicas of viking ships and old sailing ships.

You all did that, right?

That's what I thought this thread was about. Ivory soap was great for carving.

I also made little insects out of pieces of pine and toothpicks and carved a chess set out of pine and walnut.

 

[Gokul43201]

I decided to try Danger's idea and heated the bar in the microwave until it began to blow bubbles out the ends(41 seconds).

Guess that wasn't an air-blown soap (like Ivory). With one of those, all you'd have after 40 seconds in the microwave is an ovenfull of foam.

 

[brewnog]

Cheeeeeeeeeeese wire!

 

[dav2008]

Guess that wasn't an air-blown soap (like Ivory). With one of those, all you'd have after 40 seconds in the microwave is an ovenfull of foam.

Self-cleaning cycle, if you will.

 

[Moonbear]

Self-cleaning cycle, if you will.

Hey, my microwave needs that!

 

[larkspur]

I used to carve animals out of soap bars when I was little. Had a fairly dull knife that was great for whittling the soft soap.

I also used to carve blocks of balsa wood. It was great for carving replicas of viking ships and old sailing ships.

You all did that, right?

 

[larkspur]

Guess that wasn't an air-blown soap (like Ivory). With one of those, all you'd have after 40 seconds in the microwave is an ovenfull of foam.

Nope, it was "triple milled" so there is very low air and water content.