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Frequently Asked Questions & About Us

Who is Crafted Elements?
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We have a passion for creating time saving molds, templates and tools. We have been fabricating awesome things since 2010, but the Crafted Elements brand was created in 2019 to showcase our unique line of large molds for woodworkers, resin artists and makers.

Like many businesses, we started almost by accident. Crafted Elements was originally intended as a side hustle to create unique wood table tops, cutting boards and home products featuring live edge wood and resin.

At the time (early to mid 2019) there weren't any existing maker mold options on the market. Making wood and tuck tape forms for each cutting board or serving board was par for the course. We needed a better way.

Our past experience building themed environments and Halloween attractions provided us with experience using materials such as silicone and resin to create molds for props. Knowing how useful silicone forms were for prop making, we decided to create our own silicone molds in the shapes of the serving boards we were producing. After posting these molds on our Instagram account, there were numerous people asking about where they were from, or if we could sell one to them. We knew we were onto something. Crafted Elements was reborn after the demand for our molds far exceeded the demand for our woodcraft.

We are now a leading supplier of large silicone molds, router templates, jigs and tools to the woodworking and resin art industry and have shipped our unique products to nearly every part of the world from our 10,000sqft production facility and warehouse in Ontario, Canada.

Can I follow you on social media?
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We thought you'd never ask! Follow us on your favorite platforms to stay up to date with new product releases, customer project features, tutorials, special sales and more:

Instagram - @craftedelementsco

Facebook - @craftedelementsco

TikTok - @craftedelementsco

Pinterest - @craftedelementsco

YouTube - Crafted Elements

How can I learn about epoxy resin and woodworking?
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We are so glad you asked! We have been building up a library of hands-on demonstration and teaching videos on the Crafted Elements YouTube channel. We have videos for people just getting started with creating resin and wood pieces and also more advanced videos for seasoned woodworkers and digital fabricators. If you are new to working with wood and resin we have a completely free 11 part video series you can access here.

Where do you ship from and to?
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Our shop and warehouse is located in the beautiful city of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. From here, we ship our unique products all over the world. Ground shipping within the USA and Canada is FREE on standard sized items. International and air shipping additional cost. To get a quote, simply add the item(s) to your cart, and go to checkout. A list of available shipping methods and their corresponding prices will be displayed.

Is shipping free?
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Ground shipping within the continental USA and Canada is FREE for orders $100 USD ($135 CAD) and up. Orders under $100 USD ($135 CAD) will incur a small shipping charge shown at checkout. All international and air shipments will incur an additional cost. To get a quote, simply add the item(s) to your cart, and go to checkout. A list of available shipping methods and their corresponding prices will be displayed.

Do you make custom molds?
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We do not make any custom molds at this time. Our silicone and formed polyethylene plastic molds are true one piece molds. Our HDPE molds are created using metal tooling which cost up to $10,000 per size we create. Even our lower volume silicone molds that are made in-house use tooling that ranges from $400-$1,000 for smaller sized molds. So making small quantities of molds (or single one off molds) this way is not viable. There are many ways to create your own mold out of silicone or HDPE, a quick YouTube search can get you on your way.

With that said we always like to hear what sizes of molds makers are looking for. If enough customers ask for a similar size we usually end up adding it to our product line. So feel free to let us know!

Do you make custom templates?
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No. We are not making custom templates at this time.

What mold release do you recommend for your silicone molds?
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There are many mold release sprays on the market and choosing the right one can be confusing.

It is important to avoid using sprays that are made of silicone, cooking sprays or home-made methods, as they will NOT provide the level of protection required to get the longest life out of your mold. DO NOT USE: Stoner, Apel, CRC or SO Universal Mold Release. These are all made of silicone and won't protect a silicone mold.

The three non-silicone based release sprays we highly recommend are:

You can purchase the Mann Ease Release 200 or Mann Ease Release 300 from us but they are all readily available on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca

How long do your silicone molds last?
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Silicone molds will not last forever, but their life expectancy is a function of how many epoxy pours are done in the mold. Epoxy resin is the harshest thing to put in a silicone mold. The heat from the exothermic reaction and the chemicals in the two part epoxies themselves both affect the surface of the silicone. The volume of resin used in a mold, and the type of resin used (brand, speed to set, heat generated, composition of the resin etc.) all affect how harsh it will be on the mold.

With this said there is not an accurate answer for “how long it will last”. This is one of the reasons we insist on customers using a quality non-silicone based mold release, such as the MG Chemicals 8329 Epoxy Release, Smooth On Ease Release™ 200, Mann Ease Release™ 200. Using a non-silicone based mold release there are many customers who get near 30 pours from our silicone molds. Without using a mold release we have seen silicone molds start to fail, become brittle, and tear after just a handful of uses.

Is there an instruction sheet for your molds?
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Yes! Our molds should all ship with a printed instruction sheet, but you can also access a copy of it here : Mold Instruction Sheet

How deep can I pour my resin, do I have to fill the mold?
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The depth of our molds and forms is variable. Some are 1" deep, others are up to 6" deep. However, in the case of our silicone molds you can pour all the way up to the depth of the mold, or less. Thus, a 2 deep mold could accept 2 of resin or 1/4" of resin, and everything in between. Our HDPE molds are slightly different. HDPE molds require slight bending and flexing of the side walls at the time of demold, so it's not ideal to fill them all the way to the top. At least 1/2" of height should be left on the sides to allow for easier demolding of HDPE (plastic) molds.

How much epoxy do I need to fill your molds?
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The product page of each of our molds indicates the total interior volume (in oz and ml) of that particular mold. However if you aren't creating a solid resin piece or you are making a wood and resin hybrid piece you can use this simple equation to estimate the amount of epoxy you will need:

Ounces : Length (in) x Width (in) x Depth (in) / 1.8

Litres : Length (in) x Width (in) x Depth (in) / 61

Gallons : Length (in) x Width (in) x Depth (in) / 231

If you are using a live edge piece of wood (or opposing pieces in a river table configuration) that is not perfectly straight you want to determine the average width to use in this equation. So, for example if the distance between the two opposing live edges is between 2" and 4", you would use 3" as the average to get a rough calculation of volume of resin required.

It is also good practice to add 10% more to whatever you calculate to allow for user error, slight mis-measurement and waste.You can do this by multiplying the answer you determined above by 1.1.

Here is a full example: We are creating a river charcuterie board using a 16x12x1" mold. The average distance between the two pieces of wood in the mold (the open area in the middle of the mold) is 4". To calculate how much resin we need in ounces...

16 x 4 x 1" / 1.8 = 35.6 ounces

35.6 x 1.1 = 39.2 ounces including the 10% adjustment factor.

What epoxy do you recommend? How long does it take to set?
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There are MANY epoxy brands on the market and we don't have specifications, cure time and maximum pour volumes for them all. However, in our shop we use the TotalBoat line of epoxy resins.

TotalBoat has multiple epoxies for woodworking and resin art applications. The ones used most frequently by us, as well as our customers are:

MakerPoxy / Table Top Epoxy - Good for doing shallow pours in small molds up to 1/2" deep, or top coating (flood coating) resin projects, table tops and bar tops. Demold in 12-24 hours (less if used as flood coat). Full cure in 5-7 days.

TotalBoat ThickSet - Ideal for using up to 1" deep in smaller projects like charcuterie boards or small table tops. We have poured this up to 1.5" deep when creating smaller boards. Demold in 24 hours. Full cure in 5-7 days.

TotalBoat ThickSet Fathom - Good for up to 3" in casting applications and 2" deep large river tables. Demold in 3-4 days. Full cure in 5-10 days.

Partially set resin is stuck to my mold, how can I get it out?
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This is unfortunately a tricky question to answer. If there is a large amount of unset (improperly mixed) resin your mold likely cant be saved, however if it's just a small amount you can try putting the mold in a freezer to solidify the resin and remove it (carefully) once frozen. For residue and small sticky spots we find goo-gone works best.

My silicone mold interior has pieces out of it, why?
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If your silicone mold is coming apart, if pieces are coming out with your resin during demold, or it's inner surface is becoming very brittle it means that either a mold release was not used as instructed, the wrong mold release was used, or the mold is coming to the end of its useful life. A proper NON-SILICONE based mold release is required before each and every use to protect the interior of your mold from harsh epoxy resin, and to get the most uses out of it. Please see the mold instruction sheet included with each shipment, or download a digital PDF copy here: https://craftedelements.com/moldinstructions/

Silicone or HDPE. What's the difference?
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The formed HDPE plastic (polyethylene) molds are lower cost, and available in larger sizes, but are more ideal for wood and resin work where the piece will be trimmed and planed after demolding. Due to the natural internal stresses of formed polyethylene the interior of these molds are never 100% flat (typically off by 1/32-1/16") and the corners and sides have larger radiuses to allow for forming. Neither of these are an issue when you are going to trim the sides of your piece, and run it through a planer to flatten it anyway, which is usually not done with "resin art" resin-only pours. Like our silicone molds they will never come apart and will never leak, but allow us to offer our customers larger forms that have functionality similar to our silicone molds.

My HDPE plastic mold isn't flat on the bottom or sides, is this normal?
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Yes. Our HDPE forms are created with thin polyethlene plastic material. The thin material is required to be flexible enough for you to easily demold your project. Stronger, straighter and thicker walls would be flatter but notably more expensive and nearly impossible to demold. The internal stresses of polyethelene become more obvious in a thin material as it doesn't want to stay flat and straight by nature. That is why we do not recommend HDPE forms for resin artists who want a perfect project right out the mold. These molds are fine for people working with wood and resin because your piece needs to be trimmed, planed and sanded in post-processing anyway.

Why do your silicone molds cost so much?
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Doing a search for silicone resin molds on eBay or Amazon will return hundreds of results between $10-$30. So what's the difference? Quite simply, it has to do with the volume of silicone used in our molds, the production process and shipping cost. Much like quality epoxy resin, silicone is expensive and costs ~ $20 per pound (roughly $160/gallon). Most of our molds have thick 1/2" to 3/4" walls and bottoms, and are much larger than a small $10 mold used to cast a "trinket". The cost of silicone is a major factor in why these cost so much. HDPE (another common mold material), on the other hand is much lower in cost than silicone. We also include the shipping cost in all of our prices, so the price displayed is your final price at checkout. Combine these cost factors with the time saved setting up and demolding your pour, and it should more than justify the price of them!

What's the best way to hold wood down in the molds?
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A combination of scrap HDPE blocks, or our HDPE block kit, in combination with hand weights, kettle bells or clamps. Placing the HDPE block between your wood and weight (or clamp) ensures that any resin spill over wont bond to your weights or clamps. Once the resin is set the HDPE blocks easily and cleanly detach from the resin.

Is there a warranty on your molds?
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No. There is no warranty on our molds. Not only are most molds a consumable item with a limited life (a properly cared for silicone mold can last between 20-30 pours), but molds are easily damaged when misused or improperly cared for. All of our molds are inspected prior to shipping but if they are deeemed to be defective or damaged upon delivery we can and will address that, but no post-purchase warranty is offered on these products. If you ripped or damaged your mold, you might find this video helpful.

How can I fix a torn or damaged mold?
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Many ripped, torn or otherwise damaged silicone molds can have their lives extended by using 100% pure silicone caulk (not acrylic) and some simple tools. We created a short demonstration video on the best practices to repair our silicone molds here.

How do I use your router templates?
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There is no better way to explain how to use our acrylic router templates than with a good tutorial video. You can find that video here on our YouTube channel.

What router bit(s) should I use with your templates?
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Most of our templates are for shaping, where you want your material to take the final shape of the template. Using these types of templates with a router table is easiest, though a handheld router will also work. For these templates, any 1/4” diameter flush trim router bit with a guide bearing will do. Low-cost ones are available on Amazon but we recommend the Crafted Elements High Performance 1/4" Spiral Down Cut Flush Trim Bit.

For pocketing, resin backfills, or wood inlays a handheld plunge router is recommended. Wood inlay templates (such as bow ties and butterflies) require an inlay kit with a spacer bushing, such as the Whiteside 9500 Solid Brass Inlay Kit. For general pocketing and recesses use the Amana Tool 45983 (1/2“) radiused bit, Amana Tool 45460-S (1/2”), 45475-S (3/8”) or 47224-S (1/4”) straight bits or similar router bits.

How do I avoid router kickback when using templates?
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There is definitely a learning curve and experimentation involved when you first start using your router table to shape workpieces. One of the most common complaints for people just starting out is known as "kickback". It can often create a blemish or even notable damage in the piece you are working on.

There are multiple factors at play here including 1. How much material you have left on your piece (it should be 1/4" or less) 2. What speed you are running your router at. 3. What router bit you are using (larger diameter bits are more problematic) and 4. Whether you are using a starting pin with your router table.

To best explain the factors above there are two videos worth watching that may help you resolve kickback and other routering issues:

https://craftedelements.com/kickback

https://craftedelements.com/starterpin

What slab levelling router bit(s) should I use with the router sled?
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There are many slab levelling bits available. They also called spoil board surfacing bits which is in reference to their use in CNC machining.

If you are using a full sized router (generally 2hp or more) we recommend using a surfacing bit with a 1/2" shaft and a cutter diameter between 2-3". The bit we use in our tutorial video with our router sled is the SpeTool 2.5" spoil board bit from Amazon.

If you are using a trim router which are typically around 1hp, you will want to use a 1/4" shaft bit with a cutter no more than 1.5" in diameter. The bit we used in our trim router sled tutorial video is the SpeTool 1.25" surfacing router bit from Amazon.

Do you sell wood, resin, or mold release spray?
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At this time we do not sell pre-cut wood or resin. We focus on making the best molds, templates, and time saving tools, keeping sufficient stock and shipping our core products out lightning fast.

Our favorite epoxy resin is made by TotalBoat, which you can buy on Amazon.

Our top recommended mold releases are the MG Chemicals 8329 or Mann/Smooth On Ease Release 200, Mann/Smooth On Ease Release 300.

How do I return a product?
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We are sorry to hear that you want to return your purchase.

As long as your item was purchased less than 30 days ago, is unused and still in new condition you can return it to us for a full refund.*

You can ship your item(s) back to:

Crafted Elements

245 Southgate Drive, Unit 12

Guelph, Ontario, Canada

N1G 3M5

Tel: 519-212-2111

info@craftedelements.com

Please be sure to include the original order number and name on the box, or printed on a piece of paper inside the box. A copy of your e-mailed order confirmation will also suffice. No additional RMA number is required.

If you are located in the USA we strongly encourage you to return your order using USPS (US Postal Service). Using a courier like UPS or FedEx will incur a $30 charge to us upon importation back into Canada. This fee will be deducted from your refund if you choose to use UPS or FedEx for your return.

Please be sure to declare the value of your item at no more than $50 on the commercial invoice, and to indicate "Goods For Return". Failure to do this will result in additional fees to us which will be deducted from your refund.

Please note that we do not provide pre-paid return labels. It is the customers responsibility to pay the shipping costs involved in returning an item.

Why are your products so darn awesome?
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What can we say? We have a real passion for creating epic molds to help makers just like you, make epic things. We hope you enjoy our products as much as we like designing and making them!