What's So Great About Little Windows Molds?

by Fran Valera

* Polished to a mirror finish so whatever colors and textures you put in will be reflected up and around the sides, creating a gorgeous "frame of light"

* Fine-tooled geometric shapes in 3 sizes + hearts

* Great depth for variety in casting

* Re-usable over and over

* No mold release needed

* Our Little Windows Cropping Software re-sizes and crops your pix to fit perfectly in each of the Small and Medium Shapes!

Try out our Medium 1" Square shape cropping software for free, and if you like it, the other Small and Medium shapes are available in our shop. When you purchase our Croppers, you'll have instant access to your new shapes.

Posted in Brilliant Molds

What are the mold sizes?

by Fran Valera

Here are the sizes for all of our Little Windows mirror-finish molds.  Our mold sets include cropping templates, we have Photo Cropping Software available in our shop, or you can use Photoshop, Microsoft Word, or GoogleDocs to re-size your pics.  These dimensions are approximate, your cut-out should fit at bottom of the mold, and our molds angle out a bit, so the finished cast piece dimension depends on how thick your castings are.

LITTLE WINDOWS MOLD DIMENSIONS (approx):

Size & Shape        Photo/Paper/Fabric should be…  Cast piece will be about…

 

SMALL MOLDS

Small square           5/8”    (16mm)                                ¾”   (19mm)

Small circle              5/8”    (16mm)                                ¾”   (19mm)

Small oval               5/8 x 15/16”  (16 x 24mm)             3/4 x 1”  (19 x 25mm)

Small rectangle       9/16 x 15/16”  (15 x 23mm)          11/16 x 1”  (18 x 25mm)

Small - castings can be as thin as 1/8" up to about 3/8"  (3mm-10mm)

 

MEDIUM MOLDS

Medium square        1”  (25mm)                                    1-1/8”  (29mm)

Medium circle           1”  (25mm)                                    1-1/8”  (29mm)

Medium oval             1” x 1-3/8” (25 x 35mm)             1-1/8 x 1-1/2” (29 x 38mm)

Medium rectangle     7/8 x 1-3/8” (21 x 35mm)           1” x 1-1/2” (25 x 38mm)

Medium - castings can be as thin as 1/8", up to about 3/8"  (3mm-10mm)

 

LARGE AND DOUBLE-SIDED MOLDS

Large square        2”  (50mm)                                           + 1/8" - 1/4"

Large circle           2”  (50mm)                                           + 1/8" - 1/4"

Large oval             2” x 2-1/2” (45 x 63mm)                     + 1/8" - 1/4"

Large rectangle     1-3/4" x 2-1/2” (45 x 63mm)               + 1/8" - 1/4"

These Large Molds can be cast from 1/8" up to 3/4" thick (3mm - 20mm).

 

Square Bangle - Opening 2-1/2" (64mm)

Circle Bangle - Opening 2-1/2" (64mm) wider on the diagonal

Oval Bangle - Opening is 2-1/2" x 3" (64 x 75mm)

Rectangle Bangle - Opening 2-3/8" x 3" (60 x 77mm)

Bangles can be cast from 1/8" to just under 3/4" (3mm - 18mm).

   

HEART MOLDS

1" Heart                 1"W x 13/16”H   (25 x 21mm)                + 1/8" - 1/4"

1-1/2" Heart           1-1/2"W x 1-3/16”H  (35 x 30mm)      + 1/8" - 1/4"                        

2" Heart                  2"W x 1-5/8”H  (50 x 41mm)                 + 1/8" - 1/4"      

2-1/2" Heart           2-1/2”W x 2"H   (60 x 50mm)              + 1/8" - 1/4"

Heart castings can be as thin as 1/8", up to about 1/2"  (14mm)

 

All cast pieces can be then domed higher, see "Doming Up" How-to Video

 

We offer online Cropping Software for all Small and Medium shapes, if you would like to resize your photos for any of our molds, click here for a guide on Resizing Photos Using Microsoft Word or GoogleDocs.

Posted in Brilliant Molds

My mold curves up, how do I flatten it?

by Fran Valera

Sometimes in shipping our molds can be bent or curved. Simply bend it back the opposite way and it should lie flat. Another way to make sure each cavity is level with your surface is to cut them apart to use individually. A third option would be to tape the ends down to your work surface, but I prefer one of the first two options.

Posted in Brilliant Molds

Can I use other molds?

by Fran Valera

Yes!  But your results will vary depending on what the mold is made of, and how well it's made.  The finish on the inside of the mold determines the finish on your cast piece. 

Silicone molds work well, but come in a variety of finishes - some rough, others seem smooth but will leave your surface looking cloudy/frosted, some are shiny.  You'll have to experiment to see what you get.  You can make your own molds using silicone putty too, which is lots of fun!

You can use any mold that was made for resin casting, but be sure to follow the manufacturer's suggestions for which mold release chemicals to use.  Avoid thin plastic molds (like those made for candy-making), as resin will stick to that type of plastic and you'll have difficulty getting your cured pieces out. 

Our molds are...
* Polished to a mirror finish so whatever colors and textures you put in will be reflected up and around the sides, creating a gorgeous "frame of light"
* Fine-tooled geometric shapes in 3 sizes, plus beautiful hearts in 4 sizes
* Great depth for variety in casting
* Re-usable over and over
* No mold release needed
Our Little Windows Cropping Software re-sizes and crops your pix to fit perfectly in each of the Small and Medium Shapes! Try out our Medium 1" Square shape cropper for free, and if you like it, the other shapes are available in our shop. When you purchase any of our Croppers, you'll have instant access to your new shapes.
Posted in Brilliant Molds

Can I use other Resins?

by Fran Valera

Although you never want to mix different brands or types of resin together while wet, you can use Little Windows Brilliant Resin to coat other types of resin, as long as they are cured and clean. 

Brilliant Resin is the safest epoxy you'll find, without the solvents and toxins that are common with other brands.  Each resin product on the market was designed to be used in a specific way.  Some are made to coat wood surfaces, others for casting large pieces, or making repairs.  If you want to create small, shiny things like jewelry, accessories, buttons and embellishments, that's exactly what Little Windows Brilliant Resin was developed to do.

Another benefit is that our resin does not generate a lot of heat while it's curing.  Resins that cure hot may damage your molds, and the elements you add.  If you choose to use products from other manufacturers, please make sure to follow those manufacturers' instructions, and you may need to experiment to achieve the results you're looking for.

Pour resin before or after adding elements?

by Fran Valera

When using molds, you should always pour your resin in before adding any items. If you put your embedments in first - especially photos or other flat pieces - you risk trapping air pockets under them as you pour in resin. This can result in rough finish, or lots of bubbles making their way to the top as the resin cures.