Frequently Asked Questions

All domestic and international orders are sent with tracked shipping unless stated otherwise. If the item is a flat item and has free shipping listed on it, the item will be sent as a letter domestically within Australia with no tracking. ALL international orders no matter the size or weight will be sent tracked.

If you spend over $400 AUD and reside within Australia, your cart with automatically quality you for FREE shipping 

You will automatically get an email and a notification of your tracking number when a shipping label has been made and your order dispatched. You can track your parcel through the link in the email or through entering the number in Australia Post website under ‘track your order’. Please refer to that link to check the location of your item. I cannot tell you any more information on the status/location of your shipment than what that shows you. 

Please take note there may be delays in the postal system internationally due to the aftereffects of covid. Please understand your package may take longer to arrive than normal, although the postage system is significantly improving! If you require your mould faster, please purchase express international shipping. Take note, if you purchase express shipping that does not make the processing time to make the order quicker. 

I take no responsibility for refunding delayed items due to seasonal Christmas delays, world events or general postal delays. However, please don't hesitate to contact me with any issues about your order and I shall do my best to assist you.

I am not responsible for lost/stolen/damaged parcels due to postal provider. Once I have shipped the item and provided you with the tracking number the post is out of my hands. If you chose untracked postage (usually free and only available domestically) that is your choice/risk if the parcel goes missing.

Tracked shipping will automatically be insured for $100 AUD value through Australia Post if it is declared lost after a claim and investigation has been completed. According to Australia post, investigations cannot be started in till there is no tracking updates for 6 weeks. I’m proud to say that after 4 years of sending thousands of parcels internationally I have not lost one parcel.

In the unlikely event your parcel goes missing and it has a tracking number, I will work with you to create a case with the parcel courier to get your parcel value refunded. 

If you want full insurance on the shipping on your parcel for an amount greater than $100 please contact me and I will get the cost for you.

The customer is responsible to pay import taxes and fees. I take no responsibility if you don’t pick up your parcel from your local post office in time if you are not home and left a postage pickup flyer. If your parcel was not picked up and returned to sender, I will contact you to let you know. You are required to pay the shipping fee to have the parcel posted again. 

Please take care of your moulds by treating them right. Refunds for misuse will not be accepted. 

Store on a flat surface in a dust proof draw or shelf. You can wrap the mould in glad wrap to keep dust off.

If storing multiple moulds on top of each other, and the mould has a wide flat opening e.g., like a tray, use a piece of rigid carboard ]/plastic in-between the mould layers to stop the moulds touching/denting/scratching the internal walls of each other.

To clean press down gently with adhesive packaging tape to pick up any cured resin droplets, dust, hair etc. Do not swipe or rub with the tape as that can scratch your moulds glossy surface.
You can also clean with warm soapy water but be careful of rough fingertips and nails scratching or rubbing on the internal walls of your mould. Rubbing can cause the moulds finish to dull or matte. 

Dry upside down on a towel, try to bang out as many droplets as possible as water droplet marks can transfer onto your resin pieces on highly glass glossy finishes. Blowing out all the water with an air compressor or hair dryer will help minimise droplet marks.

Do not over stretch, pick at or pull your mould, you may cause thin pieces to tear.

If you struggle demoulding, I recommend watching my process videos on Instagram @hillside_art_studio to see the best method. All moulds for sale have been tried and tested and can be demoulded easily, however some people may struggle initially as it’s a skill and a bit of a practice makes perfect process while developing muscle memory and coordination. It gets easier the more you do it and the stronger your hands get. 

If your mould has a slit, that is 100% intentional as the mould cannot be demoulded without it. Use the rubber bands provided to hold your mould together while casting. 

If you have a lot of large air pockets cured inside your resin its possible these bubbles can rip the internal walls of your mould while demoulding if you are not careful or paying attention. Please ensure methods to ensure minimal bubbles (read following sections on bubble minimising methods).

Do not use torch flames or heat guns on your silicone moulds. The extreme heat emitted from these can heat up your resin to extremely high levels and interfere with its natural curing process and create an exothermic reaction where the resin cures too fast, makes a large amount of bubbles and smokes. This heat can degrade the silicone material of your mould much quicker. 

Instead, there are other ways to decrease bubbles. Bath your resin in containers in warm water before mixing- this will thin the resin and help bubbles introduced while mixing to rise and pop.

Use mould release to help extend your moulds life. 

To pop bubbles once floated to the top/surface use isopropyl alcohol spray and sprits the resin. 

Work in a weather-controlled room. People often like to work in their garages, while this a good space for air flow, it often reaches very cold temperatures during the night and especially in winter. Curing resin in cold temperatures (under 20 degrees Celsius) puts a lot more strain on your mould and degrades the silicone quicker. This is often the case when a mould whitens and dulls (loses its glossy finish). 

On the other hand, a too hot room can cause the resin curing process to cure to quick and increase the chance of exothermic reactions and also increase the breakdown of the silicone. 

No refunds if you misuse and damage it on your own accord. You can degrade the silicone quicker on your moulds from using the wrong type of resin i.e., deep pour resin, casting resin, topcoat resin, using flame torches, heat guns, pouring in too large volumes according to your resin instructions, demoulding with large air pockets or half full, pouring in too hot or cold climates. It is your responsibility to research the resin/products you use and use the correct method and volumes. (Lots more of this info is talk about in the document I send out in first orders).

While there are many things you can do to help look after your mould, eventually due to the harsh nature of the chemical reaction happening while resin is curing, (whether that’s 50 or 100 casts) the mould will degrade and loose its glossy finish. I suggest keeping your moulds even when they have lost their glossy finish and use them with mediums that are more forgiving and don’t require a glossy finish. I.e., Concrete, gypsum, jesmonite, ausmonite, plaster, wax, candles etc. 

Do not use your moulds for highly abrasive mediums like concrete and expect to use it with resin after and it still have a high gloss finish.