or
Start Your Own Jewelry Business for Less Than $100.00
Let's Get Started
You can start your own jewelry business by starting out with very
little equipment! Bean casting is a method that
can be use to create very unusual creations that can be used for
jewelry. Bean casting is not much more than just
pouring a metal that has been melted into a can of beans. The metal
flows in and around the beans and "freezes" into
shapes created by the spaces between the beans. However, even though it
is a very simple method, there are some
steps that should be taken to improve the castings and insure the
safety of the caster.
You will need the following supplies to be successful at casting and making a
piece of jewelry with Bean Casting.
Casting Supplies and Tools For photo, click here.
Polishing and Finishing Supplies and Tools
Total: $88.00
Lets start your business!
Step One: Make your crucible.
Use the ball burr to carve out a small "bowl" in one end of the 2 x 4
block of wood. For photo, click here.
The idea of using a piece of wood for the crucible was given to me by
Brian Adams (brian@adam.co.nz and his web
site is: http://www.adam.co.nz/jewelry/tree.htm).
Step Two: Carve a pour spout.
Use the ball burr to carve out a "pour spout" from the bowl to the edge of
the 2 x 4. For photo, click here. Your crucible is
finished!
Step Three: Divide silver in to smaller portions.
your silver into two, three or even four equal groups. For photo, click here. This will make it easier and quicker to
melt and cast.
Step Four: Place one portion into the bowl of the "crucible". For photo, click here.
Step Five: Learn to Light the Torch.
First let me show you how to light a lighter correctly for lighting the
torch. Hold the lighter so that your thumb rolls
the striking wheel to the side of the thumb. For photo, click here. Do not
use the tip of your thumb. For photo, click here.
This will hurt your thumb, and it may touch the hot metal part of the
lighter while you are lighting the torch. Ouch!
Lighting the torch is easy if you do it right. Do it wrong and it scares
you, your neighbor, and your teacher! Follow
these steps and you will never be afraid of lighting a torch again.
Step 6: Prepare the Beans for Casting.
Fill an empty soup can with beans, rice, pasta, or other natural
objects of your choice. Fill the can up to about 1/2
inch from the top. For photo, click here.
Note: I have tried casting with the beans dry and with the beans covered
in water. I found that I liked the results of
the dry beans better. The castings seem to have a more interesting shape
with the beans being dry. It does really
smoke and stink for a while, so plan for it if you decide to cast dry. I
would recommend that you try both ways.
If you decide to use water, fill the can with water until the beans are
just covered with a little water. I tried about 1/8
of an inch. It worked fine, but I felt the water cooled the silver too
quickly to make as interesting of a casting as when I
tried it dry. For photo, click here.
Step Seven: Get Ready To Cast.
Prepare to cast by choosing where you going to cast. I do not recommend
that you do this in your living room or
kitchen. Your bedroom is much more comfortable. NO, no, just kidding. I
would not recommend bean casting in your
house at all! You should always use a friend's house. NO, no, just kidding! Because
of the fire and smoke caused by the burning 2x4
and the smell of the burning beans, I would cast either in a shop area,
garage, or outdoors. There is also the very
likely chance that you could spill the silver, and it will instantly burn
large holes in carpet or linoleum.
Safely Note: Be sure to make sure your fire extinguisher is charged. To
do this, take a plastic cup, fill it with water,
and keep it handy. Also, you should wear goggles or eye protection.
(Actually, I recommend that you prepare to
cast by doing the following: Put on an athletic cup, knee pads, elbow
pads, back brace, lifting belt and body armor.
Then cover all this and yourself with tin foil, especially the top of
your head. Then put on one of those fire fighting
suits (you know the ones that used to be made of asbestos until we found
that it hunts us down and attacks us.) Put in
ear plugs, followed by those ear protector muffs, and a helmet. Protect
your hands with welding gloves, and put on
steel-toed shoes. Put on light filter glasses followed by goggles. Be
sure to put on the best air filtering mask that you
can find, and hook an oxygen mask to that. Be very careful with the
oxygen--we are going to use a torch you know.
Oh, the tin foil is so that you can be detected by aliens as you cast.
(They are always trying to steal this technology.)
Final warning: if you do something stupid, you can injure yourself, burn
down your neighbor's house and your own, kill the
dog, and/or start a small world war. There! I think I have now covered
my tail as far as safety. I hope so! Proceed at your
own risk!
I chose a place in a small personal shop that I built beside my house.
I set up everything on a metal chair, more to
make it easier to take photos than because of safety issues. From top left clockwise: I set up the fire extinguisher (white cup filled with
water), small paper cup with a little borax in it for fluxing, torch,
2x4 with silver in hollowed out part, and the can of
beans (the mold). For photo, click here.
Step Eight: Light the torch. For photo, click here.
Step Nine: Adjust the Flame Length.
You will need a flame about 1 1/2 inches long. For photo, click here.
Step Ten: Begin to Melt the Silver.
Hold the torch so that the small blue flame is placed just above the
silver. The point of the small blue flame is the
hottest part of the flame. For photo, click here. If it is too far away from
the silver, it will take too long to cast. If held too
close, it will actually cool the silver. The flame should be pointed at
about a 45 degree angle. For photo, click here. If it is
pointed down at too sharp of an angle, it could blow itself out.
The 2x4 will begin to burn a little, but not as much as you might
think. For photo, click here. I was surprised at how
little. I was concerned about the possibility of moisture in the wood. I
feared that it might come out as steam and
splatter the molten metal, so as I heated the silver, I was a little
afraid the first time. I have used this method about
five times with new wood each time to be sure of the safety, and to take the photos
for this class. I had no problems, as the torch
heated the wood, I saw no steam or moisture. I would recommend that you
make sure this wood is dry before you
start.
Step Eleven: Flux the Metal.
If you are using scrap or dirty silver, take a pinch of borax and
sprinkle it over the silver. For photo, click here. I used
just the borax that you can purchase at the grocery store for about
$2.50 for a big box. The borax will "clean" the dirt
off the molten silver. Quickly take the torch off the molten silver and
then quickly put it on again. This causes the flux
to collect on the sides of the puddle of molten silver, carrying the
dirt with it.
Step Twelve: Cast.
Grab the other end of the 2x4 with your right hand if you are right
handed. The torch should be in your left hand.
Carefully position the 2x4 over the can of beans. For photo, click here.
Keep the torch on the silver until you pour it.
For photo, click here. You may want to experiment with how fast you pour. Different strategies will produce different results. Try pouring all the silver in one area, or
pour it in a circular motion to spread it out a little.
Step Thirteen: Put out beans with fire extinguisher!
If you are using dry beans they will begin to smoke quickly and profusely.
Warning: It STINKS! So, grab the fire
extinguisher (cup of water) and fill the can with water quickly!
For photo, click here. Your clothes could even smell
like burnt beans if you do not. (This smoke could effect your tin foil
underwear, also, making it possible for the aliens
to detect you!) Also, put out any flames on the 2x4. If you are not
going to use it again, pour water on it to put out
any embers that could still be glowing. For photo, click here. If you are
not going to use it again right away, soak it in
a bucket of water or in the sink. Make sure it cannot start burning
again and place it somewhere that it will be safe if it
does. Inside your charcoal grill would be a great place. A day or so
later you can throw it away or use it again.
Step Fourteen: Pour the Beans Into a Bowl and Find Your Bean Casting!
Empty your can of beans into a container and search through the beans to
find your bean casting and all small pieces
of silver that may have split off. For photo, click here. Step Fifteen: Clean your casting.
You may have to pry out some of the beans from your casting. For photo, click here.
Step Sixteen: View your bean casting with the awe and wonder that a one
of a kind piece deserves.
Look at it and see if you want to keep it. For photo, click here. If you
do not like it, go back to Step four, and cast it
again. If you like it, go to Step Seventeen.
Step Seventeen: Plan a piece of jewelry with your new bean casting.
Now comes the hard part. You have to decide what to do with your new
creation. They make
great pendants that are easy to sell. I have decided to make a bracelet
out of about six of them. I may include stones.
If you have done silversmithing, go head and make a piece of jewelry. If
not, go to step Eighteen.
Step Eighteen: Wait for the next class on how to solder things on to the
bean casting to make jewelry.
I will teach you how to solder jump rings, earring posts, bolo backs and
tie tack pins onto these bean castings so that
they can be sold as jewelry.
Step Nineteen: Send photos to me.
I will make a page for all bean casting photos and the jewelry made from
them if you will email them to me. Even put
a price on them, and we will sell them for you! Let's keep it to four per
person maximum.
Step Twenty: Remove all safety clothing and equipment.
Continue wearing the tin foil at all times! Aliens you know! See some successful castings from this method.
If you have any questions, or a better way to do any thing, please let
me know by emailing me at dnorris@frii.com.
Second Photo.
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