Lesson: Prototyping

Lesson 1: Prototyping
The first step in production is prototyping. Prototyping can be done in a variety of materials. The end result of this process is a test piece- one that you can mold to begin your production.

Lesson 1: Prototyping
The first step in production is prototyping. Prototyping can be done in a variety of materials. The end result of this process is a test piece- one that you can mold to begin your production.

Benefits to prototyping:
Working out technical and wearability issues before you spend the money to get a lot of pieces made
Refining the way the piece can be put together or assembled to maximize efficienty
Good tool for brainstorming on related pieces

For prototypes:
• Begin with quick sketches.
• Narrow ideas down and make quick rough maquettes. These can be out of whatever material you like best- computer, card stock, clay, tinfoil, wax, etc.
• Narrow down again, and make more detailed maquettes. These should be refined enough to be able to test balance, weight, wearability. Metal, plastic, wax, computer are all good materials.
• Finalize details, make changes, and create the final moldable piece.

Things to consider when making your prototypes:
• Do not make your prototype thinner than 20ga.
• You can solder on any jump rings, or tubing for connections, bails, etc. You can also solder on posts for pearls and settings for gemstones to your prototype before having it molded. This way all of those items are there in the piece already. This is best for anything that you would be soldering on repeatedly anyways. If you aren’t sure if you want to have the same size stone on every piece, don’t solder the setting to the prototype.
• If you think you will be using the same clasp or end caps a lot, get molds of them also.
• If the piece is hollow, it will cast solid.
• In order for it to remain hollow, cut the piece in half. The mold will contain each half. You can either put them together after injecting the mold or solder the halves together after they are cast.
• Mold-making will decrease the thickness of the metal, as well as the overall size of the piece slightly. The exact shrinkage depends on your piece.
• If you want the final castings to be 20 ga., make your prototype from 18ga., and so on.
• If your prototype will have jump rings or other connective elements (tubing for hinges, bails) make them a bit thicker than you otherwise would.
• If you will be soldering links or clasps connecting t a cast jump ring, make sure to twist your jump rings slightly so that when they are molded and cast, they are in an open position.
• If you are casting bezels or prongs, make the setting slightly larger or thicker than you would. A thicker bezel or prong gives you more versatility in fitting the stone since you can remove material from either the inside or outside to have it fit the stone. For a 4mm bezel, I’d recommend making it 4.1mm and out of 22ga instead of 24-26ga.
• Finish the piece as best you can. If you want a polished finish, polish the prototype. While the cast pieces will not come back polished, this tremendously cuts down on the amount of cleaning up.
• Make any textures stronger than you want them as some texture will be lost in the injecting process.
• If making a ring, pick a middle size: 7-8, so you can size up or down.
• Is there anything about your pieces that will be easier to fabricate after you do the castings? If so do, then do them. Casting is not an all-purpose short cut.
• Things that are better to do after casting: ear wires, ear posts, pin backs, most findings, anything that is either precision, or will need a lot of tension. The metal pieces returned from casting are dead soft. It is usually more time consuming to clean them up then harden as opposed to soldering them on later.
• If you want 2 different metals in a piece, you must cast the metals separately and then solder or rivet together later.