Sand Casting with Delft Clay: February 23

This class is currently sold out. Please contact us to get on the waitlist, and mention is class in your email.

Learn how to cast jewelry in a quick and cost effective manner! While Lost Wax Casting equipment can cost up to $3000, learning how to sand cast using Delft Clay is only about 1/10 of the cost!  Delft clay is a very fine grain sand. In this one-day workshop, you will learn the entire process of preparing a mold (wax carving time included), creating ventilation and a pouring spout, casting their design into the mold, and cleaning it up.

Sand casting is a more accessible and less intimidating form of casting as compared to investment casting. Not only are the tools required much more affordable, but the method is also much more efficient in that you can create your mold and cast your design in comfortably less than an hour. The low cost and short lead time make it an excellent entryway into the realm of casting. There are also some great applications where this method might be preferable:

• You can sand cast your wax model without losing your wax, giving you a working metal model to refine and make a mold from. This way, there is no risk of losing the wax model you worked so hard on if it fails to cast properly with lost wax casting.

• You can make impressions of rigid, naturally occurring items such as rocks or sticks, and directly cast them into metal designs.

• You can complete the process from start to finish individually, whereas investment casting requires 2 people in order to be performed safely.

Details:

• Sunday, February 23, 9:00-5:00
• 8 contact hours, ages 14+ located at the Silver Peak Studio Classroom 100.5 E. Cleveland, Lafayette 80026
• # students: 3 minimum, 6 maximum
• Tools are provided
• Materials base kit fee is $30 + 2-3 oz sterling silver casting grain (or you may you bring your own CLEAN silver scrap (scrap must not have any solder). Also: instead of carving was, you may bring a small, rigid item to cast – this could be a wax carving, an existing piece of jewelry to replicate, a small plastic trinket like a Lego figure, a cool rock or stick that you found, etc. *We have TONS of options available at the studio as well, so no problem if you come without anything!*
• Prerequisite: none

The last day to cancel your reservation for a refund or transfer ($25 transfer fee applies) is February 9, 2025.

By registering for a class at Silver Peak Studio, you agree to our cancellation policy, dress code for class, and studio rules.

About the instructor, Bryan Schon

“With a background in psychology and paintball, I truly stumbled into the realm of metalsmithing and never looked back. I grew up in Massachusetts and studied psychology at the University of Connecticut, where I captained the paintball team and ran an online paintball business. Upon graduating, I took a job as a behavioral health technician in Lakewood, Colorado and continued to run my web business. Eventually I had the opportunity to move into a brick-and-mortar location, but as luck would have it my lease was signed right when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. 

When my lease expired in 2021, I decided to liquidate the business and considered pursuing a master’s degree in psychology. I invested some of the money in silver bullion, and one dealer gifted me a coin ring, sparking my curiosity about how it was made. I decided to take an introductory metalsmithing course and fell in love with the meditative and rewarding nature of working with my hands. I proceeded to teach myself the coin ring process and by October 2022 I was teaching classes on the subject. 

My love of both metalsmithing and teaching have blossomed, and I have expanded my skills and class offerings to include sandcasting and fusing with Argenteum. I am captivated by jewelry-scale work and driven by an endless pursuit of knowledge and a strong desire to share it with others. Now based in the greater Denver area, I am passionate about sharing my craft and hope to expand my teaching nationally in the coming years. I’ve also developed a strong interest in the 3D realm including 3d printing, laser engraving, CAD/CAM, and AI, and I plan to continue to incorporate these innovative technologies into my work moving forward.”