small clay beads

[matt mirabello]

I am a soil scientist/graduate student at cornell university.  I am working on making soil "beads" for growing plants and small insects.  I need a way to mass produce small beads from wet clay.  I have been doing it by hand, pushing and rolling the wet clay through a screen.  It gives lots of small roundish clay beads in a range of small sizes.  It works well but is very labor intensive.  If anyone can recommend another technique that can make  much more in large amounts quickly and cheaply?

Here is a picture for the product I am hoping to make:


any suggestions recommendations or direction will be greatly appreciated

thanks

Matt

[daverobertson]

Hire an undergrad research assistant?   '>

Great question, Matt.  It sounds like necessity has forced you to be innovative, a common experience in research...  

Based on exposure to the world of polymer-clay crafts, I have a mental picture of trying to use a pasta maker.  If your clay isn't too viscous or grainy, maybe you could extrude "noodles" of various gauges, which you'd be able to quickly chop up into beads.

Anyone have a clearer idea?

I couldn't resist answering...I almost went to Cornell, and I'm a grad student too.

--Dave at Rings & Things

[Luann Udell]

Okay, I'm confused.

Beads have a HOLE through them!  Matt, do you need PELLETS?  Or small forms with holes?

Short of expensive machinery (and Dave's excellent idea), maybe you could contact some local high schools and talk to their science/environmental classes.  

You might be able to pick up a class or a cadre of students there who would be happy to do this for you, for the experience of hanging with a graduate student & his project at Cornell (and seeing what that's like) AND learning how such a project/proposal gets put together, AND knowing they were a small part of getting that project running.

If you have ANY money to spend, that would sweeten the pot, but I bet there are students who would be willing to help out a few hours just to be a part of something like that.

If you're willing to share your dream, your time and your experience with them, you'll be amazed how willing they are to help.  (Not ALL of them, of course, but how many helpers do you need?)   '>

[matt mirabello]

(daverobertson @ Mar. 26 2008,08:04)

QUOTE

Based on exposure to the world of polymer-clay crafts, I have a mental picture of trying to use a pasta maker.  If your clay isn't too viscous or grainy, maybe you could extrude "noodles" of various gauges, which you'd be able to quickly chop up into beads.

I thought of trying a pasta maker,  I am also going to try using a meat grinder as well.  The key seems to be getting it viscous enough to move through the grinder but not to wet that it all sticks together.  
there are very expensive pellet making machines available, but I do not have a need to do this on a large scale

Matt