Today, most guitar picks are made from a variety of plastic. Many plastics require special technology and equipment to manufacture, but casein can be brewed up in the kitchen with two household ingredients.
How to Make Casein for Plastic Guitar Picks
To make casein for guitar picks, musicians will need just two cups of milk and two tablespoons of vinegar. After following a few simple steps, they will turn these two ingredients into plastic.
- Pour 2 cups of milk into a sauce pan.
- Heat the milk on low, stirring constantly to prevent burning or boiling.
- When the milk is warm, add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and continue to stir for several more minutes.
As soon as the vinegar is mixed with the milk, musicians will notice an amazing transformation. The milk separates into a clear liquid and floating white flakes. This white material is the casein.
To separate the floating plastic from the hot liquid, musicians will need a strainer. They can line the bottom of the strainer with paper towels and then pour the warm mixture slowly, allowing time for the liquid to filter through.
Musicians can allow the casein to cool for a few minutes before handling it. When the plastic is a comfortable temperature, musicians will need to squeeze as much liquid out of it as possible.
Products formed with casein need around two or three days to dry. Musicians can store unused plastic in a ziplock bag or other air-tight container.
How to Make a Mold for a Guitar Plectrum
Casein can be shaped by hand, but remains somewhat flaky until completely dry. For this reason, it may prove easier to form guitar picks using a mold.
The easiest way to make a mold requires a small piece of sheet metal, some tin snips, and pliers. Once a mold is made, it can be used to create as many picks as desired.
- Select a favorite pick that is a preferred size and shape.
- Place the pick on its side on the end of the sheet metal then roll it along to determine the length of metal needed to wrap around it.
- Make a mark then use tin snips to cut the metal.
- Use pliers to bend the scrap of metal around the pick to create what looks like a pick-shaped cookie cutter.
Making the Casein Guitar Picks
Whether shaping the casein by hand or pressing it into a mold, musicians will want to leave their picks slightly thicker to accommodate for sanding and finishing. They’ll have enough casein to experiment with several shapes and thicknesses. It’s a good idea to try a variety since every nuance of a pick—the point or roundedness of its tip, its thickness, and its shape—greatly effect tone and playability.
Once the picks are formed, musicians should put them in an out-of-the-way spot and leave them alone for several days. When the picks are dry, they can be buffed up with coarse sand paper. Finishing touches may include smoothing and beveling edges or tapering points on thicker picks.
Casein picks have a pleasantly dark tone compared to other plastic plectrums. It’s hard to believe, but the material which days earlier was simply milk and vinegar can now stand up to steel guitar strings.
In related articles, players can:
- Discover guidelines for selecting the best guitar pick based on style of playing and personal preference.
- Learn how the thickness of a guitar plectrum affects its tone.
- Explore the materials used to make guitar picks and the unique voice each offers.
- Read about the various shapes of guitar picks to find which works best for them.
Marcy Paulson - From the moment Marcy Paulson picked up a recorder in fourth grade music class, she was hooked. Since then, her passion for music has ...
