How Coconut Buttons Are Made?
Coconut buttons are made from the shell of the coconut. This is a brief description of the manufacturing process.
The raw materials (coconuts) are first separated into different components. In general, it is separate into flesh, husk, and shell. They all have various industrial usages. In this case, the coconut shells are collected and then clean to make sure no flesh remain on the inner surface. The shells are first per-treated in boiling water to remove any potential parasites and loosen up the flesh. Then any flesh remained on the shell is remove, this is done traditionally using a curve blade that is similar in shape to a spoon, but it is now more commonly done with machine.
The shells are then separated into different sizes and then the shells are die cut into blanks.
The blanks are washed and then put into a rotating dumb to smooth out all the rough edges. Now the blanks are ready to be made into buttons, they go onto a machine that drills holes into them, and any other ridges or pattern can be engraved on the surface. The resulting buttons are polished and wash for the last time, and then the buttons are put into a dry room. Drying is a very important step, since coconut shells are hydroscopic, as excess moisture can cause the buttons to get moulded. If the dry room is too hot it may cause the buttons to crack.
Paint or vanish can also be applied to the coconut buttons.