Yea! I think it could be fun and a cool thing to do to interact with folks. I like the idea of people making stuff and being into the hobby, but I also wouldn't want to contribute to an influx of folks just trying to make a buck on selling artisans.
Getting started with the guidance of someone who's done it would definitely make the process less intimidating for people who want to try it out! And I think it would be productive just for people to see and understand what all goes into artisan making.
There are a lot of components to master though - sculpting, mold making, casting - and ultimately you'd have a lot of equipment to buy and stuff to get to do it on your own! It would be fun to do like 3 meetups for casting though. First one could be making your own design, second for mold making, and third as actual casting. Seems like a lot to organize, but could be fun. I enjoy teaching though and it would probably be a nice outlet for me even. I'd be open to doing something like that in the future.
Yeah you make a good point. I didn't consider it as a business, I just want to make stuff for myself or to trade if i ever get good enough.
I suppose you could simplify the whole 'class' and do something like "make a raised letter keycap weekend/GH meet up". Minimal sculpey use, simple mold, single shot cast. I dunno, you've gotten so good at the whole process i'd love to just sit and watch your work flow and ask questions. 
There are lots of informative videos on YT that cover the basics of casting and even some advance techniques. A lot of it is trial and error and figuring out a system that works best for you. With that in mind, I would think a casting workshop would impart limited educational benefit, simply because a lot of it is dependent on individual setups. You may go home and try it again and because of the slight temperature difference of your environment that the resin isn't behaving as you'd expect.
Yeah thats one of many pitfalls and questions i've read from people starting out. It would be pretty cool to have someone there to ask and have them show you how to skip all that "reinventing the wheel" right from the start though, right?
My favorite aspect of "beginners workshop" type classes is that you get to try out something with the supervision of an expert before you make the financial commitment to it. Pottery classes come to mind.
Pottery classes are a good example and that's what I was thinking of as well! It's a hobby that requires a lot of skill and resources and many people want to try it before they get too sucked in.
A lot of makers, I used to be one of them, like to hide their process though... kind of like "i had to figure it all out, so should they!" and I agree with the sentiment to an extent, but I also think communities grow from helping one another and exploring new ideas together! If I had had the opportunity for someone to teach me to cast, or if I had the opportunity to learn it in college or something in a more hands on way, I would have jumped on the chance.
I personally wouldn't be too worried about people trying to make money off the community... If someone can figure it all out and do a good job, with or without my help, then I think that's cool. I also think it's more the responsibility of community members to identify quality work over crappy gold diggers anyway. There will always be people trying to make a buck. In fact, being more transparent about the process, cost, and risk may educate people in a way that provides a better understanding of what quality work is.
Also, you can make a mold of like anything as a demonstration, not necessarily keycaps. The process of making a mold and resin casting is really cool and can be used for all sorts of things!
