What Wire?

My daughter has asked me to make her two rings which she can wear at the same time on the same finger and punch the names of her children onto each. I am thinking of making them in rectangular wire? would this work? I want them to be fairly solid. Also when I punch the metal will it distort? I was thinking of making them and then putting them on the mandrel to do the punching.

thank you.

I'm by no means an expert but I'd definitely punch the names on first as punching on a mandrel would be very difficult. Rectangular wire would be fine. The metal will distort slightly, so cut the wire a little too long and then cut it again to the exact measurement once you've done the names.

Hi Louise - definitely do the stamping first, then shape into a ring. I'd suggest you go no thinner than 0.8mm thick - width of course is down to personal preference, but the stamping will distort anything thinner quite dramatically.

Carole's also right that the stamping will distort the metal, so make sure you have a nylon hammer on hand to flatten it out before you try to make it into a ring. I tried stamping on a mandrel once, and once only as it was a complete disaster - much easier to do in it's raw state!

Would love to see what you come up with when it's done.

rectangular section wire makes lovely rings, i use it all the time.

yes, would also like to see your handiwork when its done!

Dear Louise,
When you look at the rectangular wires available, you might decide they are too wide to be worn on the same finger. So If you have not thought of this already, may I suggest you cut them from sheet? A heavy shank could be upto 1.2mm thick, and a light one no less than 0.8, as Emma advised. As a general rule the most you are likely to need for each ring is 65mm, but you can work that out. The width would have to be at least 2.0mm more than the lettering.
As a matter of interest I aim to post a new thread on this on Monday, but you might already know how to suck eggs. Kind regards, Dennis.

I get Cookies to cut my sheet for me. You can buy up to a metre at a time at whatever width you like.

I do the same as Carole