Making a Simple Ring

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to make a simple ring out of 2.5mm round silver wire, to a particular ring size. It's ages since I last made a ring and I've never been that confident on how to start forming it, and to end up with something that's the right size!

Do you find it's best to calculate precisely the length of metal required, cut it and then form up the ring? Or do you make a coil (a bit like when making jump rings), fit it round the finger, and then trim off the ends?

I'd be grateful to hear any tips on how to do this.

Nina
www.ninagale.weebly.com

Nina, I am assuming that you have some basic tools such as a steel ring mandrel and a hide mallet. If so then here are some simple steps. Wrap a piece of soft wire around your ring finger to get a tight fit and this gives you the length of silver wire you need. Roughly bend the wire into ring shape, using half round pliers if you have them or if not just bend it around the ring mandrel. Solder the ends together, pickle it and clean the solder joint, then using the hide mallet, hammer it flat on a flat surface, then finally hammer it round on the mandrel, if it is then too tight hammer around it on the mandrel again as each time you hammer around the ring's circumference it will stretch the ring and make it loser on your finger. Sorry if this is too much info.
James

Thanks very much, James.

Yes, I do have all the tools you mention, so I'll be able to try the method you describe.

Does the soft wire have to be about the same diameter as the silver wire I'm going to use, or doesn't it matter?

And in future, if I'm making a ring for someone else, and I know their ring size, would it be alright to wrap the soft wire around a ring-sizing mandrel to get the right length of wire?

Grateful for the tips,
Nina

Hi Nina, No the wire can be any size, in the past I have used binding wire as used for securing soldering jobs or even some plastic covered wire that is used by gardeners to secure plants. Just remember that the best rings are not soft so if you make the rings slightly smaller than needed, the hammering on a mandrel will harden the ring. you can make nice textured rings by hammering the ring on a mandrel with a slightly domed face hammer. Wrapping the wire around a mandrel to get the right length is fine. I also use this method when making large bezel settings for oval cabochon stones, wrapping binding wire around the stone's perimeter gives to a length of bezel wire size.
James

That's great advice, James. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Regards,
Nina