Originally Posted by
Dennis
Traditionally people use ring pliers as mentioned above they have one flat beak and one rounded beak. The muscle is provided by you. One or both beaks can also be covered in polythene tubing to save marking your metal.
My life took a turn for the better when I bought this ring bending tool shown below. It will not only bend stout wires, but also help you to close the join before soldering. You are not warned that you also need a narrow leather strap over the moving jaws to avoid marking the outer surface of the ring.
When bending up stout wires it is best to curve the ends first and the centre last.
Against tradition, I don't bash my rings on a mandrel, but make them a little smaller than needed and then stretch them to size on a ring stretcher, which which is fast, accurate and preserves the finish. Dennis
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