Best way of flattening ring

[Aurarius]

When you've bent your wire round and soldered the ends to make a plain ring shank, what is the best method for flattening the ring? I'm currently laying it on a steel bench block, putting a brass plate on top and tapping the brass with a hide mallet. This sometimes bruises the ring ever so slightly and I'm not sure whether it's the orthodox way of doing it. Could anyone please tell me their system for flattening a ring shank, and should it be done after rounding on the mandrel or before? At present I usually round up a little before flattening and then round more thoroughly after.

[CJ57]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by flattening the sides if you have cut a straight pieces of wire or sheet.
After soldering I would shape it on a madrel and then either use file or for evenness put a sheet of wet and dry or whatever emery paper you use on the metal base plate , take the ring and in a circular motion sand the edges down. If you use a back and forward motion you'll find that you are probably putting more force into the side nearest to you but if you use a circular motion then it should give you an even finish.
Hope this helps

[Aurarius]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by flattening the sides if you have cut a straight pieces of wire or sheet.

What I mean is that typically after bending the ends of the wire together and soldering, the "ring" when laid on a flat surface will not lie perfectly flat, and needs knocking down on both sides to flatten it. I have seen this flattening done in a special "ram" in commercial production. The task only takes a second or two.

[Wallace]

Caroline's advice is sound.

I think you may need to remember though, any metal contact with your ring metal will leave an impact. Often it is better to use a bit of leather in between the metals to avoid 'bruising'. sort of like a sandwich. Planishing block, leather, ring, leather, planishing block, then hammer. Easiest solutions can often the least complex and also more economical on the budget. A plastic mallet may be a useful tool.

[caroleallen]

I use a flatting press but I'd say a couple of steel blocks and a hammer would be just as good with, as Wallace says, a bit of leather in between.

[Dennis]

Buy add-on fibre jaws and squeeze it in a soft jawed vice. Dennis

[medusa]

The rings I make wouldn't fit in a vice so I flatten them with a wooden mallet on a block of wood after rounding on a mandrel. . Works fine. No dings.

[bilythepink]

I use one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jewellers-...item416373d119 and a hide mallet to flatten or work harden large chain links. I think it's a hockey puk but it's really useful and quite cheap ... I've found him a pretty reliable seller too.