Durston Metal Bending Set

[china]

If you have a set of dapping/doming punches you can bend heavy stock around them by clamping in a vice and bending with a hammer

[ShinyLauren]

Thanks for the reply Lauren. I just think I’m not going to go thicker than 4mm. Do you think the Durston tool has been worth the money?


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For me, yes absolutely! I can do rings so much quicker and with much thicker wire than I could bend them by hand.

[Dennis]

It's a deluxe item and most of us would like one, but if you don't sell your work or you are on a budget, then one of these with a strip of leather will do it for less.

Shop around and there are bargains to be had from India, for instance from Tools n Tools.

[enigma]

I find the Durston ring stretcher/reducer more useful, it does have a ring bending aspect to it but tbh I don't bother with that as its pretty quick to do on the mandrel for up to 3mm thick and I wouldn't want to make a ring thicker than that.
I do use the stretcher a lot though as it makes sizing much easier and also is great for bending the ring to round after its been soldered.
Don't forget that you don't want the ring round for soldering anyway so what you actually need is something to help male it round after soldering.

[Dennis]

I agree really Sarah, so I am surprised at how much importance Andrew Berry attaches to having the ring round at the start:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaU5acww9gc

I have never had a ring shank open in use and some of my rings are more than twenty years old and of course stretched to size.

Hope the weather in Portugal is more seasonal. It's foul here and snow predicted again. Dennis.

[enigma]

Thats interesting thanks Dennis.
I haven't had it either and use pretty thick bands but interesting to see the video.

Weather here is lovely, we had the first sunbathing by the pool day yesterday and the same today but we did have an unusually stormy March!

[Susie]

Funnily enough Dennis, that was the exact video that made me think i was putting too much undue strain on the ring, by rounding it after it had been soldered. Well i have my answer then, I’ll keep using the ring bending pliers and for thicker wire, I’ll round it up afterwards.
I am going to buy a ring stretcher/reducer though. I’m guessing it’s got to be a Durston then?


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[Susie]

I’ve just seen one on Cookies that is a third of the price of the Durston one, so think I’ll go with that one and will post my results. Thanks all for the information. As always, this forum puts me right


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[Dennis]

If you shop around, there are some bargains to be had Susie and you will be able to stretch to size instead of bothering with a formula.

Here are some general precautions:
1. Stretch slowly, because it can happen quite suddenly that you have overstepped your mark.
2. Keep turning the ring round and round and also flip it over to avoid a faceted or conical shape.
3. Check with your ring stick, because the marks on the stretcher are often different.
4. Re-anneal after two sizes to avoid stressing your solder joint.

Hope you enjoy using it. Dennis.

[Susie]

Thanks Dennis. Will keep all of that in mind.


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