fun with metal - how to make a flower ring
You can always look into your community college ( USA) and most of them have beginners and medium metal/silversmithing courses that are not too expensive
I start out with 18 gauge sterling silver
18 gauge is 1 mm thick . I prefer that thickness as the flowers do not bend but are not too heavy either draw a circle ( use a template - its easier )
inside the circle I drew a flower
using a jewelers saw and 1/0 blades for cutting out the flower
cut out flower
I want to dome mine so I am using a dabbing block
mine is a square block with 30 domed indentations and corresponding hammers - put your flower in a " bowl " and take the "hammer with the ball that fits " using a nylon hammer to pound on the end of that hammer if you do not have a dabbing block you can go with 20 gauge sterling which is thinner and bend your pedals with a pliers
domed flower
file your edges smooth
take any wire you have
I used twisted wire for the ring shank - twisted wire is easy to do or you can also buy it at riogrande or thunderirdsupply.com
cut the wire to length - file edges flat
take a needle nose pliers
bend your ring shank until edges meet
try to get the ends as close as you can together
flux your ring
I prefer paste flux add some solder and...
....start heating with a torch
heat until the solder flows , quench in water and clean in pickle solution
soldered ring shank
now comes the forming
using a ring mandrel and a nylon hammer , shape you ring shank until its round
I prefer my rings to be flat and not round
so I used a planishing hammer for flatten the ring
rounded ring shank
take some metal scrap - flux and then heat with torch
this is to make the little ball in the middle
heat the sterling until it forms a ball
here its red hot metal
turn your flower upsdide down and flux both ring shank and flower
heat with torch and solder together
flip again
flux the inside of your flower and add a small piece of solder
heat again until solder flows - add your ball of molten sterling and again flux and heat
this is after everything is soldered together
clean in pickle solution to get rid of oxidation ( blackness )
after the pickle bath
start polishing ( sand paper , steel wool )
finished
I added the smaller ring to the slightly larger one I already had
hope you liked it , please have a look around , comment and maybe even visit my shop at
www.nicilaskin.etsy.com , thank you :)