Teardrop Octagon S Ring Ring Ring

Teardrop Ring This is the easiest of the rings You must use sterling silver for this one—nickel silver will not work!

Flux your wire well. Hold wire in locking tweezers so it is vertical. Hold about an inch above soldering block. Heat bottom 1” portion of wire until silver balls up. If you heat it too long, the silver ball will drop off and your piece will be too short—be careful!

Bend wire into a ring shape Flatten the band and teardrop with a metal hammer on the anvil. Don’t worry about size yet—just get the shape right. Keep going up to a size 12 or so.

You will probably need to flatten your wire more before your ring is the right shape, but it is now too big for the mandrel. Reduce your ring size by squashing it widthwise then heightwise.

Now your ring is small again. Flatten and work it up the mandrel again. Continue repeating the last steps until your ring is the desired size and shape. You may need to anneal your ring during this process so it is soft enough to bend and flatten.

File the edges of the teardrop area until it is the shape you want.

Finishing your ring Pickle, rinse, and dry Use 600 sandpaper or a Cratex bullet to get out small dents and scratches. Buff on the big blue buffers with tripoli and red rouge. Clean with ultrasonic cleaner and scrub with toothbrush.

Octagon Ring Medium difficulty You can use nickel silver or sterling silver

Measure and cut your wire Wrap on the mandrel about one size smaller than your finished size. It will stretch when the sides are faceted later. Mark with Sharpie and cut with clippers.

File ends File the end super well. You will need a perfect solder joint because this will take a lot of pounding.

Solder Solder with medium or hard solder. Use the big blue torch, but use it carefully with sterling silver.

Round ring on mandrel

Put ring on loose heavy round mandrel Lay mandrel on anvil and get a friend to hold it for you. Use a flat metal hammer to flatten the top. As you do this, the boom will also flatten. Turn 90 degrees and repeat on the sides. Turn again and do the corners. See the photos and directions in the book on p. 40.

Top Turn 90° Do corners & bottom for sides to finish octagon

Finishing your ring Pickle, rinse, and dry Use 600 sandpaper or a Cratex bullet to get out small dents and scratches. Be careful you don’t take off the ridges of your faceted sides. Buff on the big blue buffers with red rouge only. Clean with ultrasonic cleaner and scrub with toothbrush.

S Ring This is the hardest ring. You can use nickel silver or sterling silver.

Size note: If you wear size 6 or larger, DO NOT worry about the size at this time—use the whole piece of wire. If you need a ring smaller than a 6, see me before beginning.

File the end super well. You will need a perfect solder joint because this will take a lot of pounding.

Solder with medium or hard solder. Use the big blue torch, but use it carefully with sterling silver.

Round ring on mandrel. Your ring may be so large that you need to use the Bernard mandrel, which is shorter, thicker, and shiny silver. It should be in the mandrel box.

Flatten two sides of the ring two different ways Solder seam This side will be flattened on the mandrel to make a band. This will be the back of the ring. This side will be flattened on the anvil to make it thin and tall. This will be the top of the ring. Make a nice transition through the middle section

Flatten the top to make it thin & tall Before After

Flatten the back on a mandrel Flatten evenly until the band becomes comfortable to wear You may need to anneal your ring during this process so it is soft enough to bend and flatten. Seam

Finishing your S ring Anneal your ring Pickle, rinse, and dry Sand with 600 to remove solder seam, dents and scratches Buff with tripoli and red rouge, inside and out

Bend the S Using round pliers, firmly grasp and twist to make the S Bend until you have the correct size Round on the mandrel with a rawhide mallet, covering your ring with a sunshine cloth Buff again if needed Seam