Okay, so I’ve been messing around with jewelry making lately, and I wanted to try making a simple ring. I found these “raw gold ring blank liner” things online, and figured I’d give it a shot. Let me tell you, it was… an experience.
Getting Started
First, I gathered all my stuff. I already had some basic jewelry tools – pliers, a small hammer, a mandrel (that cone-shaped thing you use to shape rings), and some sandpaper. The ring blanks themselves were pretty cheap, which was good because I was fully expecting to mess up a few times.
The Process (aka Trial and Error)
The idea is pretty simple. You take this flat, kinda rough-looking piece of metal, and you bend it around the mandrel to make it round. Sounds easy, right? Nope.
- First, I tried just bending it with my hands. That was a joke. The metal was way tougher than I thought.
- Then, I used the pliers. That worked a little better, but I was still getting these weird, uneven bends.
- Next, I remembered seeing someone use a small hammer to gently tap the metal around the mandrel. So, I tried that.
Okay, the hammer was definitely the way to go. I started slowly tapping the metal, working my way around the mandrel. It was taking forever, and my arm was starting to ache, but it was actually starting to look like a ring!
I had to stop and sand it down a few times. It’s important that the part you are bending is smooth. Because the metal was pretty rough, I kept running that small file and sandpaper until it looks a bit clean.
Finishing Up
Once I finally got it all the way around and the ends met, I used the pliers to kind of squeeze the ends together. It wasn’t perfect, there was a tiny gap, but it was close enough for my first try. This is where I should use a small torch and some solder metal. I just watched a few videos and I was really not confident to use a torch so I decided not to do that yet.
Then, it was all about sanding and polishing. I started with rough sandpaper to smooth out the edges and any bumps, then moved to finer and finer grits until it was nice and shiny. It’s a lot of back and forth but it’s all worth it.
Honestly, it’s not the prettiest ring in the world. It’s a little uneven, and the finish isn’t perfect. But hey, I made it! It was a fun little project, and I definitely learned a lot. I’m already thinking about how I can improve on my next attempt. Maybe try some different shaping tools, or even try soldering the ends together. We’ll see!
