Making Rings From Sheet Metal

Half round wire or square wire.

Making rings from sheet metal.

24 gauge sheet works great for metal stamping and metal embossing. Make sure your sheet metal is thick enough to prevent razor like cuts from the metal edges. Use this chart to find the length of sheet metal you need for the metal gauge you re using and ring size you want. If you want to make a ring for another use simply create a rectangle the same length as the desired circumference of the ring.

A band ring can be made with sheet or wire. Start with simple ring bands or stacking rings you can make by simply combining silver wire with basic metalsmithing and texturing tools likes hammers and files. Then follow across that row until you re under the gauge of metal you re using. 24 gauge and thinner sheet is very useful for metal stamping and embossing.

Find the ring size in either of the first two columns at left u s. How to make a ring band in 5 easy steps. After chucking up and testing for wobble select a tool bit for parting. Choose a metal gauge.

Make custom metal jewelry with brass copper aluminum and nickel silver sheet. If this is your first band ring i would recommend using 18 gauge 1 mm or 16 gauge 1 3 mm sheet. Sterling silver sheet metal is excellent for making special handcrafted jewelry pieces. Choose from 16 gauge thick to 28 gauge thin silver sheet for piercing and sawing into custom shapes dapping doming soldering forming into bracelet cuffs and other fine craft applications.

Things you ll need 12 to 16 gauge wire ring mandrel ballpeen or forming hammer plastic or rawhide mallet optional pliers jewelry saw and blades or wire cutter soldering torch equipment solder soldering flux acid pickle bath metal files wet dry sandpaper polishing machine and tripoli white. Measure the length of the ring that you want to make using a ring mandrel. Typically about seven inches is long enough to make several rings and to allow for some error in work. Cut your metal band to the millimeter length indicated.

You are going to need to get your hands on some. I prefer standard 8 gauge half round wire for ring making but you could use 6 to 10 gauge round half round flat or square wire as well. 20 gauge sheet works. The metal can be turned on only one point but only if the piece short enough to not wobble.

The benefit of using wire is it gives instant shape for example. Thanks to benjamin todd of stonybrook fine arts. Insert the piece of stock into the chuck. The benefit of using sheet is it is much easer to work with than wire.

These base metals make beautiful and colorful artisan jewelry without the high cost of precious gold or silver. In this video i will be showing you how to make this mixed metal braided ring from just wire and sheet metal.