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How to Measure a Ring for a Soldered Band

By on November 16, 2015
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by Judy Ellis, Wirejewelry.com

Wire Jewelry Tip for November 16th, 2015

How to Measure a Ring for a Soldered Band

by Kate Richbourg

The holidays are quickly approaching and today Kate gives us a great tip that would become a fantastic Holiday gift!

From Kate:

Kate Richbourg

I like to make rings. Simple ring bands are a great quick gift to make as well as an essential jewelry making technique. Follow my easy formula below to make ring bands that fit every single time.

Step 1: Determine your ring size and convert to millimeters.
Cut a strip of paper about ½” wide and 5″ long. Wrap the strip around the knuckle of the finger where you will wear the ring. The knuckle is usually the largest part of the finger and the ring needs to be large enough to slide over it.

DetermineRingSize

Step 2: Make a mark or a fold in the strip right where the edge of the paper starts to overlap. You want the length of this strip to be the exact circumference of your finger. Remove the strip and measure the length in millimeters.

Step 3: To make the ring fit; you’ll need to add thickness of the metal that you are using to make the band to the above measurement. If you skip this step the ring will be too small. Use a millimeter gauge to determine this measurement (usually 1-2mm extra).
Add these two numbers together to determine length of metal needed for ring.

Step 4: If you are making a ring band that is wider than 5mm, add an extra .5mm to the total length. Wider ring bands need that extra bit to fit properly. Round final length up to the nearest whole number. (54.4 to 55mm)

Now you have a blank that’s ready to solder together. First time making a ring? Make a tester using inexpensive copper wire to determine if fit is exact.

CoffeeTableRing

 

What a great tip! I know that it makes me want to go make a few rings for my holiday gift giving! Don’t forget that we carry all of the supplies you’ll need to get started on your holiday shopping today!

Happy Wrapping!

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