Make Good Things

Karen Dougherty found some vintage micro watch crystals in a bin in our Metalliferous booth at Bead Fest in Pennsylvania last fall. You never know what you’ll find in those bins! She says she “always love to collect little things that I can sink into ICE Resin. Glitter, glass, sequins, seed beads…” Whatever floats your boat, go for it! ICE Resin is so fun and EASY to use. Karen has made us another a tutorial, this time for a domed resin ring with an adjustable band.

Tools:

• Bench pin
• Safety Eyewear
• Metal ruler
• Scribe
• Regular Hammer
• Fretz texturing hammer
• Ring clamp
• Disc Cutter
• Stainless steel work surface
• Center Finder or circle template with markings
  (see this link for the template)
• 3M Sanding sponges/ Sand paper or flat files
• Doming Block and a large doming punch
• Nylon Hammer
• Tube cutting jig
• Jeweler’s saw
• 2/0 saw blades
• #31 or #32 twist drill bit
• Flex shaft
• Cut lube or bees wax
• Center punch
• Round file or diamond bead reamer
• 1 1/8” circle template
• Ring clamp
• Riveting hammer
• Wrap and Tab pliers (small)
• JAX green patina
• JAX brown patina
• JAX Dichroic FX patina
• JAX cleaning solutions
• Fine felt tip marker
• Quench bowl
• Measuring cups
• Q-tips
• JAX Silver plating solution
• Universal dapping tool
• Toothpick or wooden skewer

Materials:

• 2 ¾” x 3/8” patterned brass strip for ring shank/band
• 22 or 24 gauge sheet copper
• Patterned brass sheet
• ICE Resin
• Inclusions of your choice (I used vintage watch crystals)

Techniques:

• Sawing
• Drilling
• Doming
• Tube Riveting
• Filing
• Plating
• Texturing
• Forming
• Patination

Get all your supplies ready, and let’s begin! 

STEP ONE: Making the Ring shank

Use a metal ruler and scribe to mark the outline and center of two - 2 ¾” long x 3/8” high rectangles along the back side of a piece of patterned brass strip (1).

I scribe two or more at a time. When possible, I like to sign my work (2). Take this opportunity to either scribe or engrave your name on the inside of your ring shank while it’s in the “flat” stage. I used a diamond coated bit, but feel free to use whatever method words best for you!

STEP TWO:

Use a center punch and hammer to make a divot in the center of the back of each of your ring shank shapes. This will be your mark for your #31 or #32 drill holes. Grasp your sheet with a ring clamp, and drill your holes (3). 

Use a jewelers saw and a lubricated 2/0 saw blade to cut along your scribe lines. Remove any rough edges with a flat file, sand paper or sanding sponges (4). Set your band aside for now.

STEP THREE:

Punch out a 1” disc of 22, or 24 gauge sheet copper, with a disc cutter and a heavy hammer. If you don’t have a disc cutter, use a circle template and saw one out (5).

Texture your disc with a Fretz hammer if you have one, or any texturing hammer will do. Strike the disk from the center outward, in a swiping motion while turning the disk (6/7). 

STEP FOUR:

Mark the center on the back of your disc with a center finding tool or a nylon drafting circle template and a ruler to draw an “X” on the back of your disc to mark center point (8). 

Use a center punch to make a divot and drill a hole with the matching drill bit you used in the previous step, either a #31 or #32 drill. Ream out the hole to remove burrs or roughness (9/10).

STEP FIVE:

Since disc cutters rarely cut over 1" circles, use a circle template to mark or scribe a 1 1/8” circle on the back of a piece of patterned brass (11). Saw out shape with a jewelers saw and a 2/0 blade. Center punch a divot and drill a hole in the middle of your disc with a smaller #42 drill bit. Make sure to use this smaller drill bit because when you dap this shape in the dapping block the hole you’ve drilled will expand.

STEP SIX:

Place your disc in the doming block, making sure that the whole diameter fits inside the rim (12).

Give it a good whack with your largest dapping punch, and proceed to dap the shape in smaller diameter spaces until you form a cup shape that suits you (13/14).

File the edges smooth with a flat file (15).

STEP SEVEN:

Use a tube cutting jig and your jewelers saw to cut a 5/8” length piece of 1/8” round brass tubing (16). File both ends of the tubing so it stands straight on your steel bench block. Take the time to make sure your piece is completely straight and the ends are flat (17).

STEP EIGHT:

Clean your pieces thoroughly with JAX cleaning solutions to ensure you have even coatings of patinas and other surface coloring.

Color your pieces with JAX patinas (18/19). I dip a Q-tip and put a coating on the metal sitting on a paper towel. Let it sit until you like the color and quench in water. Repeat to intensify the effect. I used Green on my copper disc and Dichroic FX black on the patterned brass. I buff the color with a polishing cloth. And repeat the process.

I also dipped my domed brass shape and my copper disc in JAX silver plating solution for a very cool effect (20/21/22).

STEP NINE:

Load your pieces together on the piece of tubing and gently flare out each end with a universal dapping tool (22). Flip and tap lightly (23). Repeat. Try not to bend your piece of tubing. If you do, scrap it, and try again. I did!

STEP TEN:

Use a riveting hammer to flatten out the rim of the tubing on both ends (24/25).

STEP ELEVEN:

Mix ICE Resin according to directions. I use a toothpick or a wooden shishkebob skewer to mix resin. I apply resin into small spaces by dipping the toothpick in the resin then letting it drip off the end into small spaces (26). Set up your piece where it can cure for 24 hours without being moved. Make sure you set up on a clean surface and prepare a box that will fit over your piece while it cures. (Keeps out the stink bugs, haha!). Fill the cup halfway and try place your crystals or beads or whatever you want as strategically as you wish. If you see an air bubble you can tap around on the table until it rises to the surface. Or you can poke it with the tooth pick. You have some time at the stage. Cover your piece and let it cure for 24 hours.

STEP TWELVE:

Mix up another batch of resin and slowly drip to add resin and more crystals until it domes over the edge (27).

STEP THIRTEEN:

Use small wrap and tap pliers to form the adjustable ring band (28). Peel away any resin that might have seeped out of the dome. It should be minimal. Use an exacto blade to cut it off.

Enjoy your new ring!

All of the supplies from this tutorial are available from Metalliferous.