Use a divide to rark the desired width of the ring, then cut using a wax saw. (Ring blanks can also be obtained that have been pre-sectioned.)
Using the divider, mark a circle from the inside of the tube that represents your finger size.
Use the 1/2 round wax file to remove the excess wax from the inside of the tube until it fits your finger snugly and smoothly.
Using the flat side of a file, remove the excess wax from the outside of the tube (figure A). Typically, rings are 2-2.5 mm deep.
For a half-domed band, use the file to round the edges. For a flat band, keep the thickness at 2 to 2.5 mm and the edges crisp.
If you want your ring to have an "engraved" look, use an craft knife blade or wax tool to carve the designs into the wax. Remember, whatever designs are in the wax will show up in the metal.
Once the design is complete, use the craft knife to clean up any imperfections. This will ensure a clean casting.
Send the ring to a caster! A caster will make a mold of your ring adding a small hole in the cast. (The reason why it’s called ‘the lost wax’ because in the process of making a cast of the ring, the ring melts out of the hole and is lost forever.)
How to polish: You can ask the caster to ‘cast’ and ‘polish’ for a nominal fee. It’s extremely inexpensive, the ring in this example was about $6 to cast, and silver is .50 cents a gram. To polish it was a few dollars more. Most casters will work with first time jewelers.
RESOURCES : Design Your Own Ring Kits
Maria de la Luz Fine Jewelry Design
E-mail: mdelaluz@earthlink.net
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