Thanks! Let me ponder a little. What you’re doing now is probably the best path. How are you cutting and forming the rings now?
Wider rings I start with sheet, narrower ones with Crazy 8 wire or 1/4" 1.3mm wire (both Rio). Or, I melt leftovers, run them through the rolling mill & usually reticulate after. I have close to zero skills with the saw, so I don’t do much of that (eventually I’ll get around to working on that skill!). My bestseller is just a biggish coil of fine silver partially melted together, I was just fooling around one day and made a couple of they kind of took off. Usually they’re plain but I’ve started embedding tube settings in them too. I don’t often make really plain bands, I like texture so for that, either hammers or texture plates, or added fused or sweat soldered bits, spirals, etc. Adding argentium to my repertoire has resulted in some different options because of how it behaves, and I love adding gold, though I limit that because I mostly sell in markets and craft fairs so price point matters (though last year I was surprised at just how much people will spend on the spur of the moment, so this year I’m going to have some more spendy things, just to see what happens). I don’t do much at all that’s traditional in terms of claw settings, galleries, etc, partly because of just having a little butane torch, partly because it’s not my cup of tea.
I make quite a wide variety of styles, if you are interested you can scroll through this, which goes back to my beginnings a few years ago. Cheerio
Sue Sutton (@sparklelily.jewels) • Instagram photos and videos
Sue, your casting company should be able to furnish a casting to your specifications. If all they can do is provide a rough casting with a sprue stub, you need to find another service. I have only dealt with a couple, but the one I’m currently using returns the castings finished, tumble polished, no sprue or mold marks. I have been doing my own one-of-a-kind castings for decades, but am happy to job out the ones I want to duplicate. Definitely worth the price for the extra work. Don’t know whether it’s kosher to recommend businesses on this forum; if so, I’m glad to recommend a good casting service.
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How are you cutting the blanks now? Are you texturing the sheet and cutting the bands using guillotine shears? If not that might be helpful and maybe more economical. Something to think about.
After thinking a bit about those shape bands, casting might not be the most effective way to go.
With guillotine shears you can texture a wider section of sheet and then easily cut them to your desired width and length.
You are doing a fantastic job making so many beautiful rings!! Whenever you decide it’s time to get comfortable with a jeweler’s saw you’re not going to have any problems.
Looking good!!
Jeff
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Thank you. I just use shears, I do have a guillotine which I use sometimes though. I was happy with the rings with the tube settings. The wide flat bands are taking just as much time to tidy up as they do when I make them myself, though if I get them again I’ll get them to put the sprue on the end.
I didn’t go for the finished polishing service because I would have just had to anneal them again.
I don’t plan to do much casting, but I like it for the simple tube setting rings since they are all pretty much the same and with calibrated stones. Most of my other rings are with irregular stones, cabs, etc.
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I have limited experience working with casting houses. My experience was just quoting the service.
Generally speaking they will cast and snip off the trees as that is the ‘entry level’ service. They can do more- desprue, desprue and sand, rough finish or high finish. But for me they wouldnt quote those services until they could see first hand what they would be working on. I didnt pursue it because they were busy and i needed parts fast.
They probably just assumed you just wanted the casting done.
Good luck with the next batch.
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