I’m looking for some information on adding sizing bars. What’s the process for determining how large the bar should be? Thanks!
Hi,
…what is a sizing bar…?
julie
I am not sure what sizing bars are…Rob
A sizing bar is a piece of metal soldered to the inside of a ring to make it smaller. It’s often used on rings that are hard to resize well.
Here is an example
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Thanks! I have always known them to be small balls of metal soldered in the same location or a separate stamped piece of metal that is wrapped on to the shank. I can see how a sizing bar would do the same thing. Thanks for sharing…Rob
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Yeah I think they serve the same purpose but this might be more extreme in the resizing.
I can see where that might be the case…Rob
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Sizing bars, as shown above, do actually reduce a ring size, while “bumps”, balls or “kleats” do not actually reduce a ring in size at all.
“Sizing balls” are more like a keel on a boat, designed to keep a ring upright on an arthritic knuckle. The balls do not make a ring fit tighter, but they tend to keep a ring from rolling around the finger. Our fingers are not true round, nor are the bones in our fingers. What sizing balls do is (hopefully) ride in the meaty area on the underside of a finger, but not pass around the slightly oval-shaped shaped bone.
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The sizing bars shown above by Brennon-AG, also take advantage of the meaty, underside of a finger, and will very effectively keep a ring from “rolling”, but these bars actually do reduce the finger size of a ring. They may not work with a more arthritic knuckle.
Sizing balls are different from these bars, in that they are specially designed for an arthritic knuckle.
Rather than reducing the ring in size, with the balls the ring remains large enough to pass over an enlarged knuckle, but the balls will (hopefully) pass through the softer, meaty portion of the finger when going on the finger, and then do the “keel effect”, keeping the ring from rolling up around the more oval shaped bone inside the finger.
The ring remains the original size, but the balls may keep it upright.
Arthritic kuckles add an entirely new dimension to ring sizing.
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There is an entire jewelry industry that deals with fitting rings to arthritic knuckles, from sizing balls to adjustable shanks.
It all makes sense to me, but I don’t make rings…Rob
Does anyone have info on sizing the sizing bar?
I’ve never used sizing bars for complicated ring sizings. I’ve done the sizing balls, soldered custom made work hardened white gold springs inside the ring. I’ve also used an expandable half shank with hinges and clasps. I think those are called finger mates? It’s been a while since I’ve done one of those as they’re too expensive for a lot of folks.
I can’t speak to the sizing bar, but for the other solutions I visually make my best guess and go from there. I look at the finger, measure the largest joint that the ring has to fit over and then look at the empty space where the ring fits and guesstimate what’s necessary to fill that gap. With whatever solution is used, sometimes I have to do it over, but usually I get it right the first time.
They do make expandable gadgets that can measure ring sizes on different locations on the finger. Here’s one from Otto Frei. I’m pretty sure you can buy them individually on Amazon. (so not a pack of 50)
I don’t think there is a formula. If there is it would be great to know about it.
Can I ask why are you choosing the sizing bar? Are you sure it’s the best solution? As ringdoctor said there are quite a few solutions for sizing complicated fingers.
Jeff
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The FingerMate company is no longer in business, I believe.
I have installed a great many of their shanks, and it was a high quality product.
There are several other “adjustable” ring shanks available, Fingerfit, SuperFit, AdjustO (I think it was called), and a few others.
All are designed to go over an enlarged knuckle, but then close down to fit the finger once past the knuckle.
All adjustable shanks are costly, and each requires a degree of skill to install, and each has its limitations.
“Sizing balls” are not terribly effective when the knuckle is very enlarged, but they can solve minor differences, while the forged spring mentioned above can handle a greater difference in size between an enlarged knuckle, and the finger behind that knuckle.
The first thing you need to know is exactly how much larger the knuckle is than the finger behind it, if you wish to make a ring fit that finger.
FingerMate offered a very accurate, adjustable gauge for measuring the finger, but as noted that company was disolved.
There are other adjustable gauges.
You need to determine just what the difference is in finger size, between the enlarged knuckle, and the finger behind that knuckle, before deciding exactly how to address getting a ring to fit, once over an arthritic knuckle.
I am not saying I recommend this ring sizer, as I have never seen it, but the concept is correct. You measure the knuckle with the traditional rigid finger sizers, to determin the minimum ring size that will pass over the knuckle, and then use an adjustable sizer like this to determine the finger size that will snugly hold a ring in place, once it is past the knuckle.
The difference between those to measurements is the problem you now need to try to address.
Good luck. From this point, this becomes more of an art than a science. Every arthritic knuckle, and ring fitting is a unique puzzle.
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Hi,
ok, so, here goes my “guess”…using pretend numbers…
everyone is saying that the ring size does reduce with this method, so I am assuming that you desire this…what is ring size you are trying to achieve?
lets say that the original round ring is:
20mm in Inside diameter
Inside circumference is 20 x 3.14(pi) = 62.8mm ring size X
lets say you need a ring size Y of 58.0mm
58.0 / 3.14(pi) = 18.47mm inside diameter
18.47mm diameter x 2= 36.94mm circumference
36.94 - 20mm known diameter at E/W
leaves 16.94mm diameter at N/S
ie: as in an oval that is 20mm x 16.95mm
20 + 16.95 = 36.95 / 2 = 18.47mm diameter
like, if you put the ring, with a spacer bar, on a ring sizing mandrel, how far would it slide down…to what size?
you are basically reducing the N/S diameter of the ring, effectively making the space sort of an oval…so…
how does that sound…? I was trying to “back into” the number, using “known” information and formulas…
however…this does not take into account the “finger flesh” “spill-over” into the space at the sides of the arc spacer bar…which would give additional room, and perhaps make the ring"bigger"…
Julie