A very close friend has asked me to make wedding bands for their
wedding. He in particular is not too fussed on the design. something
simple and plain and thin-ish. I am a bit new to the silversmithing
lark etc (about 6months, but i have been going well and reckon i can
do this as it is of a simple design). However can anyone shed some
light on a good starting point for a design…What for example would
be a good starting wire size. I will be using http://www.cooksongold.com unless anyone can point to anwhere else in
the uk. I want to keep it simple, but elegant, no fuss. ANY
pointers?? He also has thin-ish fingers with big boney knuckle
(finger dia 66mm) should this affect the design??
My only suggestion for your wedding band design is to use a “comfort
fit” type of wire. Men particularly find it so much more
comfortable, and even the thinner widths are very sturdy.
Best of luck and fun with this project,
Judy in Kansas
I’m in the UK also and Cookson’s is my supplier of choice. They have
more choice than many of the other suppliers. If you do want
alternatives I can email you offlist - let me know.
Depending on what you want to do, you could use rectangular, oval or
D- shaped wire. With thin fingers and boney knuckles, you might want
to go for oval cross section wire for a comfort fit.
Before you decide on a starting point you might think about the end
result.
He also has thin-ish fingers with big boney knuckle (finger dia
66mm)
I’m hoping you mean circumference, which I calculate at a US 11.5.
Big knuckle for thin fingers. A narrow ring might be floppily
annoying to wear. A wide band may not suit him. You might consider
doing a few mockups in cheap material to try on before committing
the final execution. Once you see what width is good you can devise a
pattern to fit his style.
Depending on what you want to do, you could use rectangular, oval
or D- shaped wire.
I was reluctant to say this - some might call it “cheating”… I
notice the supplier carries wedding ring blanks, too. Sammy could
also get one of those and either carve it it various ways or add
stuff onto the outside or both… No, it’s not “pure”, but
especially for a beginner it can be a good way to get a nice ring…
Its not cheating at all, its the way to a finer product, that’s why
they’re available, its not just a time saver. Make it from wire and
you have a seam. Is a seam a problem? Sometimes yes sometimes no.
Its part, I guess, of the make it or buy it question. Sometimes the
most cost effective AND relevant-to-the-design way is to buy it then
modify it. While one could decide since seamless is the way to go but
“I wanna make it” one might carve a wax and cast from there. Fine
enough. Except now you have a casting with all its considerations,
instead of worked metal with its advantages. That being said I
recently did just that…cast from wax I carved that pretty much
duplicates an available on special order wedding band configuration.
My sticking point was that of metal choice(18PW) in a right now
fashion. So I’ll deal with a little porosity at the sprue but I have
a nice mushable alloy to flushset my oh so sensitive stones in. And
it’ll be done in a rush.
That’s partly why I suggested to look at the goal before the starting
point. Whether its the design itself or the properties of the piece
its good to define it first. Heck, you already know where you are
now, you’re in the gate. You need to know the finish line.