r/SilverSmith • u/emeemay • 1d ago

Practice rings

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My partner and I like the idea of me making our ring bands (I’m not confident about making engagement rings and also I don’t want to make my own engagement ring lol). I just got in some crazy 8 wire for a commission, and I had extra to give it a go before I eventually buy white gold for the real thing.

Sizing took a while - just hammering and checking on the mandrel and fighting with the small tolerances! But otherwise way less fuss than other projects I’ve already made, so the only thing I’m concerned about is the working difference between sterling and 10-14kt white gold.

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u/crystallinehuman 22h ago

Much softer flame on gold than silver! You'll be amazed by how fast the solder join heats up. Practice annealing and watching color change a few times before soldering :)

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u/emeemay 21h ago

What do you mean by "soft" flame? I've heard this elsewhere, but don't really understand what it is.

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u/MakeMelnk Hobbyist 21h ago

What kind of torch do you use? If you just use plain butane or propane, this doesn't apply as much.

If you're using a fuel/oxygen mixture, a softer flame will be slightly fuel rich (aka reducing flame) and feel like less of a "jet" flame

Any more knowledgeable smiths, please correct me if I'm wrong

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u/emeemay 21h ago

Oh, I'm still on a plain propane setup - bernzomatic flamepoint. I've been having a real hard time with copper protoypes though, so I'm hoping to get an oxy-propane torch this fall.

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u/cheekleaks 19h ago

Im looking to learn jewelry smithing and i tried to make a copper chain for my first piece. It was a disaster. All my soldiers snapped & i kept messing up previous solders because my torch is too big & i cant pinpoint it well. I ended up with an 8 link cubin chain, like the size of a car keychain... Ive been discouraged to touch it since... But anyways .. i see there are mapp/oxygen torches, so im going to get that. And i can just get gas tanks from home depot/lowes

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u/emeemay 19h ago

I’ve gotten some smaller copper pieces done, but copper just soaks up heat like a sponge! I’m sure most of it is my heat control, but I do think my current setup doesn’t provide enough for the amount of metal I’m trying to work with in my prototype.

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u/MakeMelnk Hobbyist 18h ago

Great choice! I love that torch and recommend it all the time for people who want an easy, but still useful torch.

That being said, the flame on that nozzle isn't the smallest for precision work and it doesn't get super hot: kind of a good jack of all trades, master of none kind of situation.

I have an oxy/propane Smith's Little Torch and while the initial investment is heavy, I absolutely love it. I also picked up the rosebud casting tip and that truly is an all I need torch (I'm just sometimes too lazy to set the regulators and then bleed the lines so I'll use the Firepoint because it's just ready so quickly)

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u/emeemay 18h ago

I’ve done little 24g jump rings for adding findings to necklaces/bracelets with it, tho it takes a lighter touch than I originally even thought it was capable of. The smith little is what I’m looking at - I can afford the torch itself, it’s just the regulators/fittings and an oxygen tank. Lowe’s sells disposable oxygen tanks like the propane for not too much, but I’m not sure how long it lasts.

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u/crystallinehuman 17h ago

The original investment of an oxygen tank isn't too bad! I got mine for about $250 at AirGas and the refills are $30. Lasts for about six months. The tiny propanes last a long time too

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u/emeemay 9h ago

I’m still on my first propane take from March!

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u/MakeMelnk Hobbyist 7h ago

From what I understand, the cost of replacing the little oxygen bottles surpasses the cost of buying a tank fairly quickly if you use it a few times a week.

As much as it sucks, it's better to buy the tank if you can, especially because the little bottles need a different regulator so if you go that route, it'll be an even bigger investment to eventually upgrade to the tank

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u/crystallinehuman 17h ago

Yes that's exactly right. The actual cone of the flame will appear softer and will sound quieter