Sometimes sizing a ring to fit over a large knuckle can be difficult. Though there are new SHANK devices that "lock" and "unlock" to fit over large knuckle, they are costly and require reshanking ring; which is also costly.

Using gold or silver "beads" is usually the most cost effective and easiest way to size.

INSTRUCTIONS:

BE SURE TO SIZE THE CLIENTS FINGER

KNUCKLE SIZE AND SIZE OF FINGER AFTER KNUCKLE.

a) use the same karat gold as the ring. better to save old clasps, pieces of chain, etc.

b) cut a small piece of karat gold

c) place on solid solder block

d) apply heat until the piece forms a ball

e) the bottom of the ball will be flat

f) now comes the IMPORTANT part:

1) if the ring has had prior work performed on the shank
2)  if the ring has been sized previously
3) if the ring contains emeralds or other non-heat resistant gem stones
4) you do not know if it was sized, repaired or if the stones cannot take heat

USE a Silver based Low Temperature Solder!!!

note: be sure you inform your client why you will use stay bright solder instead of gold and how easy it is to remove

g) If you know it is fine. then use SOFT GOLD REPAIR SOLDER!!!

Gold repair solder comes in three temperatures:

Easy Medium Hard in sheet
Easy Soft in tube (get the non-cadmium type!)

h) The purpose for multiple temp solders is that the melting points of each different

In creation of jewelry or multiple repairs to one piece, one can use HARD solder first, then Medium, then Easy or soft to keep the prior soldering from coming loose..

When shanking or sizing YOU SHOULD ALWAYS USE hard solder.

The problems again comes with NOT knowing.. As you solder the gold beads the shank can come apart or the sizing stock used in a previous job will drop out or a repair become "unrepaired".

that is why a soft silver based solder is recommended for BEAD SIZING!

It melts at low temp

It can be removed easily if necessary

It will not contaminate the gold base

It is fast and will hold perfectly

I) so, make sure you have the following solder.\

Stay bright it flows at say 400 degrees F and does NOT contaminate the gold in the ring like using, say, straight silver solder.

In addition, it will be easy top remove beads with nothing more than a soldering iron or quick run of a torch.

The beads will come loose and the solder will remain soft with enough time to use a tri-point scraper to remove the left over solder.

And then , a light run on the inside of the ring with an abrasive will clean it up.

(note: the below abrasive is ROUGH, you want to use a minimum grit )....

... or use some some Grey cut rouge to remove any leftover and buff the ring interior:

These steps will remove what is left without removing any gold in the ring besides what is normally removed when polishing.

j) after making the beads on your block, you will turn them over and place them on a CHARCOAL BLOCK:

simply make a round hole the size of bead, place bead with rounded top down in hole, apply flux that comes with solder, heat, and touch end of solder coil to transfer solder to bead.

k) allow to cool and then pick up with tweezers and place in the ring shank

l) simply run torch across ring shank and the beads will drop down, allow to air cool,

L) now place a rough abrasive like below in your flex shaft and "cut" the beads "flat" while THEN place on a sizer to check THE SIZE AGAINST THE PAST KNUCKLE SIZE AS EXPLAINED IN THE BEGINNING ABOVE STEP A ABOVE, repeat until the ring fits on your ring mandrel at the size of the clients ring size when sized OVER the knuckle and you should be done!

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silver and gold ring

LARGE FLAT SILVER BEAD SO RING DOES NOT TURN ON PINKY.

SOFT SOLDER - SILVER BEADS
LOCKING BEADS PLACED TO ENABLE THE WEARING OF THIS LARGE RING ON THE THUMB. YOU TURN TILL BEADS MATCH BONE STRUCTURE IN THUMB, SLIP ON AND THEN TURN THE RING, IT LOCKS ONTO THUMB. TO REMOVE RING TURN TILL SMALL SKULL FACES UPWARDS AND THE RING SLIPS OFF

14K GOLD CUSTOM TWO RING ENGAGEMENT SET SOLDERED TOGETHER WITH 14K GOLD SOLDER. THEN 14K GOLD BEAD WAS MADE AND  THEN SOLDERED WITH  STAY BRIGHT.

YOU CAN SEE THE "SILVER COLORED" SOLDER.

THIS RING THEN WAS SIZED AS OUTL;INED IN STEP L ABOVE