I've watched sooo many RUclips videos (not too many regarding coppersmithing out there) as I'm just starting out. I've made maybe 3 pendants and I'm getting ready to make a ring for my husband. The info I received from this video was invaluable! Thank you!! I'd love to see more videos regarding working with copper. I'm learning that it's considerably different than working with silver! And yet, the resources for working with it are much fewer and far between. 🤔
Appreciate the kind words. Comments like yours really motivate me to make more videos. I do a lot of hand fabrication, but I also have a lot of equipment such as cnc mills, engraving and cutting lasers, and pulse arc welders etc. I was thinking about doing some video lessons on those as well, but may just make a separate channel for it. Not sure yet. I am definitely going to do more technique and project videos on this channel in the near future. I just got overwhelmed with life and business for awhile there.
@ezridaeus Totally understandable! I cant imagine it's easy balancing all of the things, as well as having a RUclips channel. Well, either direction you decide to go, I'm excited to see what you come out with next! 😊
@@ezridaeus Im getting into copper smithing too and you vid helps alot. Great knowledge! looking forward to more. A whole copper playlist would be great thanks!
:-D Thanks for watching! I really do plan on getting some more videos out... I've just been really busy. There will be some more forging/hand fabrication videos, 3D sculpting/3D Printing and Casting and equipment videos.
Great video! I'm a newbie self taught metalsmith. I just happened upon your video with this ring. Ironic considering I had just come back inside from my backyard shed slash workshop making a copper piece! This ring is awesome thanks for sharing your skills!!! I am going to subscribe right now! Good stuff! I have so many questions about copper but wont hit ya right now with them all! Xoxo
Hi Sir, what a fine piece of jewelry, thanks for sharing your technics. My experience with copper is, it's quick weathering and staining on the skin. I'd be thankful if you shared an advice to those issues. Thanks and have a great day
Thank you very much. Unfortunately, there's not much that can be done about copper's reactivity with oxygen. There are several methods used to try and prevent copper oxidation, but they are all relatively temporary and will require reapplication. These include benzotriazole, nano-ceramic coatings, lacquer, and other clear barrier sprays. The truth is, maintaining the cleanliness of copper jewelry should become a weekly ritual for the owner.
Haha this is so awesome. I found your store on Etsy and then I randomly found this video. I was like "wait, I've seen that final photo before..." The ring looks really great. Definitely about to order one.
Hi there... Honestly it's just a cheap no name brand German style frame with cheap 3/0 econo blades. I often find cheap works just fine with some tools. Higher priced saw blades usually cut straighter, but break more often as they are hardened properly and therefore a tad more brittle. With any blade you will get best results with very little forward pressure and no twisting while cutting. Just jog in place and let the blade move itself forward. Sometimes with cheaper blades the teeth may be skewed at a funny angle causing a meandering cut. Grab the blade between some parallel jaw pliers and pull it through. This will straighten the teeth a bit and lessen the meandering of the cut.
Thank you. I have used renaissance wax and various lacquers. The truth is that anything you use as a barrier coating will need to be reapplied quite often depending on wear. Some people prefer the reaction to occur with the skin thinking that there are health benefits. I'm not sure what I think about that. I make Fine Silver lined hammered Copper rings for customers that don't want the reaction to take place. I will probably have a video up on those in the near future. :-)
Sorry... I missed this message. I like to use a gentle polish like Wright's brass polish. Just a light rub and the bright color returns. Thanks for watching.
Your video inspired me to have a go at making a copper ring. I've done a silver ring not perfect but I was pleased. Anyway I used same solder and flux for copper ring but the solder kept nling up and not flowing. Any suggestions what m doing wrong? Thanks again for an I formative video
@@ezridaeus hi, I was using butane micro torch, silver solder medium and I heated whole ring and as the solder wasn't melting I put hottest part of flame on joint. I didn't have problem soldering silver ring. Thanks
@@cathmaguire7887 Ah... Copper has a higher thermal capacitance. The heat will sink away a lot more quickly from the join. You will need to use at least a jumbo butane torch for the Copper.
@@cathmaguire7887 Straight Borax isn't the best for Copper, but will work. It's more of a heat issue. A jumbo Butane torch is the smallest torch that you can get away with in Copper.. unless it's a very small piece. If you're using just Borax then it is important to get in there and get out quickly. The Copper will oxidize very quickly and retard the flow of solder. Handy Flux, Cupronil or Batterns flux will work best against the oxidation to help flow.
Thanks for the video! You helped me overcome my issues with getting a flush joint. I have another question for you: when using thicker metal like this I get creases along the inner face of the ring on the sides. Is there any way to avoid that? I still get them even if I anneal before I form the ring. Do I just have to file or sand them out?
Hi there... Thanks for the comment. I'm glad that I could help. As far as creases... I assume you are referring to the marks left from pliers? Is that correct? What kind of pliers are you using after rounding the band over?
@@ezridaeus I'm using flat smooth tipped pliers, but I can safely say it's not from them as it happens uniformly around the inner circumference of the ring, away from where my pliers have touched the metal. It seems like the metal is creasing from folding over itself when shaping from a flat blank into the ring. This is ~1.3mm (16ga) brass. (Could it be an issue with brass only? I don't have any low gauge copper on me right now to try it with) If you've never noticed such a thing I wonder if it's something else I'm doing or not doing... after I cut out the blank from my sheet, is there anything I need to do before forming the ring?
@@RS-ec5bx Hmm that's a fairly thin piece. Brass will need more annealing than Copper before forming. It's a bit harder to form anyway. I'm generally working with 1.8mm thick metal, but I've never had any creasing happen from 1.3mm and greater. I work in Gold, Sterling Silver, Copper, Bronze and Brass. I have had to polish and sometimes sand out dents from the forming pliers. That is especially true with 1.6mm and greater thicknesses. I wouldn't use flat pliers. You need at least half round/flat round if you're going to form rings without denting the inner band. You can get away with putting a chamfer on the edges of the pliers and then polishing them, but they will still usually dent the inner band. A photo would help me understand what's going on better. You can email me negeltu at gmail dot com if you like. I'd be happy to take a look.
@@ezridaeus Haha of course I just made another one and there's no creasing. Maybe I'm just going crazy! Well I'll be sure to send you a picture if it happens again. Thanks again for getting back to me.
That is absolutely beautiful! I can only imagine what damage I'd do with a hammer. LOL! I'm just starting to learn and I was surprised when you said you use aquarium gravel. Do you also use it when working with silver as opposed to steel shot? And do you always dry tumble? Thanks for a great tutorial! 🙂
Where do you get your copper roll from? I've been wanting to start making rings from scratch, and I want to use Copper first to get the hang of it before I start working with Sterling Silver. Thanks in advance!
I purchase the 11' roll of 13 gauge Copper strip from Riogrande. Copper is great to get started with, but does behave a little differently when compared to Sterling Silver. In some ways Copper is more difficult to work with. If you cultivate your skills by working with Copper then Sterling Silver and Gold will be easier when you get to them. Thanks for the comment! :-)
@@ezridaeus Thank you for the reply and the great video! If I start with copper, I'll definitely be using you as a guide! If you have an Instagram account, I'll tag you in the finished product!
Thanks you very much for the comment. For cleaning after soldering I recommend Citric Acid pickle... For general cleaning on a finished piece I use Wright's Brass and Copper polish....but any non abrasive Copper or Brass polish will work.
Yep. Inline fan pulling fumes and light particulates away from my face and blowing them out of a window. Don't want to breathe flux fumes. Long term consequences.
You can use Copper pipe, but would be limited in sizing options. No purity issues. Most Copper pipe is between 16 and 18 gauge so a bit on the thin side. I go 13 to 14 gauge on my rings. :-)
@@pnutdunne81 You're very welcome! Copper pipe is great to start learning on. It's readily available at most home improvement stores. You can even cut it, anneal it and flatten it out into sheet for pendants.
It's just a solder/brazing wire/sheet that I make myself which gives me a little extra strength when doing heavy forging. It varies for me... but a good place to start is around 15gm Fine Silver to 3 to 4gm of Brass. Honestly though.. you are fine just using the standard hard solder you can buy from Rio or any other jewelers supply source. No sense in making it more difficult for yourself really. Take things slow and just get the hang of the basic tooling/techniques and you'll get there in no time.
You have to use a barrier coating on the inner band or treat the metal with Benzotriazole. Any method you use would need to be done again fairly soon. Most of my customers prefer the reaction to take place. They believe Copper has health benefits. Not sure what I think about that. They seem to be happy though. I offer Fine Silver lined Copper bands for customers that don't want the skin reaction to occur. I have a video up showing how to make those. I will probably upgrade my videos when I get a better camera. Hope that helps :-)
Hi there... I did make one here ruclips.net/video/oQNrQuFYt2A/видео.html But I was thinking about showing how to make a band that is bimetal half/half and then an inner band of Silver. Keep an eye out... I may put that video up in the near future.
Hi there... You can check out some of my work in my Etsy shop here: www.etsy.com/shop/GWjeweler It's a bit sparse at the moment as I have to juggle other things in life. I will have my casting system up and running again very soon so should have a much larger variety. It will give me more time to do hand fabrication if I'm also selling my cast work.
may i ask you what solder you used? because i ve been trying soldering copper ring with copper solder but ended up in different color(gray-ish color). yours is all beautiful copper color...!!!
Hi there... Copper and Bronze solder will not be as strong and will always have a bit of an off color. They just aren't good color matches. If you have really good heat control then you can mitigate the problem to a point. Get in and get out as soon as it flows. I personally only use hard or extra hard Silver solder in almost everything that I do. If you prep the join like I do in the video and then run thin sandpaper between the join you won't have any silver line.... or if you do it will be imperceptible to most people.
Hi there... Riogrande has rolls of 11' Copper in 9mm or 3/8" width and 13ga thickness. You can then use it as is or cut/roll it down to whatever width you need. Rolling it vertically between the square grooves on a mill works great to decrease the width.
Hi there... You will need: 1. Ball peen hammer or other texturing hammer. 2. At the minimum a jumbo Butane torch, but I would try for a plumbers Propane torch with a hose for connection to a disposable cylinder. The TS 8000 or TS 6000 are good to start with. 3. Silver solder (Preferably hard.) 4. A rotary tool (Dremel or similar.) You can get away without having this, but it's going to be a difficult road. 5. Some polishing and grinding discs for the rotary tool or you can use needle files and sand paper (The harder way.) 6. The matte texture can be accomplished with a fine sandpaper or steel wool. For polished you can just get some of those small buffing bits for the rotary tool and some red rouge or similar. 7. Jewelers saw frame and at least 3/0 blades. 8. Don't forget eye protection. 9. Ruler 10. Ring mandrel That's the minimum of what I would say is needed for these Copper rings.
Thank you muchly :-) You can check out my Etsy shop here: www.etsy.com/shop/GWjeweler Simple pieces up currently. I'm working on some new things and getting my casting machine set up.
Hi there... I do sell them, but my prices have went up a bit over the past year due to various reasons. Message me at negeltu@gmail.com and we can talk it over if you like.
There really isn't a permanent solution. You can treat Copper with Benzotriazole, but it is only moderately effective and will need to be repeated. A nano ceramic electroplating would work, but expensive to get set up. Lacquer is the cheapest solution or Ren wax. Most of my customers buy Copper rings thinking there is some health benefit and they want the skin reaction to take place. Some people just prefer the look of tarnished Copper.
May I ask why my solder won't flow into the join, the solder just keeps heating up until it's red but never Flows in. Can I get help I've been stuck on it for so long
Hi there... Torch is probably taking too long to heat up the area before oxidation takes over and forms a film. When that happens the solder will not flow very easily. What type of torch are you using? Reducing flame? Oxidizing flame? What kind of flux? Are you heating the whole band or the join and the solder directly?
@@ezridaeus hi thanks for helping out, i am usin a sandard butane kitchen torch. The flux i am using is La-Co sandard flux paste, i have tried tto water it down 1:1 raio, and i think the heat isnt the problem because he copper ring will go all red ho in a matter of 10-ish seconds. Im heating the joint directtly as shown in the video
@@Aaron-ux1mr That flux is for soldering pipes and similar that require much lower temps than jewelry. We are actually brazing when we "solder" jewelry and brazing temps will burn that flux up and cause it to carbonize before the silver brazing wire gets to flow temp. You need to use a true brazing jewelry flux like Cupronil, Handy Flux, Batterns, Riogrande's Ready Flux, My-T Flux etc... That will fix your issue.
@@Aaron-ux1mr You're welcome... Handy Flux is a paste. There are a lot of solder pastes that are for soldering pipes and electrical wiring. Those will not work for jewelry soldering. You really need a flux that handles the high temps of jewelry brazing/soldering. I would go with a known brand like the ones I mentioned above. You'll have less trouble in the long run.
I only sell bare Copper. A lot of customers purchase because they believe Copper has health benefits and want it to react with their skin. For customers that don't want the reaction I recommend my Silver lined Copper rings. Any barrier coating that you apply will need reapplication within a fairly short time. I just don't want the hassle with that.
Hi there... I generally use an extra hard silver solder that I make myself, but the regular hard silver solder that you would buy from a supply store will be just fine. Best thing to do is just jump in and start making mistakes. Best way to learn.
Hi there.... I use the high flex EVE polishing wheels. The blue ones are a medium cut. Do a search on Rio Grande or Amazon for High Flex polishing wheels...that should bring them up for you. :-)
Hi there.. Thanks for watching. I used extra hard Silver solder that I make myself, but regular hard Silver solder is just fine. If you prep the join properly you will not see a Silver line on the outer band. Copper solder will almost always fail under forging so I would only use hard Silver solder for anything that will be hammered.
Hi there.... I use a 3/0 for most of my work. Never cared much for that 3 teeth per thickness of material suggestion. 3/0 does a good job on the join prep and also for a lot of piercing work that I do.
Hi there... I generally use 3/0 size blades for everything. If you mean what type of frame.. then it's just a German style saw frame. Most blade sizes will work from 2/0 and finer.
I source my Copper from different places. Rio has the 11' roll for $24 I believe. I like the 13 guage 9mm wide roll. Less cutting than if you were to go with sheet. You can reduce the 9mm width in a rolling mills square grooves if you want to make narrower bands without cutting/waste. That's what I do. I am planning on showing how to do that in future videos. Lowes has rolls of 6 gauge Copper that's really good for bangles and the such.
I either melt scrap and roll into sheet and wire or I buy from a source like Riogrande. It's cheaper for me to source it locally from a metals supplier, but I often get lazy and just order from online. The Copper used in this video and on the majority of these rings is bought from Riogrande. It is the 11' roll of 13 gauge flat. I believe it's around $23, but you will be able to make many many rings. If you have a rolling mill then there is no need to cut the stock down for more narrow rings. Just reduce in square grooves on a rolling mill then flatten back out.
Many people will find that to be the case. A lot of my customers want that to happen as they believe there is some health benefit from the Copper... it's one of the reasons I sell bare Copper rings. Not sure what I think about that, but as long as they are happy. I direct customers that have issues with the skin discoloration to my Fine Silver lined Copper rings.
ezridaeus oh shit eh never heard of that I’ve heard that about silver tho lol was wondering because I make rings out of coins and the coins are 50% copper or more and copper bracelets but just didn’t want someone to say something about the rings etc turned theirs skin green but I’ll use this lmao thanks
Hello there... The challenge lies in crafting the ring to the correct size while maintaining a uniform thickness. This isn't achievable with pipe fittings. I provide rings in all sizes to my customers. Pipe fittings might suffice if uniform thickness isn't a priority and you're okay with offering a limited range of sizes.
That's why I offer fine silver lined bands as an alternative. Many of my customers prefer the reaction as they are using the copper for health reasons. Not sure what I think about that, but the skin discoloration is only temporary and harmless.
@@ezridaeus It's actually kind of hard to remove. It almost tattoos my skin. I do like the idea of a thin silver lining or using copper as an inlay somehow.
@@Osckarre it can take a few days to fade on some people for sure. Many of my customers think that helps with arthritis and pain relief. I don't make any claims to that and not really sure what I think. I personally prefer silver lined copper and the contrast between the two. Honestly I enjoy working in gold and silver more, but these copper rings are crazy popular so I keep making them.
Hi there... It all depends on the market you are selling in. Best to research where you are going to sell at and on what platform. You can get $20 to $30 for them on Ebay and Etsy...There are some selling for higher prices, but they tend to sit. If it's sitting then it's not making money.
This video taught me a lot. In 15 minutes that I sat here watching you made a ring. Someone is more productive.
Wow, I've been doing jewelry for almost a year now, but I just learned some great pointers. Thank you!
Very happy that I could be of some help. Thank you so much for the comment! :-)
I've watched sooo many RUclips videos (not too many regarding coppersmithing out there) as I'm just starting out. I've made maybe 3 pendants and I'm getting ready to make a ring for my husband. The info I received from this video was invaluable! Thank you!! I'd love to see more videos regarding working with copper. I'm learning that it's considerably different than working with silver! And yet, the resources for working with it are much fewer and far between. 🤔
Appreciate the kind words. Comments like yours really motivate me to make more videos. I do a lot of hand fabrication, but I also have a lot of equipment such as cnc mills, engraving and cutting lasers, and pulse arc welders etc. I was thinking about doing some video lessons on those as well, but may just make a separate channel for it. Not sure yet. I am definitely going to do more technique and project videos on this channel in the near future. I just got overwhelmed with life and business for awhile there.
@ezridaeus Totally understandable! I cant imagine it's easy balancing all of the things, as well as having a RUclips channel. Well, either direction you decide to go, I'm excited to see what you come out with next! 😊
@@ezridaeus Im getting into copper smithing too and you vid helps alot. Great knowledge! looking forward to more. A whole copper playlist would be great thanks!
This is a pretty looking ring, thanks for sharing your technics.
Thank you for sharing. I appreciate your level of detail, very helpful. That turned out beautifully and I love your chill voice!🙂
Thank you very much! I appreciate the comment and support. :-)
Absolutely beautiful. Anyone would be so proud and grateful to have such a ring!
Lol wanna buy one 25$ got a few
Dude, are you a hypnotist? Your voice is soothing. Lol. I want to learn this forging skill. So that’s why I found the video. Now I’m hypnotized.
:-D Thanks for watching! I really do plan on getting some more videos out... I've just been really busy. There will be some more forging/hand fabrication videos, 3D sculpting/3D Printing and Casting and equipment videos.
I fell asleep on it had to watch it a few time also I was watching it before bedtime
A true craftsman. Nice video and a beautiful ring.
Thank you very much. I appreciate the comment.
I'm only starting out and have limited tools but definitely some good tips I think I can adapt, was planning on trying a copper ring.
Thanks for the comment! You should definitely give it a go.
Great clarity in the explanation and the video!! Keep it up! Looking for more of these kinds!!
Thank you muchly for the comment. I will have more videos up in the future. :-)
Great video! I'm a newbie self taught metalsmith. I just happened upon your video with this ring. Ironic considering I had just come back inside from my backyard shed slash workshop making a copper piece! This ring is awesome thanks for sharing your skills!!! I am going to subscribe right now! Good stuff! I have so many questions about copper but wont hit ya right now with them all! Xoxo
Glad that I could be of some help! Thank you muchly for the support! :-)
Oh yeah! Definitely going to try it.
Really wanting to get into jewelry making and metal working, this is cool 👍🏻
Thank you muchly!
Super great video and your description of what you are doing ...thank you...just thank you
You're very welcome. Thanks for the comment!
Excellent - very clear and brilliantly explained .. Thank you !!
You're very welcome... and thanks for stopping in and commenting. :-)
Hi Sir, what a fine piece of jewelry, thanks for sharing your technics. My experience with copper is, it's quick weathering and staining on the skin. I'd be thankful if you shared an advice to those issues. Thanks and have a great day
Thank you very much. Unfortunately, there's not much that can be done about copper's reactivity with oxygen. There are several methods used to try and prevent copper oxidation, but they are all relatively temporary and will require reapplication. These include benzotriazole, nano-ceramic coatings, lacquer, and other clear barrier sprays. The truth is, maintaining the cleanliness of copper jewelry should become a weekly ritual for the owner.
Haha this is so awesome. I found your store on Etsy and then I randomly found this video. I was like "wait, I've seen that final photo before..."
The ring looks really great. Definitely about to order one.
Thank you muchly. Hopefully I can get some more videos up soon.
I will have your order out shortly :-)
Well done and well explained thank you
Such a gorgeous ring! I love it!
Thank you muchly!
@@ezridaeus Thank you! I will definitely try to make my own ring now :-)
Super informative thank you but one question. Do you recommend any sealer to prevent discoloration on skin over time?
Very nice ring, I liked your detailed explanations. Keep it up!
Thank you muchly for the kind words. I'll do my best :-)
Never seen this before this is so cool to watch.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the comment :-)
Love the video, love you sharing your process! About how long does it take you to make (not counting the tumbling)?
Thank you for the comment. It takes me about an hour...less if I want to work faster :-)
Excellent work....keep it up.... regards
Thank you very much for the comment. I'll do my best :-)
amazing info here .. can you tell me what saw you're using to cut the joint at the same time .. what brand and blade.. i cannot find a decent one ..
Hi there... Honestly it's just a cheap no name brand German style frame with cheap 3/0 econo blades. I often find cheap works just fine with some tools. Higher priced saw blades usually cut straighter, but break more often as they are hardened properly and therefore a tad more brittle. With any blade you will get best results with very little forward pressure and no twisting while cutting. Just jog in place and let the blade move itself forward. Sometimes with cheaper blades the teeth may be skewed at a funny angle causing a meandering cut. Grab the blade between some parallel jaw pliers and pull it through. This will straighten the teeth a bit and lessen the meandering of the cut.
@@ezridaeus thank you so much for your help .. appreciate that
Fantastic video and incredibly well explained! Just wondering where you buy your copper from?
Thank you very much. I mainly buy it from Rio in the 11' 13 gauge roll
Great content ,how long do you tumble it ?
Thanks for watching. I tumbled around 15 to 20 minutes. Depends on the media. Now I use a magnetic pin polisher. It's a bit faster.
Wow, what beautiful ring. I wanted to ask you what is the purpose of a tumbler?
You can use a tumbler for prepolish stage or in my case I was using it to add a matte or satin texture to the ring. Thanks for watching! :-)
Cool ring :) I had a question tho how do u prevent the ring from oxidizing on the finger and turning dark
Thank you. I have used renaissance wax and various lacquers. The truth is that anything you use as a barrier coating will need to be reapplied quite often depending on wear. Some people prefer the reaction to occur with the skin thinking that there are health benefits. I'm not sure what I think about that. I make Fine Silver lined hammered Copper rings for customers that don't want the reaction to take place. I will probably have a video up on those in the near future. :-)
Just buy silver rings
Hello, my question is how do you clean copper rings when it wears out? Polish then tumble in the gravel? Thanks and I love the final finish!! :)
Sorry... I missed this message. I like to use a gentle polish like Wright's brass polish. Just a light rub and the bright color returns. Thanks for watching.
Beautiful ring 🙏👍👍
Thank you muchly! :-)
Your video inspired me to have a go at making a copper ring. I've done a silver ring not perfect but I was pleased. Anyway I used same solder and flux for copper ring but the solder kept nling up and not flowing. Any suggestions what m doing wrong?
Thanks again for an I formative video
Hi there... What torch, solder and flux were you using? Did you concentrate the heat on the join or the whole piece first?
@@ezridaeus hi, I was using butane micro torch, silver solder medium and I heated whole ring and as the solder wasn't melting I put hottest part of flame on joint. I didn't have problem soldering silver ring. Thanks
@@ezridaeus I was using borax I tried three different fluxes
@@cathmaguire7887 Ah... Copper has a higher thermal capacitance. The heat will sink away a lot more quickly from the join. You will need to use at least a jumbo butane torch for the Copper.
@@cathmaguire7887 Straight Borax isn't the best for Copper, but will work. It's more of a heat issue. A jumbo Butane torch is the smallest torch that you can get away with in Copper.. unless it's a very small piece. If you're using just Borax then it is important to get in there and get out quickly. The Copper will oxidize very quickly and retard the flow of solder. Handy Flux, Cupronil or Batterns flux will work best against the oxidation to help flow.
Nice work
Thanks for the video! You helped me overcome my issues with getting a flush joint.
I have another question for you: when using thicker metal like this I get creases along the inner face of the ring on the sides. Is there any way to avoid that? I still get them even if I anneal before I form the ring. Do I just have to file or sand them out?
Hi there... Thanks for the comment. I'm glad that I could help. As far as creases... I assume you are referring to the marks left from pliers? Is that correct? What kind of pliers are you using after rounding the band over?
@@ezridaeus I'm using flat smooth tipped pliers, but I can safely say it's not from them as it happens uniformly around the inner circumference of the ring, away from where my pliers have touched the metal. It seems like the metal is creasing from folding over itself when shaping from a flat blank into the ring. This is ~1.3mm (16ga) brass. (Could it be an issue with brass only? I don't have any low gauge copper on me right now to try it with)
If you've never noticed such a thing I wonder if it's something else I'm doing or not doing... after I cut out the blank from my sheet, is there anything I need to do before forming the ring?
@@RS-ec5bx Hmm that's a fairly thin piece. Brass will need more annealing than Copper before forming. It's a bit harder to form anyway. I'm generally working with 1.8mm thick metal, but I've never had any creasing happen from 1.3mm and greater. I work in Gold, Sterling Silver, Copper, Bronze and Brass. I have had to polish and sometimes sand out dents from the forming pliers. That is especially true with 1.6mm and greater thicknesses. I wouldn't use flat pliers. You need at least half round/flat round if you're going to form rings without denting the inner band. You can get away with putting a chamfer on the edges of the pliers and then polishing them, but they will still usually dent the inner band. A photo would help me understand what's going on better. You can email me negeltu at gmail dot com if you like. I'd be happy to take a look.
@@ezridaeus Haha of course I just made another one and there's no creasing. Maybe I'm just going crazy!
Well I'll be sure to send you a picture if it happens again. Thanks again for getting back to me.
BEUATIFUL copper rings Design
I am going to save so much money on gifts for my wife 👍
Great job, do you have an online store!
That is absolutely beautiful! I can only imagine what damage I'd do with a hammer. LOL! I'm just starting to learn and I was surprised when you said you use aquarium gravel. Do you also use it when working with silver as opposed to steel shot? And do you always dry tumble? Thanks for a great tutorial! 🙂
Thank you. I use the gravel for most matte finishes. You can use 0.5mm steel pins in a magnetic polisher as well.
@@ezridaeus Cool! 👍. Thanks for the tip! 😊
Beautiful!
How do you keep it from oxidising?
Where do you get your copper roll from? I've been wanting to start making rings from scratch, and I want to use Copper first to get the hang of it before I start working with Sterling Silver. Thanks in advance!
I purchase the 11' roll of 13 gauge Copper strip from Riogrande. Copper is great to get started with, but does behave a little differently when compared to Sterling Silver. In some ways Copper is more difficult to work with. If you cultivate your skills by working with Copper then Sterling Silver and Gold will be easier when you get to them. Thanks for the comment! :-)
@@ezridaeus Thank you for the reply and the great video! If I start with copper, I'll definitely be using you as a guide! If you have an Instagram account, I'll tag you in the finished product!
Excelente trabajo me encanta y como podría hacer para limpiar luego el anillo creo q se oscurece !?
Thanks you very much for the comment. For cleaning after soldering I recommend Citric Acid pickle... For general cleaning on a finished piece I use Wright's Brass and Copper polish....but any non abrasive Copper or Brass polish will work.
You are a master
Thank you very much for the compliment, but I'm really not....maybe one day. :-D
Beeswax 🐝 is that what your using or is there a Special was for Copper or Metals ? Thank you 😊 for sharing, very nice !!! 🤟🏻
Hi there... Thanks for the comment. I've found Beeswax to perform the best for my use. Using the same block that I bought almost 7 years ago.
Link for your website? I would like to browse and maybe buy your jewelry. :)
I like to learn or buy copper ring how is that possible
How can I buy one?
Are you using an exhaust or something? Looks like a little hood/vent with a fan im guessing?
Yep. Inline fan pulling fumes and light particulates away from my face and blowing them out of a window. Don't want to breathe flux fumes. Long term consequences.
If the sizing was right could you use copper pipe to make a ring, are there purity issues? Thanks
You can use Copper pipe, but would be limited in sizing options. No purity issues. Most Copper pipe is between 16 and 18 gauge so a bit on the thin side. I go 13 to 14 gauge on my rings. :-)
@@ezridaeus thanks for the quick and detailed answer, much appreciated!
@@pnutdunne81 You're very welcome! Copper pipe is great to start learning on. It's readily available at most home improvement stores. You can even cut it, anneal it and flatten it out into sheet for pendants.
Just started getting into copper pipe work. Used it to make some cuff style bracelets
Extra hard saulder? What did you mix? Is this a process before the flux? I’m NEW to jewelry making.
It's just a solder/brazing wire/sheet that I make myself which gives me a little extra strength when doing heavy forging. It varies for me... but a good place to start is around 15gm Fine Silver to 3 to 4gm of Brass. Honestly though.. you are fine just using the standard hard solder you can buy from Rio or any other jewelers supply source. No sense in making it more difficult for yourself really. Take things slow and just get the hang of the basic tooling/techniques and you'll get there in no time.
@@ezridaeus thank you very much. How long have you been making jewelry?
Great vid, and beautiful product, thank you. Sub'd.
I appreciate the support. Thank you :-)
Hi, I live in India and I want to order a copper ring from you. Do let me know how I go about it
How do you stop it from turning your finger green? Mostly in the warmer weather...
You have to use a barrier coating on the inner band or treat the metal with Benzotriazole. Any method you use would need to be done again fairly soon. Most of my customers prefer the reaction to take place. They believe Copper has health benefits. Not sure what I think about that. They seem to be happy though. I offer Fine Silver lined Copper bands for customers that don't want the skin reaction to occur. I have a video up showing how to make those. I will probably upgrade my videos when I get a better camera. Hope that helps :-)
Beautiful
🏆
please make bicolor ring, silver inside & copper outside
Hi there... I did make one here ruclips.net/video/oQNrQuFYt2A/видео.html
But I was thinking about showing how to make a band that is bimetal half/half and then an inner band of Silver. Keep an eye out... I may put that video up in the near future.
Hi, can you please tell what is the reason behind gravel aquarium?
It is just a cheap tumbler medium to add a matte finish on the ring. I used that for years before I switched to a different method.
Hello, Enjoyed watching the video. Is it possible to arrange to make one for me? How much would it cost? Thank you
Hi there... You can check out some of my work in my Etsy shop here:
www.etsy.com/shop/GWjeweler
It's a bit sparse at the moment as I have to juggle other things in life. I will have my casting system up and running again very soon so should have a much larger variety. It will give me more time to do hand fabrication if I'm also selling my cast work.
Awesome
Thank you thank you :-)
may i ask you what solder you used? because i ve been trying soldering copper ring with copper solder but ended up in different color(gray-ish color). yours is all beautiful copper color...!!!
Hi there... Copper and Bronze solder will not be as strong and will always have a bit of an off color. They just aren't good color matches. If you have really good heat control then you can mitigate the problem to a point. Get in and get out as soon as it flows. I personally only use hard or extra hard Silver solder in almost everything that I do. If you prep the join like I do in the video and then run thin sandpaper between the join you won't have any silver line.... or if you do it will be imperceptible to most people.
@@ezridaeus thanks for your reply!! your answer clerfied my wonders. ill use silver solder instead of copper solder!!
@@lozanella1348 Glad I could be of help to you. 🙂
How can I buy one
Nice❤
I've just tried making one but my torch isn't hot enough to do the join lol
Hmm.. What torch are you using? You can get away with a jumbo Butane torch, but nothing smaller.
Where can one get the polishing wheel online?
Hi there.. Just search for Dedeco or EVE high flex wheels. I buy them at Rio, but you can find them online in many places. Amazon even has them.
hello, where to you get those rectangle copper plate ;o
Oh I just buy the 11' roll of 13 gauge Copper from Riogrande. You should be able to find Copper strip or sheet at most metals supply shops.
Wher do you get your copper in rolls I'm from socal?
Hi there... Riogrande has rolls of 11' Copper in 9mm or 3/8" width and 13ga thickness. You can then use it as is or cut/roll it down to whatever width you need. Rolling it vertically between the square grooves on a mill works great to decrease the width.
Hey, I’m starting right now.. from all the tools you used on this which ones are really really necessary?
Hi there... You will need:
1. Ball peen hammer or other texturing hammer.
2. At the minimum a jumbo Butane torch, but I would try for a plumbers Propane torch with a hose for connection to a disposable cylinder. The TS 8000 or TS 6000 are good to start with.
3. Silver solder (Preferably hard.)
4. A rotary tool (Dremel or similar.) You can get away without having this, but it's going to be a difficult road.
5. Some polishing and grinding discs for the rotary tool or you can use needle files and sand paper (The harder way.)
6. The matte texture can be accomplished with a fine sandpaper or steel wool. For polished you can just get some of those small buffing bits for the rotary tool and some red rouge or similar.
7. Jewelers saw frame and at least 3/0 blades.
8. Don't forget eye protection.
9. Ruler
10. Ring mandrel
That's the minimum of what I would say is needed for these Copper rings.
ezridaeus thank you so much for this, I really appreciate it. I’ll order it all right now :D
@@ivopinheiro4103 You're welcome. I've added a ring mandrel to that list.
@@ezridaeus can you write what polishing end are you using at 13:20? Is it stone or what? Thanks!
@@warpath0 Hi there.... Any of the dedeco or Eve flexible wheels will work.
Very good
Thank you very much :-)
Wow thats beautiful. Excellent craftsmanship. Do you have any contact info? Im interested in having you make me a ring please. Subbed and liked.
Thank you muchly :-) You can check out my Etsy shop here:
www.etsy.com/shop/GWjeweler
Simple pieces up currently. I'm working on some new things and getting my casting machine set up.
you sell any of these? looking for a nice hammered ring?
Hi there... I do sell them, but my prices have went up a bit over the past year due to various reasons. Message me at negeltu@gmail.com and we can talk it over if you like.
what do you do to slow or stop it from tarnishing?
There really isn't a permanent solution. You can treat Copper with Benzotriazole, but it is only moderately effective and will need to be repeated. A nano ceramic electroplating would work, but expensive to get set up. Lacquer is the cheapest solution or Ren wax. Most of my customers buy Copper rings thinking there is some health benefit and they want the skin reaction to take place. Some people just prefer the look of tarnished Copper.
May I ask why my solder won't flow into the join, the solder just keeps heating up until it's red but never Flows in. Can I get help I've been stuck on it for so long
Hi there... Torch is probably taking too long to heat up the area before oxidation takes over and forms a film. When that happens the solder will not flow very easily. What type of torch are you using? Reducing flame? Oxidizing flame? What kind of flux? Are you heating the whole band or the join and the solder directly?
@@ezridaeus hi thanks for helping out, i am usin a sandard butane kitchen torch. The flux i am using is La-Co sandard flux paste, i have tried tto water it down 1:1 raio, and i think the heat isnt the problem because he copper ring will go all red ho in a matter of 10-ish seconds. Im heating the joint directtly as shown in the video
@@Aaron-ux1mr That flux is for soldering pipes and similar that require much lower temps than jewelry. We are actually brazing when we "solder" jewelry and brazing temps will burn that flux up and cause it to carbonize before the silver brazing wire gets to flow temp. You need to use a true brazing jewelry flux like Cupronil, Handy Flux, Batterns, Riogrande's Ready Flux, My-T Flux etc... That will fix your issue.
@@ezridaeus Thank you so much, could i just use solder paste instead?
@@Aaron-ux1mr You're welcome... Handy Flux is a paste. There are a lot of solder pastes that are for soldering pipes and electrical wiring. Those will not work for jewelry soldering. You really need a flux that handles the high temps of jewelry brazing/soldering. I would go with a known brand like the ones I mentioned above. You'll have less trouble in the long run.
nice
Thanks for the comment!
What finish do you put on it to stop it from turning green?
I only sell bare Copper. A lot of customers purchase because they believe Copper has health benefits and want it to react with their skin. For customers that don't want the reaction I recommend my Silver lined Copper rings. Any barrier coating that you apply will need reapplication within a fairly short time. I just don't want the hassle with that.
@@ezridaeus thanks for the feedback. 👍
What solder r u using?. Im new!
Hi there... I generally use an extra hard silver solder that I make myself, but the regular hard silver solder that you would buy from a supply store will be just fine. Best thing to do is just jump in and start making mistakes. Best way to learn.
What dremel part numbers are those wheels you use? You said blue for one?
Hi there.... I use the high flex EVE polishing wheels. The blue ones are a medium cut. Do a search on Rio Grande or Amazon for High Flex polishing wheels...that should bring them up for you. :-)
Item Number on Rio is 33240110
Love this video! Thanku so much! I've learnt heaps! Im learning with copper. This is my go to video! So valuable!
What is the price and where can I get
What is the name of the measuring device used in the beginning of the video?
Hi there... Vernier Calipers. Great for measuring length, inner and outer diameter and depth.
wow!
What metal did you use for soldering it?
Hi there.. Thanks for watching. I used extra hard Silver solder that I make myself, but regular hard Silver solder is just fine. If you prep the join properly you will not see a Silver line on the outer band. Copper solder will almost always fail under forging so I would only use hard Silver solder for anything that will be hammered.
what size saw blade are you using?
Hi there.... I use a 3/0 for most of my work. Never cared much for that 3 teeth per thickness of material suggestion. 3/0 does a good job on the join prep and also for a lot of piercing work that I do.
@@ezridaeus Thank you!
Where do you get your cooper?
Mostly from Riogrande. I buy the 11' roll of 13 gauge Copper.
Where do you buy the material
Hi there... I buy from Riogrande, but you can get sheet Copper at most jeweler's supply stores.
What type of saw did you you use exactly?
Hi there... I generally use 3/0 size blades for everything. If you mean what type of frame.. then it's just a German style saw frame. Most blade sizes will work from 2/0 and finer.
Where do you buy your copper from
I source my Copper from different places. Rio has the 11' roll for $24 I believe. I like the 13 guage 9mm wide roll. Less cutting than if you were to go with sheet. You can reduce the 9mm width in a rolling mills square grooves if you want to make narrower bands without cutting/waste. That's what I do. I am planning on showing how to do that in future videos. Lowes has rolls of 6 gauge Copper that's really good for bangles and the such.
Where do you get your copper from?
I either melt scrap and roll into sheet and wire or I buy from a source like Riogrande. It's cheaper for me to source it locally from a metals supplier, but I often get lazy and just order from online. The Copper used in this video and on the majority of these rings is bought from Riogrande. It is the 11' roll of 13 gauge flat. I believe it's around $23, but you will be able to make many many rings. If you have a rolling mill then there is no need to cut the stock down for more narrow rings. Just reduce in square grooves on a rolling mill then flatten back out.
Does anyone have a suggestion on where to get flux and solders? thanks.
Riogrande, Amazon, Monster Slayer, Thunderbird Supply, Stuller, Etsy, Ebay, Contenti, Otto Frei
@@ezridaeus Thanks
@@YewCrow No problem.
How much copper rings Design
You didn’t add the flux to the ends of the join, the surfaces that mate, isn’t this best?.
Flux was added to both sides of the join and it wicks into the center all by itself.
Здравствуйте,а что за металл-припой !???
At 2:03 what was that blue clamping thing?
Oh... That is a cheap Harbor Freight bench vise that has an anvil cast into the body.
КЛАСНО , СУПЕР!! А ЕСТ НА ПРОДАЖУ, БУДУ БЛГОАДАРЕН?
Is this ring made of bronze
Solid Copper 🙂
Does it turn you’re skin green?
Many people will find that to be the case. A lot of my customers want that to happen as they believe there is some health benefit from the Copper... it's one of the reasons I sell bare Copper rings. Not sure what I think about that, but as long as they are happy. I direct customers that have issues with the skin discoloration to my Fine Silver lined Copper rings.
ezridaeus oh shit eh never heard of that I’ve heard that about silver tho lol was wondering because I make rings out of coins and the coins are 50% copper or more and copper bracelets but just didn’t want someone to say something about the rings etc turned theirs skin green but I’ll use this lmao thanks
Forgive me, but why not just convert a copper pipe fitting... many are thick and can be worked.
Hello there... The challenge lies in crafting the ring to the correct size while maintaining a uniform thickness. This isn't achievable with pipe fittings. I provide rings in all sizes to my customers. Pipe fittings might suffice if uniform thickness isn't a priority and you're okay with offering a limited range of sizes.
Copper turns your skin green though!
That's why I offer fine silver lined bands as an alternative. Many of my customers prefer the reaction as they are using the copper for health reasons. Not sure what I think about that, but the skin discoloration is only temporary and harmless.
@@ezridaeus It's actually kind of hard to remove. It almost tattoos my skin. I do like the idea of a thin silver lining or using copper as an inlay somehow.
@@Osckarre it can take a few days to fade on some people for sure. Many of my customers think that helps with arthritis and pain relief. I don't make any claims to that and not really sure what I think. I personally prefer silver lined copper and the contrast between the two. Honestly I enjoy working in gold and silver more, but these copper rings are crazy popular so I keep making them.
piękny.... :)
Dziękuję :-D
Im Pilipina, in I'm in Tagalog Language
I'm From Philippines I'm me.
9:22
I'm like #911
What will that ring sell for?
Hi there... It all depends on the market you are selling in. Best to research where you are going to sell at and on what platform. You can get $20 to $30 for them on Ebay and Etsy...There are some selling for higher prices, but they tend to sit. If it's sitting then it's not making money.