Matching 14kt Gold Mokume Gane Wedding Rings

In this instructable, I will show you how to make matching wedding rings out of 14kt gold mokume gane (pronounced mow-koo-may gah-nay, which means wood-grained metal). While it may seem like a complex technique, I assure you anyone can make these with the right knowledge, the right tools, and enough patience. The first two are easily acquired, the last one takes time.

Mokume gane is a technique that joins dissimilar metals together for ornamental purposes. Metals are joined by diffusion bonding to create striking contrast and patterns. There are hundreds of different metal combinations, patterns and techniques to choose from. I chose a textured combination of 14kt red, yellow and white gold. Because all these metals are relatively inert, it provides a comparatively easy example.

I have no formal or informal training in jewelry or silversmithing. However, I have done some blacksmithing, and I study materials science. Don't let that scare you! I will explain the theory behind each step, how to do it, and what to do if things go wrong. You don't need any previous experience to get this right.

This instructable is based loosely on the website I made to catalog how I made the wedding rings. The wedding site reads more like a story than an instructable, which is why I've restructured it for you. You can find the original here: http://www.mike-short.com/MnM/Rings/Rings-Intro.shtml

Step 1: Overview and Materials List

The goal of this project is to make matching mokume wedding rings from scratch. This is accomplished in four major parts:

1) Make a billet of mokume gane from starting metals.
2) Cut, roll and shape that billet into strips for making rings.
3) Form these blanks into rings, solder them together and size the rings.
4) File, shape and polish the rings to a mirror finish.

There are many intermediate steps inside each major part.

Here is a list of tools and materials, along with links to buy them and prices as of February, 2011. I've split the materials into the four major parts. The entire project takes a couple weeks to finish, and each of the four parts can be done on its own with a long break in between. The materials list is a bit long, but having the right tools for the job makes it go far more smoothly. The total cost for the project with prices from Feb. 2011 is $2,168.30. Of that total, $1,719.00 is the gold metal, while the remaining $449.30 gets you all the tools, supplies and safety equipment to finish the entire project. Finding or borrowing tools and supplies substantially lowers this cost.
*Note: You can substantially lower the cost of this project by using different metals, such as silver, copper or brass.

Safety Supplies (Safety First!!!) (Total cost - $36.51)
(1) Safety glasses with side protection
http://www.riogrande.com , P/N 201708, $8.20
(5) Pairs of nitrile (blue or purple) gloves
http://www.vwr.com , P/N 414004-441, $12.62
(1) Lab coat or other long sleeve expendable clothing
      $0, just use an old long sleeve shirt
(1) Plastic face shield
http://www.mcmaster.com , P/N 5481T28 , $15.69

Part 1 - Starting Metals(Total cost - $1,719.00)
*Note: The prices of gold change by the day. Check a reputable metals site, such as http://www.kitco.com for current prices.
(2) 1" by 1" sheets of 14kt white gold
      $348 (Feb. 2011) x 2 = $696.00
(2) 1" by 1" sheets of 14kt yellow gold
      $348 (Feb. 2011) x 2 = $696.00
(2) 1" by 1" sheets of 14kt red gold
      $348 (Feb. 2011) x 2 = $696.00
Recovered dust & scraps
      (-$369.00, adjusted to Feb. 2011 prices)

Part 1 - Supplies for Mokume Billet Making(Total cost - $158.65)
(1) Senpak heat treatment bag, 8" x 10"
http://www.mcmaster.com/ , P/N 3438K14, $9.35
(2) Pounds of dry WOOD charcoal, not briquettes!
http://www.acehardware.com or local hardware store, P/N 8231144, $7.49
(1) Small container of acetone
      Local hardware store, ~$10.00
(2) Steel plates, 4" x 4" x 1/2" thick
http://www.mcmaster.com , P/N 6554K321, $34.32 for a 4" x 12" x 1/2" piece
(4) 5/16" to 7/16" hex head bolts, 2" to 3" long
http://www.mcmaster.com , P/N 91247A320, $10.03 for a 25-pack
(4) Matching nuts for the bolts above
http://www.mcmaster.com , P/N 95505A614, $8.66 for a 100-pack
(8) Matching washers for the bolts above
      Local hardware store, ~$1
(1) Bottle of White-Out or Liquid Paper
      Local office supply store, ~$2
(1) Piece of firebrick or insulating material to use as a heat-resistant surface
http://www.mcmaster.com , P/N 9355K2, $8.62
(1) Propane torch (not MAPP gas)
      Local hardware store, ~$25
(1) Pair of tongs, strong metal tweezers, needle nose pliers or other tool for picking up hot metal
http://www.mcmaster.com , P/N 7379A24, $7.18
(1) Bucket of water for quenching (fast cooling)
      Found $0.00
(2) Wrenches for tightening nuts & bolts above (I like adjustable wrenches)
      Local hardware store ~$30
(1) 1/2" drill bit
      Local hardware store, ~$5
(1) Glass or pyrex container, with a capacity of 100mL to 250mL
      Found, ~$0

Part 1 - Access to Big Machines for Mokume Billet Making
-Furnace (must be set to 100°F (~55°C) lower than the lowest melting point among your metals)
-Vise
-Drill Press
-Bandsaw

Part 2 - Supplies for Making Ring Blanks(Total cost - $87.70)
(1) Piece of 180-320 grit sandpaper
       Local hardware store, ~$2
(1) Piece of ~600 grit sandpaper
       Local hardware store, ~$2
(1) Jeweler's saw
http://www.riogrande.com , P/N 110131, $11.00
(12) #2 jeweler's saw blades
http://www.riogrande.com , P/N 110101, $17.50 for a pack of 144
(1) Stick of jeweler's saw lubricating wax
http://www.riogrande.com , P/N 117003, $5.25
(2) 1" x 1" pieces of sturdy cardboard
      Found, $0.00
(1) Pair of calipers or very precise ruler
http://www.riogrande.com , P/N 115189, $27.00
(1) Metal hammer (see below) or rolling mill
http://www.riogrande.com , P/N 112530, $22.95

Part 2 - Big Machines for Making Ring Blanks
-Vise
-Rolling mill (optional), hand-cranked or powered

Part 3 - Soldering and Sizing the Rings(Total cost - $162.44)
(1) Box of Rio-Pickle pickling agent for non-ferrous metals
http://www.riogrande.com , P/N 5010233, $11.25 for 3 lbs.
(1) 16 oz. mini Crock Pot
http://www.riogrande.com , P/N 501012, $19.25
(1) Thermometer (just has to go to 212°F (100°C))
http://www.mcmaster.com , P/N 6182K14, $13.96
(1) Box of baking soda
      Supermarket, ~$3
(1) Glass stirring rod
http://www.mcmaster.com , P/N 8496K12, $1.77
(1) Bottle of gold & silver liquid flux, 1 pint
http://www.riogrande.com , P/N 504006, $8.95
(6) Inches of MEDIUM grade, 1/16" 14kt yellow gold wire solder
http://www.riogrande.com , P/N 600857, $20.76 (as of Feb. 2011)
(1) Propane torch
      Use the one from Step 1, $0.00
(1) Bucket of water for quenching
      Use the one from Step 1, $0.00
(1) Mandrel with ring sizes
http://www.riogrande.com , P/N 112367, $26.50
(1) Plastic or neoprene hammer
http://www.riogrande.com , P/N 112800, $47.00
(1) Metal cross-peen hammer
      Use the one from Step 2, $0.00
(1) Medium size hand file
      Local hardware store, ~$10
(1) Kitchen measuring cup
      Your kitchen, $0.00

Part 3 - Big Machines for Soldering and Sizing the Rings
-Vie
-Somewhere with ventilation

Part 4 - Finishing and Polishing the Rings(Total cost - $4.00)
(1) Medium size hand file
      Use the one from Step 3, $0.00
(1) Small needle file
      Found, $0
(1) Propane torch
      Use the one from Step 1, $0.00
(1) Bucket of water for quenching
      Use the one from Step 1, $0.00
(1) Mandrel with ring sizes
      Use the one from Step 3, $0.00
(1) Plastic hammer
      Use the one from Step 3, $0.00
(1) Metal cross-peen hammer
      Use the one from Step 2, $0.00
(1) Piece of 180-320 grit sandpaper
      Use the one from Step 1, $0.00
(1) Piece of ~600 grit sandpaper
      Use the one from Step 1, $0.00
(1) Piece of ~1200 grit sandpaper
      Local hardware store, ~$2
(1) Piece of ~2400 grit sandpaper OR rag and stick of rouge
      Local hardware store, ~$2

Part 4 - Finishing and Polishing the Rings
-Vise
-Lathe (optional, but saves a LOT of polishing time)

Step 2: The Story

While you are collecting your materials, I will get a bit sentimental and explain why mokume gane (or mokume for short) symbolizes marriage to me.

Rings are time-honored symbols of commitment, with no beginning and no end. Mokume adds an extra dimension of symbolism. Due to the nature of how mokume is made, no two pieces can be the same. The unique variability of every hammer blow, heat treatment and every other process ensures that no two patterns can be the same, much like no two couples can be the same. Two rings made from one billet of mokume may appear different, but the patterns on and throughout are the same.

Like a relationship, the rings can become tarnished over time, but still stay intact. The patterns in mokume aren't skin deep; they continue through to the core, like a couple's love. When scratches in the rings do appear, they are buffed out, changing the patterns ever so slightly. Yet the two rings remain linked to each other as long as they exist, changing with each other like two people in a lifelong relationship.

OK, enough with the sentimentals. Let's get smithing!

Step 3: Planning

This is the beginning of Part I: Making a Mokume Billet. Making a billet correctly starts with careful planning.

Materials for This Step:
-Calipers (preferred) or a fine ruler

Procedure:

In this step, you will plan out the size of your billets. If you plan carefully, you should be able to get exactly the billet you need while using as little material as possible. This translates into savings for you, because you can sell your scraps back to a precious metals dealer for almost as much as you paid for them!

First you want to determine your ring size. You can go to any mall jewelry store and ask them to measure it for you, if you don't know it already. If you are making a ring for someone as a surprise, you can measure the inner diameter of one of their rings without them knowing. Just be sure to put it back! If for some reason you don't want to go to the mall to measure your ring size, you can measure your finger size

Next, choose the thickness and width of your rings. The thickness is the distance from the inner diameter to the outer diameter, and the width is how far the rings extends on your finger. Your final billet dimensions should be roughly as follows:

Length: ~0.25" longer than the circumference of your ring. See the ring size chart (below) for dimensions.
Width: ~0.1" wider than you want the finished ring to be.
Thickness: ~0.1" thicker than you want the finished ring to be.

Rather than reproduce the entire ring size chart here, I refer you to the excellent Wikipedia article on ring sizes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_size . This will help you size your billet no matter which country you live in.

Step 4: Assemble & Clean Your Metals

Part I: Billet Fabrication

Safety Supplies for This Step
-Safety glasses with side protection
-Pair of nitrile (blue or purple) gloves
-Lab coat or other long sleeve expendable clothing

Materials for This Step
-Small amount (50-100mL) of acetone
-Your metals, whatever you have chosen
-Glass or pyrex container

Procedure:
First, think about the order in which you want the metals to be. I wanted my layer colors to alternate, with red in the center of the ring, so I made sure to keep a layer of red gold as an outer layer. Bear in mind: the order you choose now will be the order in which your layers appear in the final ring!

Pour about 100mL of acetone into your glass or pyrex container. One by one, put the sheets of metal in it, and gently rub both surfaces (one at a time) with your gloved finger. Continue until all the fingerprints are removed. It won't take more than 30 seconds each.

Make sure to only handle your metals with gloves from now on, until they go into the furnace! Keeping them clean will avoid contamination and help to ensure a good diffusion bond.

Step 5: Create the Compression Rig

Safety Supplies for This Step:
-Safety glasses with side protection
*Note: This step involves machining. Don't wear long sleeves or jewelry when operating big power tools, such as a drill press. Tie back long hair so it can't get caught in the press.

Materals for This Step:
(2) Steel plates, 4" x 4" x 1/2" thick (or one 4" x 12" plate)
-1/2" drill bit

Big Machines for This Step:
-Drill press
-Bandsaw

Procedure:

If you don't have 4" x 4" pieces already, use the bandsaw to cut the 4" x 12" steel plate into two 4" x 4" pieces. If you choose, use the bandsaw to take the sharp corners off the steel plate too. If you cut your steel squares from a larger piece, you won't need the excess piece of steel after you make two plates.

Using the drill press and the 1/2" drill bit, drill four holes in each steel plate, one in each corner. Make sure to clamp your piece with clamps or a vise while drilling! Don't just hold it with your hand! Follow the drawing below for exact dimensions. You need them to be close to the corners to make room for your metal, but far enough away that the holes won't bend when the compression rig is bolted together. Drilling holes centered 1/2" from each side works well.

Step 6: Assemble the Compression Rig

Materials for This Step:
(2) Cut & drilled 4" x 4" steel plates (from previous step)
(1) Bottle of White-Out or Liquid Paper
(4) 5/16" to 7/16" hex head bolts, 2" to 3" long
(4) Matching nuts for the bolts above
(8) Matching washers for the bolts above
(2) Wrenches for tightening nuts & bolts above (I like adjustable wrenches)

Procedure:

Lay your two steel plates next to each other. Apply a liberal coat of White-Out or Liquid Paper to the middle of each plate. You need to cover about a 2" x 2" square. Follow the picture below for guidance. Let it dry for an hour or two. Blowing on the plates with a fan will help them dry faster. In the meantime, put one washer on each bolt, and put one bolt through each hole.

Once the White-Out is dry, carefully place your stack of metals on the center with a gloved hand. Make sure your sheets of metal are lined up as precisely as possible on the center of the steel plate. Any misaligned metal will have to be ground off later, and will be lost!

Now place the second steel plate on top of the metal stack, putting the bolts through the holes of the top plate. Put a washer on each bolt, and then hand-tighten a nut on each bolt. Carefully bring the assembled compression rig to a vise, and tighten the entire assembly with the vise. It would be wise for a friend to help you with this step, just to have an extra pair of hands.

Now tighten the nuts & bolts on each corner. Tighten opposing corners first to keep the stack even. The bolts should be quite tight! They have to keep the pressure on the metals even during furnace treatment.

Step 7: Heat Treatment

Safety Equipment for This Step:

-Safety glasses with side protection
-Pairs of nitrile (blue or purple) gloves
-Lab coat or other long sleeve expendable clothing (in this step, it's mainly to keep your real clothes clean and free of charcoal dust)
-Face shield

Materials for This Step:

-Assembled compression rig from the previous step
-Senpak heat treatment bag, 8" x 10"
-Dry WOOD charcoal, not briquettes!
-Long, metal tongs for inserting the assembly into the furnace

Procedure:

Determine which of your metals has the lowest melting point. Set your furnace to about 100°F (~55°C) below that temperature. Allow this to come up to temperature while you follow the instructions below.

Use gloves for this part. Open the Senpak bag as shown in the second picture. Fill about 1/8 of the bag with charcoal, and place the assembled compression rig inside. Fill the rest of the bag with charcoal as shown in the third picture, leaving a couple inches of the bag empty. These will be used to close the bag.

Next, roll the edges of the open bag over three times. This will make it difficult for any air to enter the bag. If any does, it will be immediately be absorbed by the charcoal, keeping it away from your metals.

Using long furnace tongs, carefully place the Senpak bag into the furnace. Allow it to heat for roughly one hour.

Step 8: Diffusion Theory While You Wait

While you wait for the bond to form between the metals, here is an explanation of what is happening from a scientific point of view.

The principle behind these careful steps is to form a diffusion bond between each layer of metal. There are many ways to join metals, but diffusion bonding is one of the few that requires no filler metals and no highly specialized equipment.

The atoms in a solid are in constant motion. If you bring two solids in intimate contact (by squeezing them together), the atoms will begin to diffuse across the interface into each other. If you increase the temperature, they will diffuse more quickly. Heating the metals to within 100°F of their melting point allows for the fastest diffusion without actually melting the metals. The ultimate goal is to make the metals diffuse into each other, as in the first picture.

Heating for longer will cause more diffusion to take place. The reason we limit the heating time to one hour is to form a strong diffusion bond without completely mixing the two metals. This allows us to make a strong bond, while keeping the layers visually crisp and distinct from each other.

Step 9: Billet Removal

Safety Equipment for This Step:

-Safety glasses with side protection
-Lab coat or other long sleeve expendable clothing (in this step, it's mainly to keep your real clothes clean and free of charcoal dust)
-Face shield

Materials for This Step:

-Long, metal tongs for removing the assembly into the furnace
-Piece of firebrick or insulating material to use as a heat-resistant surface

Procedure:

Once the billet has been heating in the furnace for about an hour, turn off the furnace and carefully remove the bag with the long, metal tongs. The bag will be extremely hot for a few hours! Let it cool to room temperature.

Once the bag is cool, open it and remove the compression rig. Use the wrenches to loosen the bolts, and remove your billet of metal. It should be one single piece, with no visible cracks or gaps between layers.

You may notice that some of the White-Out could be stuck to the billet, or there could be small depressions on the faces. That's OK, they will be removed in the next part. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy. You now have a billet of mokume gane!

Step 10: Annealing

Safety Supplies for This Step:
-Safety glasses with side protection

Materials for This Step:
-Propane torch
-Bucket of water for quenching (fast cooling)
-Piece of firebrick or insulating material to use as a heat-resistant surface
-Pliers (needlenose or other) for picking up the billet

Procedure:

In this step, we anneal the billet, or reset its crystal structure. This will make it much easier to shape, and less prone to cracking. To do so, put the billet on the piece of firebrick and heat it with the torch. Continuously sweep the flame over the billet, and make sure not to keep the flame in one place for too long. You want the heating to be nice and even.

Continue heating until the billet glows a cherry-red color. Once it does, keep it there for around 5 seconds, turn off the flame, and use the pliers to drop the billet into the bucket of water. This quenches the billet, or cools it rapidly, to keep the grain size small. Letting it cool too slowly can make the billet brittle, causing it to crack later.

Congratulations! You've finished Part I. Onto Part II: Shaping.

Step 11: Grinding

This step is the beginning of Part II: Shaping

Materials for This Step:

-Piece of 180-320 grit sandpaper
-Piece of 600 grit sandpaper

Procedure:

In this step, you want to grind and polish your billet into a rectangle, with no overhanging metal, scratches, cracks, oxide or dents. Removing overhanging metal along with any cracks in the sides is crucial, as small cracks can propagate through the piece in the next step, rolling. Even though your material may be expensive, like gold, it is more worth it to remove excess than suffer a crack later on.

Use the rougher (180-320 grit) sandpaper to make the faces smooth, and the sides both smooth and free of cracks. I used a rotary polisher to save time, but you can just tape/glue your sandpaper to a flat, smooth surface and still get the same result. After that, use the 600 grit paper to polish the faces. This will remove scratches from the rougher grit.

Step 12: Filling the Cracks (Optional)

This step is optional, but recommended if you suspect you have cracks in your billet. It's better to fill them in now and spend extra time, rather than suffer a severe crack during rolling later.

Safety Equipment for This Step:
-Safety glasses with side protection
-Face shield

Materials for This Step:
-Bottle of gold & silver liquid flux, 1 pint
-MEDIUM grade, 1/16" 14kt yellow gold wire solder
-Propane torch
-Pliers or tongs for holding the hot billet
-Bucket of water for quenching
-Piece of firebrick or insulating material to use as a heat-resistant surface

Procedure:

Support your billet with the firebrick, and get as much flux on it as you can. Make sure you either do your soldering outdoors, or in a well-ventilated area. Then, start heating your billet with the propane torch. The flux will boil, leaving a whitish solid behind. This is normal.

Continue heating by sweeping the flame back and forth every 2-3 seconds, never staying in one place for too long. Once the billet reaches a dark orange color (for 14kt gold), remove the flame and quickly touch the side of the billet with the solder. If it is at the correct temperature, the hot billet (NOT the flame) will melt the solder and wick it into any cracks. This temperature is slightly above the melting point of the solder, and is called the flow temperature . If your billet isn't hot enough, heat it a little more with the flame and repeat until it works. If your metal starts to look 'sweaty,' stop heating it. You may be starting to melt it!

After the sides are covered with solder, heat the entire billet to a cherry-red and quench it by dropping it in the bucket of water like in Step 10: Annealing. Repeat the grinding/polishing procedure in Step 11: Grinding, and then continue on to the next step. You want to make sure to grind off any extra solder blobs, as you don't want them to show up in your finished ring. The only solder you really need has flown into the cracks, and won't be visible in the finished piece.

Step 13: Billet Extension

Safety Supplies for This Step:
-Safety glasses with side protection

Materials for This Step:
-Pair of calipers or very precise ruler
-Metal hammer (see below) or rolling mill

Big Machines for This Step:
-Rolling mill (optional), hand-cranked or powered

Procedure:

*Note: If you are worried that there may be microcracks on the sides of your billet, it is best to close them first. Follow the procedure in Step 12: Filling the Cracks to cover the sides of your billet in solder, which will fill in any cracks that exist. Then grind off any excess solder and continue below.

Using the rolling mill or your metal hammer, extend the dimensions of the billet. If you are using a rolling mill, plan on reducing the dimensions of the billet by about 5-10% in each pass. If you are using a hammer, use the cross-peened end (the long, thin end, not the flat face), gently hitting the billet to extend it. Use even strokes, evenly-spaced along the billet, to evenly reduce its thickness by about 25%. Use the calipers or fine ruler to measure this thickness. Carefully monitor it for any cracks that develop. If you find any and catch them early, you may be able to solder them shut.

After you've reduced the thickness of the billet by about 25%, you will need to anneal it again. See Step 10: Annealing for this procedure.

Repeat the process of reducing the thickness by 25% and annealing until your billet reaches its desired thickness, length and height that you planned in Step 3: Planning. Keep in mind that each reduction is 25% of the billet's current thickness, not its original thickness.

Step 14: Trimming

Safety Equipment for This Step:
-Safety glasses with side protectors

Materials for This Step:
-Jeweler's saw
-#2 jeweler's saw blades
-Stick of saw lubricating wax
(2) 1" x 1" pieces of sturdy cardboard
-Pair of calipers or very precise ruler

Big Equipment for This Step:
-Vise

Procedure:

The goal of this step is to trim the edges of the billet so that it is rectangular again. This involves using the jeweler's saw to cut any non-straight edges off, plus any layers that have begun to crack or delaminate.

Start by clamping one of your blades into your jeweler's saw. The saw has a clamp at each end to hold the blade. The saw is very fine, with even finer teeth. These blades are made for precision, and as such they are not very durable. That's why they are sold in packs of 144! Do not worry if you break a blade (or ten, like I did). Just take the old blade out, replace with a new one, and continue.

Clamp your billet in the side of the vise, with a piece of cardboard on either side. This prevents the vise from putting tooth marks in your billet. You have to clamp the vise just tight enough that pulling on the billet cannot move it. There's no need to overdo it.

Before cutting, and every 5-10 minutes during, lubricate your blade by running it through the stick of wax. This will help the blade slide, reducing friction on the sides and applying more of the energy to cutting. Watch your cuts and make sure they are straight. Any non-straight areas will have to be ground out, and represent more lost material.

Once you are done, repeat Step 11: Grinding to make the faces and edges of your billet smooth and polished. Now it's time to make a choice. If you want to increase the number of layers in your billet, proceed to Step 15: Layer Increasing. If not, you may skip to Step 16: Making Ring Strips.

Step 15: Increasing Layers

Safety Equipment for This Step:
-Safety glasses with side protectors

Materials for This Step:
-Jeweler's saw
-#2 jeweler's saw blades
-Stick of saw lubricating wax
(2) 1" x 1" pieces of sturdy cardboard
-Pair of calipers or very precise ruler

Big Equipment for This Step:
-Vise

Procedure:

Measure the width of your billet with your calipers, and divide this distance in half. Set your calipers to this halved distance and lock them in place. With one end of the calipers on the edge of the billet, carefully scribe a fine line on the surface with the other end. This will be your cutting guide.

Using the same procedure from Step 14: Trimming, cut your billet in two (or three, or more, depending on how many layers you want to add). Follow the cutting guide you just scribed to make a straighter cut. This will result in keeping more material on the rings, wasting less in the process.

Once you have your billet cut in two, you will have to grind each half to be exactly the same dimensions. The more accurate you are the better, as overhanging metal will have to be ground off like before. Now, once your billets are the same size, repeat the procedures from Steps 6-14 to recompress, rebond, and reanneal the billet. Once it is cut down to size and ground smooth, you may either repeat this step to double (or triple, etc.) the layers again, or move on to preparing the ring blanks in the next step.

I've provided a view of my billet after this step (see picture #5), after I had doubled the number of layers from 6 to 12. Note how the lines are still clean and crisp.

Step 16: Making Ring Strips

Step 17: Curving the Ring Blanks

This is the beginning of Part III: Making the Rings. In this part, you will transform the strips of metal into actual sized rings, ready for final polishing.

Safety Equipment for This Step:
-Safety glasses with side protectors

Materials for This Step:
-Mandrel with ring sizes
-Plastic or neoprene hammer
-Two 1"x1" pieces of sturdy cardboard

Big Equipment for This Step:
-Vise

Procedure:

Put the ring blank in the vise with just the tip (about 1/4") sticking out. Begin curving your ring by gently tapping with the plastic hammer. Use a plastic hammer, as it won't put any marks in your ring. Your curvature doesn't have to be perfect - it will be fixed on the mandrel soon.

Continue by retracting the ring blank about 1/8" each time and continuing the curve, until you can't curve anymore on the vise. At that point, put the ring blank on the mandrel and finish the curve by hammering the ring blank around the mandrel. Get the two edges as close to each other as possible. This may involve increasing the curvature, or making a tighter bend, around a slightly smaller part of the mandrel. Periodically flip the ring so one side doesn't end up more curved than the other.

Now look at the size where it sits. If your ring blank is within one U.S. ring size of your desired size, you may move on to the next step. If it's much too small (like mine was), you will have to repeat Step 13: Billet Extension to roll out your ring blank to between 1.0 and 0.25 ring sizes of your finished size. If it's too big, you will have to cut/grind/file some material off and tighten the curve. It's actually better to be too small than be too big at this point.

Step 18: Pickling

Safety Equipment for This Step:
-Safety glasses with side protection
-Nitrile (blue or purple) gloves
-Lab coat or other long sleeve expendable clothing
-Plastic face shield (because the pickling solution is hot acid)

Materials for This Step:
-Rio-Pickle pickling agent for non-ferrous metals
-16 oz. mini Crock Pot
-Thermometer (just has to go to 212°F (100°C))
-Baking soda
-Glass stirring rod
-Gold & silver liquid flux
-Tweezers or pliers for retrieving the billet from the hot pickling agent

Procedure:
First, prepare your liquids. Pour a small amount (~25mL) of flux into a container (it can be anything clean: a beaker, a dixie cup, etc.). This will be used in the next step. Next, dissolve a couple tablespoons of baking soda into about a cup of water. This will be to neutralize your acidic pickling agent. Finally, measure out your Rio-Pickle and water in your crock pot.as indicated on the box of Rio-Pickle. Not all of the powder will dissolve. Then turn your crock-pot on and monitor the temperature.

Continue heating and stirring with your glass rod until the temperature reaches about 165°F (~75°C). By now, all of the pickling powder should have dissolved. Once it has, and once the liquid is hot enough, place your ring blank in the pickling bath for about 15 minutes. Keep monitoring the temperature.

After 15 minutes, take the ring blank out using some tweezers or pliers, and immerse in the baking soda. You will see some fizzing, as the baking soda neutralizes the acidic pickling solution. Keep swishing the blank in the baking soda until all fizzing stops.

Step 19: Finally, Rings!

Safety Equipment for This Step:
-Safety glasses with side protection
-Face Shield

Materials for This Step:
-Bottle of gold & silver liquid flux, 1 pint
-MEDIUM grade, 1/16" 14kt yellow gold wire solder
-Propane torch
-Pliers or tongs for holding the hot billet
-Bucket of water for quenching
-Piece of firebrick or insulating material to use as a heat-resistant surface

Procedure:

Follow the exact same procedure as in Step 12: Filling the Cracks, except this time apply solder to the open joint of the ring, instead of the sides of the billet. Again, heat the metal until the metal alone (without flame) can melt the solder. If you have kept the two sides of the joint as close as possible, the solder will be wicked into the entire joint by capillary action. This is why it was critical to bring the faces of the joint as close as possible back in Step 17: Curving the Ring Blanks.

Your joint should look the one in picture #2, where nothing but capillary action has drawn the solder through the entire joint to the other side.

This is the end of Part III: Making Rings. Next is Part IV: Final Shaping and Polishing.

Step 20: Shaping

Safety Equipment for This Step:
-Safety glasses with side protection

Materials for This Step:
-Medium size hand file
-Two 1"x1" pieces of sturdy cardboard

Big Equipment for This Step:
-Vise

Procedure:

Clamp your ring gently in the vise, and first file the sides smooth and parallel. Remember that files only work in one direction. Don't file back and forth. Rather, file in one direction (away from you), and lift the file off the piece before filing more. This will keep the teeth of the file from bending down.

Next, gently clamp your ring using the cardboard pieces, with half sticking out of the vise. File the outer face smooth and round, as good as you can. You will start to see your pattern emerge at this point.

If you like your pattern, you may proceed to Step 22: Final Sizing. If you desire a change to the pattern, you may proceed to Step 21: Texturing.

Step 21: Texturing

Safety Equipment for This Step:
-Safety glasses with side protection

Materials for This Step:
-Medium size hand file
-Mandrel with ring sizes
-Metal cross-peen hammer
-Two 1"x1" pieces of sturdy cardboard

Big Equipment for This Step:
-Vise

Procedure:

How you want to add texture to your billet is up to you. The two main steps to texturing are 1) deformation, and 2) material removal.

For deformation, the goal is to compact, or squish, layers in some places while leaving the others intact. I decided to add diagonal lines to my ring. You can add lines, circles, or anything that you have a punch, chisel or die for. (Hint: try using letter/number punches to make messages appear in the layers!)

To add the diagonal lines that I used, place the ring on the mandrel and strike the ring at roughly equal distances around its circumference. It need not be exact, because this introduces variation into the patterns. Keeping it fairly regular, however, will decrease the thickness of the ring uniformly, giving it a spontaneous, yet controlled look.

Keep in mind that texturing will thin the ring out a bit, reducing its thickness and increasing the size.

Step 22: Final Sizing

This is the beginning of Part IV: Final Sizing & Polishing. Once this part is done, you will have a unique, but matching, set of mokume gane wedding rings.

Materials for This Step:
-Mandrel with ring sizes
-Metal cross-peen hammer
-Plastic or neoprene hammer

Big Equipment for This Step:
-Vise

Procedure:

By now, you should have a fairly smooth, textured ring with a pattern that you like. It is also probably just a bit too small, by 1/2 to 1 U.S. ring size. Here is the best and quickest way to get the size just right.

Put your ring on the mandrel. Note how far it has to expand to reach the desired size. Use the plastic or neoprene hammer to lightly tap the ring on the mandrel, to make it hold tight. Next, open the vise jaws so that they will accept the mandrel, but hold the ring back. Now gently tap the handle of the mandrel to stretch the ring, as shown in picture #1 below. Remove the ring and flip it every 1/8th of a U.S. ring size until your ring reaches the desired size.

The reason your ring should only be within one U.S. size of the final size is that stretching it more without annealing could break or crack it. There is no need to anneal after this step; it actually helps not to, as the small amount of cold work that you put into the piece by stretching will increase its hardness. This will make it more scratch-resistant. I confirmed the scratch resistance of my ring by scratching both the hardened ring blank and an annealed scrap of 14kt gold with each other, and only the ring scratched the scrap.

Picture #2 below shows my two rings, and the large difference in size between my and my wife's ring fingers!

Step 23: Comfort Fit

Materials for This Step:
-Medium size hand file
-Small needle file

Procedure:

At this point, you want to file the sides smooth again, and ensure the outside and inside faces are smooth and parallel. Now file the outside face to a more rounded profile using the medium size file. Start by filing a 45 degree bevel on the outer edge, down through about 1/3rd of the thickness of the ring. Then start working your way inward, decreasing the angle as you go.

Now comes the inside face. Using the small needle file, start by filing the same 45 degree bevel through about 1/3rd of the rings thickness. Try to file the same contours on the inside face as the outside face. This is called a "comfort fit," as opposed to a "classic fit" where the inside of the ring is straight.

A comfort fit does two things. First, it makes the ring easier to get on and off. The smooth contours don't bunch up your skin as you put the ring on, or take it off. Second, it makes it harder to slip off. Using a contour fit allows you to make a slightly smaller ring than a classic fit. This means that once it's on, it will hold tighter on less surface area, without introducing any discomfort.

Picture #2 below shows the cross section of each type of ring fit.

Step 24: Final Polishing

Materials for This Step:
-Piece of 220 grit sandpaper
-Piece of 600 grit sandpaper
-Piece of 1200 grit sandpaper
-Piece of 2400 grit sandpaper OR rag and stick of rouge
(2) 1" x 1" pieces of sturdy cardboard
-Mandrel (optional, if you have access to a lathe)

Big Equipment for This Step:
-Vise
-Lathe (optional, but saves a LOT of polishing time)

Procedure:

Using successively finer grits of sandpaper, polish the two faces and the two sides of each ring. Start with the rough (~220 grit), and only take off enough material to create a uniform finish. You can very lightly grip the ring in the vise using the cardboard squares.

If you have access to a lathe, then polishing the outer face can be sped up quite a bit. You can gently tap the ring onto the mandrel. You may have noticed that most mandrels have space at the narrow tip for insertion of a lathe spindle! Grip the handle of the mandrel with the lathe chuck, and fit the mandrel onto the spindle attachment of the lathe. Spin slowly, gripping the ring with the sandpaper. Use two fingers, and you will be able to actually feel the bumps on the ring being smoothed out.

Make sure that you use the sandpaper to smooth out any bumps, depressions or corners. The two most likely spots are the solder joint and the outside edges. A bit of polishing now will make for a much more comfortable ring.

After you reach a mirror finish, you are done! Admire your handiwork. Last comes the step that I can't help you with...

Step 25: Apply Rings to Spouse, Exchange Vows, Get Married!

By now you should have two rings that both match and are theoretically irreproducible. The patterns match each other, and as the rings wear down microscopically over time, the patterns will change with each other, as will the two of you. No one can replicate all the hammer blows, temperatures, parameters, and other features that make your rings unique, just like your relationship cannot be compared to any other. The rings are uniquely yours, as you are to each other.

I sincerely hope you enjoyed this Instructable. I tried to keep it as detailed as possible without including anything too bewildering. If you would like to hear more details about the science involved or are interested in more advanced patterning techniques, feel free to send me a message. I would be happy to respond.

If you attempt this Instructable, and would like any personalized guidance, I would be happy to provide it. Good luck!

Step 26: What Would I Do With a Laser Cutter?

SOOOOO MANY THINGS!!!

Aside from the myriad small artistic projects that would benefit greatly from having a precision cutting/engraving machine (such as monogramming my wallet, laptop case, steaks, etc...), here is the short list of projects for which I've wished I had a laser cutter. Some of these date back almost 10 years - I've wanted one for that long!!!

#1 - Complex Shapes in Mokume Gane
As mentioned in my Instructable, when making mokume, the pieces have to be precisely cut and aligned. This currently restricts me to working with rectangular pieces, so if I want to make an organic form, I have to file/grind a lot of metal.With a laser cutter, I could cut out complex, organic shapes and diffusion bond them in place! This would allow me just to file bevels on the edges, revealing the layered structure while preserving the complex, curved, organic forms. I haven't seen this done much in mokume, and it would allow me to take this art to what I consider a whole new level because of the savings in time, cost, and design setup.

#2 - Laser Engraving / Inlay / Personalization of Jewelry
Since making my mokume wedding rings, I have had a few requests from friends to make similar rings for them, one set of which I am working on right now. Since I don't charge for these pieces (they are wedding presents), I don't have the finances to get my designs engraved, personalized, etc. the way I would like. This laser cutter would allow me to do these, plus to laser-scribe guidelines for inlaying other materials. For example, I could make a silver ring, laser-scribe the couple's initials, chisel the metal along the laser-cut guidelines, and inlay gold wire!

#3 - Laser Cutting Fittings for Damascus Steel Blades
In addition to making mokume jewelry, I am also making damascus steel knives, using similar techniques to mokume. The end result is a blade that is sharp, tough, and incredibly ornate, with designs of raindrops, spiraling flames, etc. all along the blade. I feel that such an ornate blade deserves similarly ornate fittings, handles and settings. My hand dexterity with a tiny file isn't the best, and having a laser cutter will allow me to make hand guards, pommels, guides for stone inlaying, and laser-scribed sheaths to compliment the blades that I am working on. I made a nice wooden handle for one, but it just felt like it was missing something. This laser cutter will certainly fill the void. Again, since I don't sell these pieces (I either keep them or give them as gifts), I don't have the means to send out parts for ornate inscribing or cutting. Having a laser cutter will solve this problem.

To show you what I mean, the picture for this step is a photo of a blade that I've finished. It is a "raindrop" pattern, where drilling hemispherical divots on top of each other creates concentric rings, and the blade looks like raindrops hitting the surface of a body of water.

#4 - DIY Jigsaw Puzzles
I've always loved jigsaw puzzles, and so does my entire family. Having the ability to make my own (of arbitrary size and complexity) will be tons of fun, plus I'll be able to create lots of gifts that I know people will enjoy.

#5 - Laser Cut Invitations
The one thing I felt my wedding was missing from a technological standpoint was laser-cut invitations. In the future, I would very much like to laser-cut invitations. These will really make things stick out in people's memories, and add another personal dimension to already personal events. I'm at the age where cousins are friends are getting married and/or having babies, and I'd love to contribute to some of their occasions by providing laser-cut invitations and announcement cards.

__________________________________________________________
That's it for the "short list," trust me when I say there are plenty more small and large projects that I have in mind for this laser cutter. These are just the ones I want to tackle first, and the ones that I think the most people can relate to and understand, especially after reading this Instructable.

Thank you very much for making me a finalist! I appreciate all the voting, views, links, and support from the whole Instructables community!!!