Copper Crystal Ring

by bravoechonovember1

2.3K131

Intro: Copper Crystal Ring

I made a ring earlier this year out of some scrap copper; it was terrible quality but it was fun to make. I decided to make another, higher quality, ring. I had read that copper can be made into crystals so I decided to grow some crystals and use them as the stone of the ring

This instructable was written late at night for a contest deadline so I have some steps I need to polish up

STEP 1: Items Needed

Ingredients needed to grow a crystal
    1. sulfuric acid (battery acid)
    2. Copper
    3. 6 volt battery
    4. Plastic container
    5. Well-ventilated area
    Things needed to make the ring
      1. Strong hammer
      2. Solid copper grounding wire
      3. Anvil/hard surface
      4. Sturdy vise
      5. Epoxy
      6. Sandpaper
      7. Rat tail and flat files
      8. Solder
      9. Propane torch

      STEP 2: Growing Crystals

      I found on the internet that if you put electrodes in sulfuric acid you can make copper sulfate and then crystals. I produced my Copper sulfate by suspending two copper electrodes in battery acid (dilute sulfuric acid) and running 6 volts DC through the electrodes. Overnight it turned blue (a sign it turned to copper sulfate.)

      Though crystals can be formed by the method previously I actually ended up buying my copper sulfate as it was less time consuming and less dangerous. I heated up a kettle of water and dissolved some "Zep Root Kill" in a plastic container then let the water evaporate until nice crystals had formed

      STEP 3: Making the Ring

      I first took a 2 in. piece of the grounding wire and hammered it until it was about 2 3/4 in. Then I "rounded" it by rotating the piece while hammering. After it was approximately the circumference of my sisters' finger it broke it off of the rest of the copper wire. Then I started to bend it; by hammering and by bending it around a round piece of metal. It took a few pieces of copper to get the bending process correct so don't be surprised if it breaks in two.

      STEP 4: Solder

      After I test fitted it on my sister I cut some materia the ring with a Once I made sure that the ring fit on my sisters I decided to solder it together. First I got a piece of solder as long as the width of the ring. Then I used the blowtorch to melt the solder; since the ring is copper the solder wicked pretty nicely.

      STEP 5: Polishing

      Once I was satisfied with my soldering I started polishing the ring. I started sanding it with some high/medium grit with my hands but then I decided to put it on my wood lathe to speed the process up.

      After a little bit I switched to a high grit emery paper.

      STEP 6: Clear Coating

      I affixed the crystal to the ring with epoxy on the opposite side of the lead joint.To protect the copper from oxidation I borrowed my sister's nail polish and clear coated the ring as well as the crystal because copper sulfate is slightly toxic and a mild irritant.

      STEP 7: Finished!

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