Silversmithing: Making A Ring With Cutouts

This video tutorial shows how to use a jeweler's saw to make decorative cutouts on the outside of a ring with a bezel set stone. I used a beautiful Labradorite for the stone on this one. The materials used were: 3/16 inch fine silver bezel strip in 28 gauge, 26 gauge sterling silver sheet, #7 triangle wire from Rio Grande, and #,4 Low dome half-round sterling wire for the band. I think this one turned out quite pretty and flashy. This video is a bit longer, but is a complete tutorial, so I think it is worth the watch time. I enjoy sharing my knowledge with others, as I've taught people for most of my life. This hobby turned into a fun side gig for me for years while I taught public school. I love suggestions and hearing about others' experiences. What is your favorite project? What kind of tutorials would you find useful?
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Thanks,
Chad Parker
Making a ring with cutouts using the jeweler's saw!
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[@MernubianJewelry]

Thank you so much for taking the time to make and share these videos. I cannot tell you how much they have helped me in my journey. Btw…I absolutely LOVE your shirt!!

[@chadssilversmithing]

You're welcome:). Glad you are finding them useful!

[@chanalowenthal3897]

Thanks for sharing and inspiring others. A couple of tips for you though; when you file metal, you’ll get much faster, cleaner results if you brace the metal against something so it doesn’t move with the file. Also, the file is designed to take metal off when you push it away from you. When the file is pulled toward the metal (as when you filed the band before soldering) the file gets dull and the metal is scarred but not filed down. And thank you for sawing when you profess not to like doing it. The blades should always be held vertically (keep an eye on the side angle, that’s what breaks the blades) and if you use longer strokes with the blade you’ll get more even cuts much more quickly. It takes practice to get used to. Please keep inspiring others with your work and your videos.

[@chadssilversmithing]

So glad you are watching my videos. Thank you for the compliment! My goal is to reach others and hopefully inspire them in their art.

[@boomjewelrydesigns]

Thank you for the tips... sometimes when i watch my own work... i am disappointed with certain things i do on camera.. lol.. i will work to be a better example. I needed this. Ur a great teacher.

[@kathleenphelan8708]

Where do you purchase natural stones?

[@staceysmith5807]

Thank you! Great channel! I found you through Boom Jewelry .

[@chadssilversmithing]

I will have to thank Benny:). Take care Stacey!

[@Nancy4133nope]

Chad I made the pendant and your tutorial was fantastic it turned out amazing thank you for sharing

[@chadssilversmithing]

Thank you Nancy! Which one of the pendant types did you make?

[@markmunds5764]

Very nice, I also have issues with the saw. Lovew the spray bottle flux idea!

[@chadssilversmithing]

Thanks Mark! Sawing is growing on me the more I do it:)

[@Wishingwell688]

Never heard of triangle wire!! It’s now in my Rio shopping cart. Gorgeous ring. Gonna definitely give it a try. Thanks so much!

[@chadssilversmithing]

Thank you Wishing well!

[@sundazedsilver]

you’re awesome thanks so much

[@chadssilversmithing]

Thank you Sundazed! You’re awesome for saying so:)

[@SilverSeekerCo]

Love the half scrap half project pieces pile, i do that too.

[@chadssilversmithing]

Lol. I have a tendency to just shove stuff to the side. It accumulates after a while:)

[@kes19754]

Thank you for sharing your tips and knowledge!

[@chadssilversmithing]

You are very welcome!

[@patredden4557]

Love this ring, thanks for sharing.

[@chadssilversmithing]

You’re welcome Pat. Thanks for watching!

[@Nancy4133nope]

Fantastic so glad you did a video of this technique

[@chadssilversmithing]

You're welcome Nancy! Thank you for watching. I'm glad you found this to be useful. Take care!

[@kathymiles4870]

Love this ring! Thank you.

[@chadssilversmithing]

Glad you like it Kathy! These sort seem to be pretty popular:)

[@suzannehofer3867]

Chad, I really love and appreciate your videos, but is there any way you could zoom the camera in for more detailed viewing? Many folks struggle with vision issues, and yes, we still do silversmithing, and it’s frustrating to not be able to clearly see all the details of what you’re teaching. It would be so helpful! Thank you for your time and contributions to the community of silversmiths and I love your pickle time interludes! Adorable!

[@chadssilversmithing]

Hello Suzanne! This was a pretty early video. My newer ones should have much better closeups. Video editing skills have improve a bit:)

[@boomjewelrydesigns]

Thank you for your teaching skills

[@chadssilversmithing]

You are very welcome

[@annh3599]

Thanks for the tips Chad!

[@chadssilversmithing]

You are welcome Ann! Thank you for watching:)

[@BlarneyStone1]

Thanks for the video!

[@chadssilversmithing]

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching:)

[@tonyandbevjordan7363]

Hi Chad, thanks for your Utube lesson. I now use NANO blades from Pepe Tools. They have helped my sawing greatly. They are finer, tho still with the same cutting numbers as usual ones. They dont seem to catch and are easier to start a cut. Cheers, Bev Jordan, New Zealand

[@chadssilversmithing]

Thanks Bev! I will look into those. Maybe I’ll start to like sawing:). Thank you for watching!

[@monikamir1]

Very nice ring.

[@chadssilversmithing]

Thank you Monika! I was pleased with how this one turned out as well. Thank you for watching:)

[@ruthdederich3622]

Thank you very much. Nice video!

[@chadssilversmithing]

Thanks Ruth! I appreciate your kind comment. Take Care!

[@larrymoremckenzie3029]

I made one,on the large side,looks good though ,i'm happy! Next one will be better!

[@chadssilversmithing]

Send a pic to my Instagram when you get a chance. I'd love to see it!

[@larrymoremckenzie3029]

Can't seem to get on instagram for some reason!@@chadssilversmithing

[@mahinazarmehr7427]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@chadssilversmithing]

Thanks Mahina!

[@Shukarr]

Beautiful job! I’ve had such a tough time trying to shape triangular wire especially thicker triangular wire. Could you make a video on how to work with thick triangular wire for us? Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and skills!

[@chadssilversmithing]

Thank you for watching my video! I will work on a video to show some tricks for bending thicker types of wire in the near future. I appreciate you taking the time to comment!

[@chadssilversmithing]

I have added a video with some basic tips for bending thicker wire, particularly in situations where you are bending in a direction the wire resists bending. Here it is: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmfdcoKDocuprNE

[@johnakin6168]

Yo Chad, Great video... Here is a comment for the Algo. Keep it up!

[@chadssilversmithing]

Thanks for watching John, and thanks for the comment!

[@rensommers1588]

Thankyou for an easy to understand tutorial…fantasic. When you are snipping the excess sheet silver from the back piece, what do you thing are the best snips for that job😊

[@chadssilversmithing]

You’re welcome Ren! For thin sheet like this I usually just use Fiskars craft shears. For thicker stuff I use aviation tin snips. Thanks for watching and the nice comment!

[@Lisa-yj8dt]

I love the unique design of the cutouts. Are you cutting the backplate and the triangle wire please? Thank you for sharing another great project! I don't break many blades, since I was gifted a Knew Concept saw (although I haven't used it much yet 😁).

[@chadssilversmithing]

Thanks Lisa! I am cutting through both the triangle wire and the silver sheet on the back. I’ll have to look those saws up. I haven’t heard of them.

[@larrymoremckenzie3029]

I ORDERED #6 a little bigger but will work,i hope. Seems as though i've seen half rd.wire used for this,maybe it would work a little easier!

[@chadssilversmithing]

The only hard part is bending it in a direction it doesn’t want to go:)

[@tammiehonican76]

Nice video! Don't worry about bald spot, I know men and women that would love to have as much hair as you do!😉 You always say your not good at sawing but you do a good job every time. That stone is gorgeous and the finished ring is beautiful! I didn't catch what ga sheet metal and what ga the 1/4"was, I know you probably mentioned it. When you solder the 1/4 band, stone band, to the sheet metal do always run the solder on the inside? I know silly question. Which one of your tutorials would be good for my first project? Thank you again for sharing knowledge! Have a good day!

[@chadssilversmithing]

Hello Tammie. I put the materials I used in the video description. Some of my early ones didn’t have the materials in the description, but I went back and added them to this one. My newer ones all have the materials in the descriptions. I think the bezel was 28 gauge on this one, but 26 is good too. The sheet on the back was 26 gauge. As far as starting, probably watch the safety one (it’s like one of the first ones, so sound and editing are probably a little rough, but info is good. Maybe after that do the simple band project or the wobble ring. After that maybe try a simple ring with a bezel. Practice those things until you are comfortable soldering, then start pushing your abilities. If you melt some stuff along the way, don’t get too discouraged. It gets easier with practice as long as you analyze what when wrong and learn from it:)

[@tammiehonican76]

@@chadssilversmithing thank you Chad!

[@marywolfe3018]

Requesting info on the solder...hardness, etc and where purchased. I love watching your videos. Ooh i got a question...is 34 gauge silver sheet too thin to use for the stone back plate?

[@chadssilversmithing]

Hello Mary. I use hard silver sheet solder for most things. 34 gauge is probably going to be too thin. I use 26 or thicker for backs of bezels. Most raw materials I get from Rio Grande out of Albuquerque, although they are not a sponsor:)

[@marywolfe3018]

Hi Chad. Thank you for the reply. I better order some 26 gauge sheets and solder and save the 34s for delicate pieces. I'm very new to silversmithing and am getting materials little by little. I've been watching your channel as well as others', and I'm eager to make my first ring. Please keep sharing your videos as they are so helpful to so many who watch. Your jewelry is fantastic. Thank you.

[@chadssilversmithing]

@@marywolfe3018 Aww! Thanks Mary!!

[@laurenhalmi9640]

Hey Chad! I really enjoy your videos, they’re so helpful! Thank you! Can you tell me what size gauge you used for the triangle wire?

[@chadssilversmithing]

Hello Lauren! Im really glad you are enjoying them. That is #7 triangle wire from Rio Grande. Hope this helps:)

[@dalenawatson2752]

Thanks for sharing. For your sawing challenges, it looks like your bench pin is too low for your body. From the video it looks like you are having to tilt your wrist upward because you don’t have enough space below. It also looks like you have a lot of muscle tension in your hand. You should be able to have a right angle at your elbow and not have to bend at the wrist. Super pike blades made so much difference for me. Now I actually wear out my blades rather than replacing them because they break. Also sawing has become very meditative. I keep relaxing my hand and arm. I noticed when I break a blade it’s often because I’m tense and have forward pressure on the saw. Good luck! Beautiful ring!! I definitely need more ring practice.

[@chadssilversmithing]

Thank you for the good advice Dalena! I’ve needed to raise it for a while so I’m not hunching:)

[@paulahancock4634]

What gauge is the triangle wire you are using ? Love the video💜

[@chadssilversmithing]

#7 Triangle wire from Rio Grande. I’m so glad that you liked it Paula! Thanks for the comment!

[@andreamarkovic6314]

How do you keep you bezel wire from shrinking when you solder it onto the back plate? Is there a reason you shaped the bezel into a square when you soldered it? That has happened to me so many times. Thanks for your super helpful videos!!

[@chadssilversmithing]

Thanks for the questions Andrea! The only reason I can think is that maybe your bezel is slightly tapered, and you soldered the wider side down? If this happens, generally you can flare it out with your pliers before seating the stone. The reason I square up the bezel is primarily so I can have a flat surface to balance a piece of solder on when I put it on the soldering surface. I also just find it easier to line up the ends of the bezel so they meet nicely. Thanks for watching Andrea. I enjoy seeing your pieces on social media!

[@codythompson2560]

@@chadssilversmithing I don't know if this would help you at all, but I usually suspend my bezels with a 3rd hand holding the bezel at the top(I'll have the whole bezel turned 90 degrees so it's hanging perpendicular to my bench) with the join facing directly down. I'll then place the solder on the inside of the bezel right over the join, then heat evenly with the last few seconds heating from directly below. I've found this helps keep everything in place nicely, I don't have to bend and then unbend my bezels, and best of all, I have to do veeery minimal cleanup on the visible side of my bezels after soldering since if there's any excess solder, it's on the inside and can't be seen once the stone is set! Hope this helps, and either way, thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience with us all!

[@chadssilversmithing]

@@codythompson2560 Thanks Cody! I love how everyone has developed a system that works best for themselves. I occasionally solder bezels on the inside as well when there is a specific reason to avoid having any excess on the outside. Thank you for the comment, and thank you for watching!

[@edienorris9268]

Love ur video, i want to try this, can you tell me what materials, to buy, i have the saw blades etc, just need the silver materials that i would need to make simple one like this? please and thanking you in advance

[@chadssilversmithing]

Sorry about not having the materials in the description on this one. I have to shoot a video today, but I will try to add those to the video description tonight when I’m finished. This video was from before I started doing that, apologies. Thanks for the nice comment Edie! My wife’s name is Edie as well:)

[@edienorris9268]

Thanks so much. 2 Edie doesn’t happen 2 often 😊

[@Susanarylander]

how do you get such perfectly flush solder joins just by eyeballng and filing? i have to use a mitre jig to file and get a perfectly straight side. Also, how did you know how long to make the triangle wire? i didn't see you measure around bezel....

[@chadssilversmithing]

Hello Susana! That just comes with lots of practice. I recently got a miter vise and use it periodically when I need really perfect angles:). Regarding the triangle wire, I carefully hold one side flat against the bench and gradually bend it until it fits exactly around the outside of the bezel. If you need to, you can anneal it to soften it up after you’ve gotten it work hardened by bending part of the way around.

[@Susanarylander]

@@chadssilversmithing thanks! Still watching… great video!

[@mariettagilway6637]

Thanks for this video, Now I need to make another order to Rio (Oh Darn) 🤣 Oh, and what kind of yellow flux with a spray are you using?

[@chadssilversmithing]

Hello Marietta! Thanks for watching. The flux I use is called My-T-Flux, and Rio Has it. Hope this helps!

[@aaronramsden1657]

Are you able to anneal the thicker wire?

[@chadssilversmithing]

Hello Aaron! Sure:)

[@Tenorosa]

how would you add a second larger tier below this? work by Jerry T Nelson comes to mind.

[@chadssilversmithing]

That is an excellent question that I have never considered. I don't have an answer for you, but I will give it some thought for future videos:)

[@kathleenphelan8708]

Where do you purchase your stones? I am new to this.

[@charlenesemrock5637]

Following

[@chadssilversmithing]

Hello Kathleen! I get most of my stones from gem and mineral shows that come through Denver periodically:)

[@ebadsajid3167]

Sir if I want to contact you how I can?

[@chadssilversmithing]

You are welcome to message me on my Instagram account.

[@sherriewilson768]

Using a spray bottle for flux : wow. 🤯

[@chadssilversmithing]

Been doing that for years:). Thanks for watching and commenting! Take care!

[@kes19754]

I tried doing this and that wire was so impossible to bend and move!!! Had to throw it out :(

[@chadssilversmithing]

Hello Katie. Did you try holding it flat on the table while using wide nose pliers from above? That works pretty well for me. Also, bend it that way while still part of a longer piece and then cut to size. It gives you better bending leverage:)

[@kimgill4644]

I enjoyed your tutorial, and your commentary is good, but the camera position when your at your solder station isn’t the best. If possible, could you change the camera angle for more closeups of the project and not the back of your head? 😊

[@chadssilversmithing]

Thanks Kim. I’m attempting to do a better job in more recent videos, and working for a better permanent solution as far as picture quality, angle, and zooms go. Thank you for the constructive input, and thank you for watching. I hope as I continue to do this my production quality improves as I learn more about shooting videos:)