I've only recently started making rings with sterling wire, and so far have kept them all for myself. 

 I have a few orders for rings now, and would like to know the best advice for getting the size perfect for my customers.

 Any help would be soooo greatly appreciated!

you can use a graduated ring mandrel or they make flexible bands with the sizes imprinted.Any jewelry supply shop has these.

A little small & u can stretch, not the other way around without cutting & pasting.

mtlctr

Thanks for replying mtlctr !

 I know the sizes, but where I am having the difficulty is in all the different info for making the ring perfect to that size.

For instance, if I need a finished size 6 ring, one book says to place the silver wire on the 5 1/2 spot on the ring mandrel, then cut, solder, and finish.  It's saying that working the metal will bring it up to the size 6 .. but that seems like a pretty big difference.

 What do you do??

 Thanks!

Metalms,

What I have found is this, if the metal is cut to say 5 1/2 , you usually (at least I do) have to true up the ends to be soldered with a file which removes a small amount of metal. now you are a bit smaller than you were. Doubt if it will be 51/2 after soldering. Gonna be smaller. So..................I cut my wire a bit longer than intended to make up for the filing to fit & they generally come out to size.

hope this helps,

Mtlctr

Thanks!

That would make more sense to me :)  That's what I found so confusing about the information I'm finding.  I know as someone that has only been doing this a shorter time, things may not always make sense, but that info I read really didn't.

 I appreciate your responses.

Maybe it's in resources here or on another site but there is a schedule of shank lengths. What I do is measure off the the correct length plus a little for squaring up like mentioned. For an absolute,well as absolute as I get, fit use a section of light gauge copper wire and wrap it around your ring mandrel at the appropriate spot and twist it closed, slide it off and then snip it open and lay it out flat. This will give you the length of wire you need to cut. This is a lot easier for me than trying to bend a shank around a mandrel prior to cutting.

 Here's a link to a really useful chart for sizing rings:

Here is the formula for finding the length to cut for rings, heavy round bezels, jar lids, etc. I found it in a technical manual and have used it sucessfully for years.

I.D. + thickness x 3.14 (Pi) = cut length

Pi x Diameter is the formula for the circumference. Adding the thickness to the I.D. before mulitplying to Pi compensates for the extra length needed for the material ouside of the circumference. The thicker the material, the longer the strip for the band needs  to be.

How To: Measure, in millimeters, across the inside diameter of the ring size with an accurate ring gauge, or measure the inside of a ring the person already wears, or look it up from one of the references previously given here.

(PEPE's ring mandrels and ring gauges are matched - an industry first!)

Add the thickness of the material to the I.D. then multiply the sum by 3.14 (Pi) and use this measurment in millimeters to accurately cut the correct length for the band.

 John

Thank you all for your help and all the great info !