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Adjustable Chevron Ring Tutorial

by Rena Klingenberg. © 2003-Present Rena Klingenberg. All Rights Reserved

This chevron ring is quick to make from a small piece of sheet metal.

The underside of the ring is adjustable to fit a range of finger sizes:

I’ve left my ring plain, but you could embellish yours with metal stamping, oxidizing / patina treatment, hammering, texturing, etc.

Let’s get started!

Supplies:

• A piece of metal sheet – 22 or 24 gauge (I used 24 gauge brass), that measures at least 2.25″ x 0.75″ (5.72 cm x 1.9 cm).

  Most jewelry suppliers that carry metalworking stuff carry sheet metal. I got mine online from Monsterslayer.com.

• Ruler.
• Ultra-thin Sharpie marker.
• Jeweler’s saw or tin snips (tin snips are scissors that cut metal – you can get these pretty inexpensively at a hardware or home improvement store). I used tin snips.
• #0000 steel wool – a small piece.
• Nylon or rawhide hammer for flattening and hammer-hardening your copper.
• Ring mandrel (or dowel, PVC pipe, or other sturdy cylindrical object that’s about the diameter of your finger).

How to Make an Adjustable Chevron Ring:

First, on a piece of scratch paper draw a pattern for your ring design.

My finished piece is U.S. ring size 7 (but is adjustable to fit slightly smaller or larger finger sizes) – and my ring design is 2.25″ long x 0.75″ high (5.72 x 1.9 cm):

Now get out a piece of sheet metal that’s at least the size of your pattern:

Cut out your paper pattern and place it on your metal.

If possible, use an existing straight edge of your metal for one of your ring edges, so you’ll need to do less cutting.

Now use a fine-tip sharpie marker to trace your paper pattern onto your metal:

Now your metal should look something like this:

Now use your jeweler’s saw or tin snips to cut out your metal shape.

Caution: The edges of your sheet metal are as sharp as a knife. Be very careful not to cut yourself!

When you’re finished cutting, your metal shape should look like this:

Every corner on your metal cutout is extremely sharp, so use your tin snips or jeweler’s saw to round off each corner.

Now your metal should look like this:

Now let’s smooth off the sharp edges all the way around your piece of metal, so the finished ring will be safe and comfortable to wear.

Take a small piece of #0000 steel wool and fold it over one of the edges of your metal.

Use the steel wool to sand and smooth every edge and corner of your piece of metal. Continue sanding until every edge is completely smooth and couldn’t possibly cut anyone.

Also use your steel wool to smooth and buff the two flat surfaces of your metal (front and back):

Now your metal should look like this (the steel wool also removed your Sharpie marks from the edges):

It’s time to shape your piece of metal into a ring.

Place your metal piece on your ring mandrel (or PVC pipe, dowel, etc.) – with your thumb holding the center of the ring firmly against the mandrel:

Now use the thumb and fingers of your other hand to wrap the ring around the mandrel:

Holding the ring tightly in place around the mandrel, use your nylon or rawhide hammer to pound your ring into shape all around the mandrel.

Hammer every part of the ring to harden it into the shape you’re holding it in on the mandrel:

Be sure to do a thorough job of hammering the ends of your ring too:

And your ring is done!