Our first project in metalwork was a ring, with a half sphere on top, and another ornament or decoration of some sort. the first step was to cut a brass strip to the right size using a piercing saw. I used my finger circumference, then added the thickness of the metal multiplied by pi to get the length I would need for the ring to fit me. I then bent this around so the ends met, to be soldered together later. I then started on my half sphere. I drew a circle using a compass, and cut it out using the piercing saw.
I filed the edges to make them not as sharp. Then i had to shape the circle into a half sphere, or bowl shape. i did this using a doming block and punches. I moved from the bigger dents to smaller ones, so it got more domed as i went, and it got smaller.
I then soldered the edges of my ring together, making sure they were lined up well and had plenty of flux so the solder would flow in the right place. I then cleaned it in the acid to get all the flux off.
To make the ring round, I used a mallet and a ring stake to gently shape it without spoiling the texture of the metal or distorting it in any way.
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