Bronze Thumb Rings
Beginning with a block of machinable wax given to me by a friend, I endeavored to make the best ring yet. Typically, I begin with a billet of aluminum or block of wood, where I drill a hole, cut it to an approximate shape, then grind and sand it into a finished ring. The process with wax is similar, but much more pleasant and easier to work with. Errors aren’t as inclined to bungle the whole project and there’s much more control for fine details. Working with machinable wax is definitely my favorite way to make a ring. But a wax ring is of little use, unless it’s cast, and I do not have to means to do so at a level that would produce a stalwart and trustworthy weight-bearing ring.
I am grateful and a bit amazed to have discovered BronzeArt, a local foundry that casts and produces all sorts of art, some from well-known artists and some from gornishts, eg me. They are a fantastic group of hard-working folks with a craft that has become quite uncommon, and it is they who helped me produce my rings — properly cast rings that will not break.
Above is one of two wax versions, the other I have no photo of. The one above was a hastily made thumb ring, that although perfectly cast, had design flaws in the wax version which required an abundance of finish work for the bronze result. The other was perfect out of the box and required only standard polishing.
The center ring is my favorite aluminum thumb ring and the lateral ones are the bronze versions.
Tested in the field, they both work as well as intended. The challenge in producing more for others is mostly sizing, which varies greatly with each individual. I’ll need to figure this out if there is any demand.
If you’re an artist and wish to cast your work into bronze, consider BronzeArt (Bronzeartfoundry.com) — it’s a rare and invaluable resource where things are done right with expertise and skill.
Below is a video of the rings, with the latter portion filming the pouring process.