How to Carve Wax to Cast a Ring From

Use steel wool to smooth the wax carving for your ring.

If you love jewelry and you want to make your own ring, with a few simple tools you can carve a ring out of wax. This carving can then be used to cast your ring in metal. Carving wax comes in ring tubes of different shapes. Select the best shape for your design. Shape it to be exactly the way you want it, and add any design elements you like. Once you are happy with it, you can send the wax carving off to be cast into a ring made of sterling silver, gold or platinum.

Things You'll Need

• Carving wax
• Carving tools
• Ring mandrel
• Miter box or knife
• Steel wool
• Nylon pantyhose
• Wax cleaner
• Touch-up wax

Instructions

1. Measure the tube of carving wax to a little larger than the desired width of your ring. This will allow you to work with the wax while being sure you still end up with the ring in the size you want. Mark the wax around the entire circumference of the ring and slice off a piece, taking care so that the slice is even. Use a miter box if you have one, otherwise make a careful cut with a sharp knife. A miter box is a jeweler's tool that involves a blade and a stabilizing box, and helps to ensure precise cuts.

2. Carve out the inside of the ring tube until the ring is the size needed. Check on sizing with a ring mandrel as you work to be sure that you do not carve too little or too much.

3. Mark off your design on the wax and begin carving. Use a commercial wax pen, or warm your carving tools in a candle or an alcohol lamp and methyl alcohol.

4. Check for sizing from time to time as you work.

5. Smooth the wax with steel wool when you are happy with your carving. Smooth it further with nylon pantyhose and finally, with a wax cleaner. If needed, you can touch up any imperfections with touch-up wax.

6. Send the carving out for casting once the wax is smooth. Be sure to give the caster specific instructions, including the type of metal you would like the ring cast in.

Tips & Warnings

• There are many tools available to carve wax. Jewelry supply houses make specialized tools, but old dental tools and tools designed for pottery, polymer clay and metal clay work equally well, often for a fraction of the cost.

• Craft knives or files from the hardware store can be used to carve out the inside of the ring, but specialized tools will make the job easier.

• All-purpose wax is purple, but carving wax is available in silver and gold tones that will allow you to have an even better idea of how the finished project will look.

• When casting from a wax carving, what you see is what you get -- so take time to smooth and finish your design. Not only is it easier to finish wax than cast metal, it is less expensive to file away wax rather than metal.

• Be aware that you may need to do some finishing and polishing work on your ring after you get it back from the caster in metal.

• Although it is possible to cast some stones in place, in most cases it is preferable to set any stones in your ring after casting.

References

• Silver Workshop: Lost Wax Casting
• Pod People Designs; The Diary of a Wax Cast Ring; February 2011