Powder Coating Techniques and Tips for Rings

The following supplies will be used for course demonstrations and objectives. A suggested item and/or vendor has been provided below for reference. Click the vendor name to be redirected to a page where you can view the item. The quantities needed for each item are listed first. If ordering, please be aware that some items may come in larger quantities than needed for this class. We recommend not opening an item's packaging until the day of the workshop. Student participation during or in-between class sessions is not required - observers are welcome.

SUPPLIES ARE NOT NEEDED TO TAKE THE CLASS - ALL MATERIALS CAN BE ORDERED AFTER THE CLASS ENDS. 

Metal/raw materials: 

• 6"x6" x copper or brass sheet (Rio Grande)

• 12" x sterling wire of choice for ring band (Rio Grande)

• 12"-24" x sterling round wire for rivets or stack rings (Rio Grande)

• bezel wire of choice - optional (Rio Grande) 

• wire or sheet of choice for prongs or tabs - optional (Rio Grande or Rio Grande)

Powder coating items: 

• powder coat - colors of choice (Powder by the Pound, Eastwood, Prismatic) 

• powder coat - off white - 8oz (Powder by the Pound, Eastwood, Prismatic) 

• powder coat - satin clear - 8oz (Powder by the Pound, Eastwood, Prismatic) 

• 1 x convection oven - must go to 400° (Walmart)

• 1 x large sifter 100 mesh (Thompson)

• 1 x medium sifter 100 mesh (Thompson)

• 1-3 x trivets to fit the scale you plan to work in (Thompson)

• prismacolor colored pencils of choice (Prisma or other)

• graphite pencil(s) - instructor uses BIC mechanical (Prisma, Staples, or other)

• white 101 Pitt artist pen brush - optional (Faber Castell)

• colors of choice Pitt artist pen brush - optional (Faber Castell)

• polish wheels in medium and fine- flat/knife and cylinder - optional (Rio Grande, Rio Grande)

• liver of sulfur - optional (Rio Grande)

• renaissance wax - optional (Rio Grande)

Torch setup:

• 1 x fireproof area - steel sheet, tiles, etc. (Amazon or Home Depot)

• 1 x Solderite™ pad / pan with pumice (Rio Grande or Rio Grande)

• 1 x compressed charcoal block - hard (Rio Grande)

• 1 x torch - Smith mini, Silversmith, or butane (Rio Grande or Rio Grande)

• 1 x #0 or #1 torch tip - if getting Silversmith (Rio Grande)

• 1 x striker or lighter - Silversmith system has one (Rio Grande)

• 1 x soldering tweezers (Rio Grande)

• 1 x soldering pick (Rio Grande)

• 1 x 3rd arm (Rio Grande)

• 1 x cross lock tweezers (Rio Grande)

• 1 x paste flux (Rio Grande)

• 1 x copper tongs - for pickle (Rio Grande)

• 1 x 6” silver solder - hard (Rio Grande)

• 1 x 6” silver solder - medium (Rio Grande)

• 1 x 6” silver solder - easy (Rio Grande)

• 1 x pickle - sodium bisulfate or citric acid (Rio Grande or Amazon)

• 1 x brass bristle brush (Rio Grande)

• 1 x crock pot or lidded glass container (Rio Grande or Amazon)

• 1 x tempered glass container or sink - for quenching and rinsing

• 1 x small brush - for flux

Hand tools:

• 1 x flat nose pliers (Rio Grande)

• 1 x snips / flush cutters (Rio Grande)

• 1 x jewelers saw (Rio Grande)

• 1 x pack saw blades - 2/0 (Rio Grande)

• 1 x burlife / bee's wax (Rio Grande)

• 1 x bench pin (Rio Grande)

• 1 x half round hand file - #2 cut (Rio Grande)

• 1 x rotary tool - flex shaft, micro motor, etc. (Rio Grande)

• 1 x set of needle files - #2 cut (Rio Grande)

• 1 x half round forming pliers (Rio Grande)

• 1 x center punch (Rio Grande) 

• 1 x scribe (Rio Grande)

• 1 x ring clamp (Rio Grande)

• 1 x rawhide / plastic mallet (Rio Grande)

• 1 x riveting hammer (Rio Grande)

• 1 x chasing hammer (Rio Grande)

• 1 x steel block / steel surface (Rio Grande)

• 1 x small steel ruler (Rio Grande)

• 1 x sheet of sand paper - 220 to 600 grits (Rio Grande)

Other/miscellaneous items: 

• hard work surface

• fan and open window - or ventilation system

• respirator or N95 quality mask

• safety glasses 

• pencil, Sharpie, notebook

• ruler