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| 10. After carving and deburring the billet, he inserts it into a custom-made ring-forming die and places it in a hydraulic press to be forged. Forging flattens the carved billet, ultimately creating the unique pattern. This photo shows the billet after several repetitions of carving, de-burring and forging. |
| Forming the Ring and Sizing | |||
| 11. The billet started out measuring 8.25 millimeters in width, and needs to be 6.5 millimeters when completed. Final shaping and forming will be done with custom-made dies and a rolling mill. |
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12. Allard then takes the ring blank and cuts it to length to fill the order. He uses an adapted vise to hold the billet for sawing. | ||
| 13. The ring blank billet is placed into a tube furnace for annealing. Argon flows into the chamber, creating an inert atmosphere and limiting oxidation. When completed, Binnion pulls the blank out of the furnace and it drops into water. |
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14. To form the ring, he uses a bending device with custom-made forming jigs. The Delrin jigs eliminate excessive tool marks. | ||
| 15. Allard shapes the ring and adjusts the alignment, preparing it for soldering. |
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16. Soldering is done at a special station. The hardest possible solder is used, allowing leeway for future alterations on the ring. The ring is fire-coated with a mixture of boric acid and denatured alcohol. Because the different metals expand and contract at different rates, it is necessary to "confine" the ring with a custom holding device during the heating process. |
| Finishing and Examples All that's left is the finishing. Binnion uses a variety of finishes on his pieces, but his favorite is a matte, which highlights the contrasting metal colors. He often uses an etched finish on pieces containing silver. Here are some examples of his designs, patterns and finishes. | |||
| 17. This pattern is referred to as a "tight star," and has a matte finish. The metals are 18-karat yellow gold, 14-karat palladium white gold and 14-karat red gold. The ring has a platinum liner and rails. |
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18. This 6-millimeter comfort fit with a "tight star" pattern has an etched finish. It contains 14-karat palladium white gold, 14-karat red gold and sterling silver. | ||
