Ring Engraving!

I am very pleased to announce that I will now be doing my own engraving! I am super excited to have gotten an inside ring engraver. And that it is SO fun to use.

This is for in the inside of rings only, not the outside or on a flat surface. Standard engraving cost is $18 for one ring or $30 for a pair. If the engraving very simple, like just the date or initials (all one case, less than 8 characters total), it is $10/ring. The number of letters/words that can be engraved depend on the size of the ring and a little on which font is chosen. The block styles do take up a little bit more space. On average, I would say most ring sizes could handle at least 25 - 30 character spaces (counting the letters and spaces in between words) Larger rings closer to 40 - 45, maybe more. Makers mark and alloy stamps will be included if the engraving is very short and there is adequate space. If it doesn't seem to fit w/ the engraving, it may be left off. If you have a preference, please let me know.

I have 5 different fonts available. So far I've just been practicing on some cheap brass rings, so the samples are just really generic. As I do real rings, I'll photograph them and add them in so you can see different words/letter combos and numbers.

The dial it came with has 2 block styles - a larger, slightly italic upper case font - this one had been available before. I'm going to just call it simply Large Block Style And a smaller and more blocky all upper case font that reminds me slightly of Copperplate if you're familiar w/ that font - I'm going to just call it Small Block Style.

Large Block Style

Sample on 6mm wide ring

Small Block Style

Samples on 4mm width ring

The next block style is called Modern Block - and it includes lower case letters! Which I am very excited about. It kind of reminds me a little bit of Comic Sans, minus a little comic :)

Modern Block

Samples on 4mm ring

And then there are two different Script Styles - one is similar if not exactly the same as one I offered before. The other one is totally new.

Fancy Script

Samples on 4mm ring

Modern Script

Sample on 4mm ring

and that concludes my engraving overview!

What I'm Listening to: podiobooks

I can't really put one single one in the title as I'm currently left hanging by several I've been listening to. I'm normally one of those people that doesn't like to be left hanging, so I usually subscribe to books that are finished already. But this lovely lists are one that are really great and I'm anxiously awaiting all their next installments:

The newest one I listened to yesterday and today - slightly futuristic scifi/noir style about zombies and vampires and other supernaturals -
FETIDUS: The Damned Heir by James Durham

And one of my favorites in the 30+ or so that I've listened to.... I spent several days listening and found out that there are still 2 more episodes! nooo!!! but it is really awesome. Again w/ supernatural elements, set in a private high school - a more realistic version of Harry Potter meets Twilight - minus cloaks, wands or vampires (uh, yeah, you can tell that was a great description, you'll just have to listen to it)
It was one of those stories where you wonder what the characters are up to when you aren't listening (reading?) about them.
House of Grey by Collin Earl

Mike Bennett's voice is almost too soothing and lovely sometimes I zone out when I'm listening (and every once in awhile I think he sounds like the geico gecko or the guy from Dead Like Me - I'm sure he'll love that! ha ha!) Some interesting, and some annoying, complex and mysterious characters - and the vampire just appeared!
Underwood and Flinch by Mike Bennett

and I'm following all of the authors on Twitter so I will be updated as soon as the new episodes/chapters are out.

Tool Review - Guardian II Kiln Controller

I did this review yesterday for the EtsyMetal blog - and wanted to post it here as well:

I can honestly say this is one of those tools that changed my life. It wasn't one of those 'necessities' to get started in doing my own casting, but it has made the entire process so much more efficient that it sure seems like a necessity now! There are 4 different settings for programs. I usually just need two. One program is for regular castings and another is for flasks that include stones - a 14 hour burnout that would painful if I had to adjust the dial on my own to achieve the correct temperatures. It also made it possible to have the burnout occur overnight. Since I only have a small window and fan - it means I'm not breathing any of those nasty toxins.

I haven't started experimenting with enamels yet, but I'm confident that this would help with enameling as well. The cost is quite a lot to shell out at once, but I know it has paid for itself many times over. There are several different kinds of controllers - you can check out more info on this one here.

Review - Bur Life

For a long time, I thought this was another of those products to waste money on. Every once in awhile I might use a little beeswax if it seemed like I really needed it, but in general, I just use my drill bits, saw blades and burs as is.

Since I started doing more stone setting and my collection of burs is growing, I thought I would give it a try. It is amazing. I am now completely a believer. I got the 'sampler' pack as I didn't know which medium I would like the best. The middle container that no longer has any words on the label (and I haven't had it that long) is the gel type. Its my favorite so far, though it is quite messy. Mostly because of the heat I think - and having a studio with no climate control, well... the summer in Georgia isn't so kind to something that has a fairly low 'melting' temperature. And come to find out, the gel stuff takes off the ink of the label! But it truly makes the burs cut better. Maybe it is my imagination, but anything that will make my tools act like they work better, and hopefully make them last longer, is worth the money.

I've used the stick (solid) a little bit, and the liquid only a drop or two.

If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it. If you have tried and/or use it regularly, would you share your experiences? Do you use one kind over another? Any tips?

'Gator Skin - not the real kind

I love this stuff. I only got it recently, but have quickly found that it that it helps to protect my fingers in just the way I need. I was hesitant about getting it because I really like to be able to 'feel' everything. It took a little experimenting to find what was most comfortable for me - wrapped enough to protect, but not too much to lose all sensation. I use it mostly when I am finishing up ring castings. Its great for gripping when sawing off sprues. Its nice to know that if I slip, my naked finger won't get cut, and the slight stickiness of the 'gator skin help to hold on to the ring as well.

When I'm finishing the insides of the rings, they quickly heat up. At least with my fingers a little protected, I can grind/sand/polish for longer before I have to move on to a second ring to let the first one cool down. Not only are my little fingers protected from cuts and burns, it also helps save some time! Before I used it, at the end of a finishing day my fingers would be so sensitive from essentially being slowly burned for hours. Now they are just fine! I've seen photos where they wrap it all the way down past the top two knuckles. I didn't like that as much, so I just make little finger tips. That way I can easily slide them off if I need to. I got mine from Rio Grande, and Gesswein carries it too.

Digital Calipers

**I posted this review on the EtsyMetal blog - but just in case I have some readers here that don't follow that blog - I wanted to post it here too! Because, really, these are one of the best tools I've gotten in a long time.



I recently got these calipers and love them! Before, I only had the simple little brass ones - which are no good for measuring anything specific, only if you want a 'close' measurement.

A friend of mine had gotten some recently and mentioned how much she loved them. I decided to get a somewhat mid-ranged version. Though I found the selection rather strange. Several were in the $27 - $34 range. The one I got was $45 and then the expensive ones were $169. Quite a big jump! I can't say I really had a lot to go on when trying to decide between the different ones. But I am very happy with the one I did get. I really don't know how I lived with it!

It measures both outer diameter

and inner diameter

and you can convert the measurement from mm, to inches in either a decimal or fraction.

So far in the short time I've had it, I've used it to measure settings, stones, drill bits and burs. Maybe b/c I'm not THE most organized, finding the right size bur is just a guessing game most of the time. Now I can whip these out of their handy case and know the exact size! And yes, the come in their own nice blue case, a battery to get you started and an extra battery! You don't actually have to turn it on, just open them and it automatically turns on. It might have an automatic shut off, though I haven't tried leaving them on long enough to find out. (I'm sure they came with instructions, I rarely bother reading them unless I need to!)


If you do any stone setting, these are a big time saver. Even if you don't do much stone setting, I'm sure once you have these, you will find things to measure just for fun! I ordered mine from Rio Grande. Though I'm pretty sure Lowe's and hardware type stores carry some as well.

A sweet little thank you...

I love getting a little thank you note from some one and find that sending them is really just as lovely. For me, its easiest to have some sweet little notecards ready to go. It only takes a second to jot a quick note - these are some of my favorites. I sent out a whole batch of the ones from madebykeli just a couple days ago! Thanks Keli - they were just perfect!

1. Thank you gift tags with birds from kingsQueens

2. Simple Damask Thank You from TwoPoodlePress

3. Thank You Cards from madebykeli

4. Exuberant Thanks from WorkShoppe

Review - AJM Guide to Lost-Wax Casting

I just got this book the other day and am super excited about it. When most of my casting was pretty straightforward - it was easy! I went years and never had a casting not turn out. However, as I've progressed and started experimenting - I try risky things that I haven't done before and often come up a little short. There is a great troubleshooting section which is just what I need! Its not a huge book, only 116 pages, but I can tell it is going to be a fabulous resource. It has a lot of info other books I have don't cover and one aspect I particularly like is that it is a collection of articles from different authors. You can check it out on Amazon, or the next time you place your Rio Grande order, they have it too.