we tried out many different things but this ring was our favorite outcome.
As it is our first instructable and we are not native speakers, please excuse any errors. Now let´s get started!
As we don’t have many professional tools, we try to keep our project as simple as possible.
All you need is…
the heart of this project: a piano string, which is normally a strong wire wrapped with a copper wire. The deeper the tone, the broader the ring will get. This is important if you use a western guitar/bass string, as the copper wire is usually much thinner there.
a hammer (to flatten the copper)
a nipper (to cut the wire)
some fine-tip pliers (to form the ring)
a soldering iron
tin-solder (we used a special one with 4% silver in it, but normal tin should be fine)
some small clamps (to hold the ring in place while you solder it)
some sandpaper or similar (to smoothen the ring)
First, you have to cut a piece from the string. It should be long enough to fit around your finger. Be generous, as there are always losses (and the piano is dead anyway).
Now it’s time to show your inner Hulk!
It´s simple: Get yourself some flat, hard surface and hit the string gently, but powerfully. The best way is to start in the middle and work yourself towards the endings as the copper tends to stretch a bit.
As we love our neighbors and are not lucky enough to own an anvil (yet ;), we used the concrete floor in our cellar.
After flattening the string, you can get it into the right shape. If available, we recommend using round nose pliers as they do not damage the copper that much. Be careful at the edges, so the copper doesn´t break or slip off the inner wire.
Cut the string a tiny bit shorter than your desired length (as the tin takes some space). Bend the ring and let the endings barely touch each other.
Use the clamps to hold the ring in place while you connect the endings with the tin. Be careful, as the copper can change its color when exposed to high temperatures for a long time. You can use this to create a more rustical look if you want!
Use the sandpaper or other polishing tools to smoothen rough edges and get the copper bright and shiny.
make yourself or someone you like a pleasure – go ahead and try it out!
