We are continuing our how to series with wax carving, which we use for many of our commitment rings. Wax carving is a very interesting and delicate process.
When we carve a ring in wax, we first decide which type of wax is best suited for the design. Blue wax is the softest and therefore best for more organic shapes, the purple wax is the medium and best for intricate designs, and the green wax is the hardest and most brittle which makes it best for for more architectural and machine like designs.
Once you decide on the wax you are going to use, you can start by measuring the width you need. Using a divider on the tube of wax you can mark the width. Then you saw off the smaller piece which will become your ring. Continue to file off the rough edges to refine your ring design.
When you have taken off some excess material on the top, you can take a ring sizer (with a blade on the inside) and adjust the size of your ring by taking off material from the inside. After taking off the rough edges and adjusting it to the size you want, you can start refining the design by filing and carving the wax into the shape you desire. As you can see in the video, Rebecca is creating a simple half round band. In order to create the half round band she starts filing a bevel and then softens the edges by connecting the two bevels to create a smooth round finish.
It is important to make the surface of the ring as smooth as possible. This way you will have less work to do once the ring has been cast in metal. In order to do so, you can use sandpaper as well as Rebecca's nylon stocking tip.