I'm doing a curtain pole at the moment, i spent two #### hours faffing about just winding 24 rings using 6mm round steel and the oxy-propane torch.

I then used a slitting disk to cut them all off. I've put them in vinegar to eat away at the scale (i guess there's a torch settings that would minimise the scale!)

 

I know it'll get quicker the more i do them, but now my thoughts turn to the smaller rings, i have some little bits of steel wire around which seems like the only thing small enough to be suitable but strikes me as not particularly strong. Will it be alright given the weight of the curtains will be spread across 24 rings?

Also they'll need closing up well after threading on the larger rings

 

Then the completed rings need blackening up, should i complete clean up, thread and close the ring assemblies then use my choice of heat/oil to blacken? Or do them separately and close up afterwards?

 

 

I buy them by the hundred they are cheap as chips.....

I buy them by the hundred they are cheap as chips.....

 

+1

 

And they come with the little curtain hook tab thingies already attached.

doh!

 

any particularly good supplier

how heavy are the curtains in question?  if you wanted to pursue the handmade approach could you try doing them as if they were links of riveted mail?

I made curtain rings once, basically pretty much the same way as you are describing. Then I decided there are better things to do with my time, and made an order with Brundles :) 

a friend has several machines for making rings, some hand operated and some hand, its not hard.

3 rollers, the middle one moves and at least 2 of them driven by a chain drive, adjust the middle roller with a small bottle jack, you can roll a 20 foot length is about 2 mins by hand easily.

 

I have thicker stuff done on an old lathe sometimes

 

if just bending them round a former by hand it is easier to do it cold and the scale flakes off

Pop a search on google, Argos, Screwfix, Laura Ashley John Lewis, packs of 20 for less than a £5 if you don't need many, otherwise Cameron Fuller at Honiton can supply them

 

In a pinch, you can use spring washers, although it's cheaper to buy the ready made item, they can take longer to make than the poles themselves,

Colleen, you are my saviour.

In this instance it seems i haven't charged enough, oh well live and learn

hi all i made curtain ring in my home for our widows 

 the rod is 1'' solid bar long enough to coverthe window  with  2.1/2 ''forged steel balls on the end  the large rings are 1/2 bar in to a ring 3'' inside diamitor  i made a turning mandrel with a crank handle i made like it was a coil spring enough to make 8 in one batch  

 heat 

 the small rings i found old coil spring from roller door   i cut with 1mm vip cut disc   then close on to large ring 

 it all looks a reet over the window also made small brackets to hold it all up 

 i made good browny points with darling lololol

there are many reasons to do most anything.

if you are new to smithing, it pays big dividends in the long run to make these rings wo jigs. turning 24 rings over the horn and making them come out actually round is a great opportunity to develop your eyehand coordination. it will make complex scrolls on into the future way eadier.
as for time/money, just chalk up thetime to education expenses,

ya gots to learn somehow.

Greetings Green,

 

6 mm you should be able to do cold...  Enclosed a picture of 1/4 stock rolled up on a universal bender I made up..  Rolls are interchangeable to any OD  I just cut them with a porta band and one slug on the treadle hammer to make them flat...  Good luck

 

Forge on and make beautiful things

Jim

 

 

 

Thankyou for that

Jim,

Thats a nice setup you have there for forming multiple rings at one time. I'm sure
it would definitely speed up the production process.