How to Make Ring Molds With Polyresin

Create an original from which to make your first mold. The original ring doesn't need to be polyresin. It can be anything from casting wax to Plasticine, plaster, silver or wood -- whatever material you want to work with.

Spray or rub mold release, which you can find at hobby stores, on your ring. Be very thorough with the mold release, as it is the only barrier that prevents the polyresin from binding with the ring.

Fabricate two small casting trays. You can use any impermeable material you like -- even card-stock cut, then taped into a small box. You can use a jewelry store ring box. Use the lid for one tray and cut the box down to the same height for the second tray.

Roll a ball of Plasticine the size of a nickel, and stick it to the the center of a popsicle stick. You will use this as a gantry to suspend half the width of your ring into liquid polyresin in the casting box.

Mix polyresin and hardener in a mixing cup, then pour into one of your casting boxes until it's nearly full. Leave enough room to displace half the volume of your ring without making the resin overflow the edges of the box.

Allow the polyresin to dry. Leaving the ring in the polyresin mold, pull the popsicle stick off and wipe away the Plasticine and any Plastecine residue.

Apply mold release thoroughly to the top face of the mold you poured -- and the half of the exposed ring.

Repeat the casting process with a second casting box. This time; lower the ring and the first mold, ring-side down, into liquid polyresin until the surface of the first mold touches the surface of the the liquid polyresin. Shim your popsicle stick in place and allow the polyresin to dry.

Twist the two sides of the mold apart, separating at least one side of the mold from the ring. If the mold is difficult to release, tap it sharply with a small hammer or jeweler's hammer.

Drill a small hole, piercing the exposed half of the ring, and slide a length of wire through the hole. Twist the wire around a screwdriver handle for leverage and pull the ring out.

Drill at least one hole in each side of the mold for keyways, to allow a little resin to escape, preventing air bubbles from getting trapped. Make the hole in one side large enough to pour resin into.

Break the popsicle stick off and sand remnants of the popsicle stick and super glue away, finishing it with fine sandpaper.

Lay the stick, ring-side down into the casting box, suspending half the ring in the polyresin. You can adjust the height using strips of paper or matchbooks to shim the stick up or down, which positions the depth of the ring in the polyresin. Allow the resin to dry.