DianaHM
Silver Answer Medal for All Time! 440 Answers 
Fish scales, wire, and some instant glue are all you need to make this beautiful ring. Use wire from an old transformer and then this ring will cost you almost nothing.
Total Time: 1 Hour + time to soak and dry fish scales
Supplies:
- big fish - I used ide (orfe, Leuciscus idus)
- wire 0.8 mm thickness, I used copper wire from an old transformer (I removed the wire coating)
- instant glue
- water
- vinegar 9%
- knife
- bowl
- wire cutters
- pliers
- hammer
- 3 nails 1.5 cm long
- metal nail file
- ruler
- wooden board
- towel
- paper
- felt-tip pen
- piece of thick fabric (I used denim)
Steps:
- Remove scales from the fish and put it in a bowl.
- Add water and vinegar 1:2 to remove smell of fish. Wait about 1-2 hours.
- Wash the scales very good in water until the slimy substance is removed.
- Remove the scales from the water and let it dry on the towel for several days.
- Determinate the length of a braided wire strip needed to make this ring. Ring blank length (mm) = inside diameter (mm) + 2 (thickness of the braided strip, mm) x 3.14
Cut 3 pieces of wire to the following length: Ring blank length (mm) x 3.8 - Bend the wire pieces in half. Insert the nails where the fold is and fix these wire pieces by nailing them to the board as close together as possible (see photo). You will have 6 pieces of wire with which you will braid.
- Move the wire pieces along the edges one by one to the middle (see photos). Braid until you get the length you need.
- Remove the nails. At one end of the wire strip you get 3 loops.
- Using pliers press the wire strip. To not damage the surface of wire put between pliers and wire the piece of fabric. In the result you will get tight braid wire strip.
- Using the felt-tip pen bend the wire strip in the form of a ring. Check if the resulting ring diameter matches the required. If it's necessary, unbraid it a bit.
- Connect the ends of the wire strip: insert 4 wire pieces from the middle into the middle loop; insert the left wire pieces (on the sides) into the side loops. Tighten the ends of the wire. Try on or check if the ring matches the required size.
- Measure 0.2" from the ring and using wire cutters cut off the unnecessary ends of the wire. Twist the ends. Round the edges using the file.
- Bend the smallest scale in a semicircle. Apply some instant glue to the bottom of the scale and glue it to the left ends of wires. Glue in one by one several small scales, then the larger scales to form a flower. Do not confuse the top and bottom of the scales. Try that the top of the scales does not adhere tightly to the previous scales.
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