Alex
If you cut the threads on top of the ring foot, so you don't go near the blank, then the whipping should peel off as Rob describes. You may not even need to heat it, although it would help with the peeling
Thumb nails are all you should need to clean, if you are putting the rings in the same place, you not even need to do that
, unless the the thread doesn't lie flat.
Practice first, you will find its dead easy, so don't worry about it too much
Sandy