January 3, 201214 yr I'm always looking for things to do with all these small but cool looking pieces of wood I have piling up in the shop. For the last couple of weeks I've spent a little time on making rings, and those little buggers are harder to make than I'd originally anticipated. Now I have a process worked out that allows me to turn, sand, and CA finish them inside and out without messing up one while doing the other.  The Sycamore ring (left side) was made about 10 days ago to test the CA finish I am using on these. I've worn it 24/7 and never taken it off to avoid it getting damaged at home, work, or in the shop. I've washed dishes several times and taken daily showers with it on. It is showing a little wear on the side I always wear down (toward the palm of my hand), but all in all it's done better than I expected, and through normal wear, and with a little care, these rings should hold up for years to come.  Top - Sycamore   Bottom Left - Oak Burl   Bottom Right - Spalted Maple  ...now back to my Photography for Dummies book.  Â
January 3, 201214 yr That is magic to me how you guys do that! Great work and reeeeeeaally cool looking. I got a question, can these be used as wedding rings instead of the standard gold bands ?????Would the ladies approve??? John MorrisThe Patriot Woodworker
January 3, 201214 yr Author Wedding bands... certainly. Ladies approval... maybe. I was asked how much would I sell them for. I was thinking $5, $10, maybe $15 if the stars were all aligned. I hit the Internet to see what others are doing and these things are selling for a lot of money... $80 to $150. Most are being sold as wedding bands.BTW... I won't be aiming quite as high at the Internet folks, but I have re-evaluated my earlier assessment.Â
January 3, 201214 yr Donnie,Those rings are outstanding! Â Care to post your process? Â SQHappiness is wood chips flying!
January 3, 201214 yr As much as I like these wooden rings, they will never replace my diamonds and gold wedding set. Â SQ John Morris said: That is magic to me how you guys do that! Great work and reeeeeeaally cool looking. I got a question, can these be used as wedding rings instead of the standard gold bands ?????Would the ladies approve??? John MorrisThe Patriot Woodworker
January 3, 201214 yr Ya bit the bait Sue! And I know you knew that! I was hoping a lady would chime in and slam me to the wall and say heck no these aint gonna replace our gold!!!!!!!!SQ said: As much as I like these wooden rings, they will never replace my diamonds and gold wedding set. Â SQ John Morris said: Happiness is wood chips flying! John MorrisThe Patriot Woodworker
January 3, 201214 yr Author SQ--- I use an expanding mandrel in a collet chuck, and 2 different 4-ways, so I really wouldn't know where to start explaining it, and without pictures it wouldn't make a lot of sense anyway. My biggest problems was wrecking the finish on the inside while I was working on the outside and  vise versa. So now I finish sanding and put 2 or 3 coats of CA inside of the ring to be before I ever start shaping it. After turning and parting off the ring, I'll make a little mandrel out of whatevers handy to finish fine tuning the edges with sandpaper then sanding and finishing. . Here is an image of the mandrels I make to finish sanding and CAing the outside of the ring. I slide my ring onto it and center it so I can put the CA on the outside edges of the ring as well as the top... I want these things water tight, and since the inside is already done, as long as I don't sand through the finish I will be successful in that.    Â
January 3, 201214 yr Great pic Don and that picture explains allot for us. Thanks for clarifying.D. Kennedy said: SQ--- I use an expanding mandrel in a collet chuck, and 2 different 4-ways, so I really wouldn't know where to start explaining it, and without pictures it wouldn't make a lot of sense anyway. My biggest problems was wrecking the finish on the inside while I was working on the outside and  vise versa. So now I finish sanding and put 2 or 3 coats of CA inside of the ring to be before I ever start shaping it. After turning and parting off the ring, I'll make a little mandrel out of whatevers handy to finish fine tuning the edges with sandpaper then sanding and finishing. . Here is an image of the mandrels I make to finish sanding and CAing the outside of the ring. I slide my ring onto it and center it so I can put the CA on the outside edges of the ring as well as the top... I want these things water tight, and since the inside is already done, as long as I don't sand through the finish I will be successful in that.     John MorrisThe Patriot Woodworker
January 3, 201214 yr LOL Â I figured you were pushing the envelope here, but I had to chime in. Â Any other fellas want to poll their gals and see what they think???? Â SQJohn Morris said: Ya bit the bait Sue! And I know you knew that! I was hoping a lady would chime in and slam me to the wall and say heck no these aint gonna replace our gold!!!!!!!!SQ said: Happiness is wood chips flying! John MorrisThe Patriot Woodworker
January 3, 201214 yr LOML might like to have one of these, but she is not giving up the other just for a wooden ring. So no you aren't by yourself on this one SusieJohn MoodyJohn Moody Woodworkshttp://www.johnmoodywoodworks.com
January 3, 201214 yr Author I'm pretty sure the people that would choose wood wedding rings over gold are pretty much all gonna be vegans, latte aficionados , and woodturners.
January 3, 201214 yr Author Charles - Â If you use a CA finish you won't have to worry much about the softer woods being fragile. That Sycamore soaked up so much glue that it probably doesn't have a soft spot left in it anywhere. Same story with tat spalted Hackberry on the other page... that stuff is so punky and soft that it's useless for my turkey calls, but that thin little ring is hard as nails.
January 4, 201214 yr Author I know what you mean about the CA. I only use it for finishing and sticking my fingers together.
February 15, 201214 yr Wow! I really like the Sycamore!And your pix are outstanding!!Lew-Time traveler. Purveyor of the world's finest custom rolling pins!
February 15, 201214 yr Author I've gotten away from the rings temporarily... the cold weather and other obligations have really made it hard to focus on those little and time consuming pieces. I have a couple to make for delivery in mid March, so I guess I should get crackin' on em'.
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