Finger rings--are they a "thing" yet??

[ed4copies]

Trying to determine how many turners have "taken to" making finger rings, hope you will respond.
The larger the sample, the more reliable the results!!

Thanks!!
Ed

 

[Todd in PA]

I haven't done any rings. Seems like an item that you'd have to stock a lot of sizes if you were hoping to sell at an event/show. I believe that is my main hurdle.

 

[derekdd]

I've not done them yet but I am interested.

 

[jcm71]

I made the plunge a couple of years ago. On a good weekend I'll sell 5 or so. Labor intensive getting the inventory up, however.

 

[moke]

Theyare kind of fun.....great gifts and can get you out of the "doghouse" if need be.

 

[Woodchipper]

I made one for the wife. That's all.

 

[Monty]

I haven't done any and don't plan on it. I had a hard time convincing one show that the necklace magnifying glasses weren't jewelry and that I was not competing with the jewelry vendors because a lot of them limit the number of jewelry vendors in their show.

 

[jcm71]

I haven't done any rings. Seems like an item that you'd have to stock a lot of sizes if you were hoping to sell at an event/show. I believe that is my main hurdle.

Very true. Also a hefty investment before you have a decent enough inventory to show.

 

[carlmorrell]

I started with the inlay rings. Sort of piddly, but I enjoy the crushed opals. Then I converted my wood lathe to a metal lathe. It makes it very easy to make the core type. I did make one out of the 2 piece ring with wenge, then bleached. Not hard to do at all with a metal lathe. I have given several of the core with diamondcast away to family and friends. The two in boxes are surprises for my sisters. Much prettier in real life than the cell phone photo.

 

[jcm71]

I made one for the wife. That's all.

Just one? Mine has several.

 

[Rob H]

I bought my lathe to do inlay rings and did a few but I had a hard time getting the crushed stone to stay in the channel. I was using 4mm wide rings because I don't find the 8mm ones comfortable. I pretty much switched to pens after learning about it and making one.

 

[howsitwork]

I,ve made a few laminated rings from veneer but that not what this surveys about .i guess?

Fun though if frustrating

 

[dogcatcher]

I laminate wood veneer, no kits, just soak, bend and glue. Any size, any width and lots of different veneers. I use Delrin mandrels that I made for sizing when gluing the layers of veneer together.

 

[Muddydogs]

I haven't turned a ring and have no desire to start. Mostly because I don't wear rings I'm sure but there are a lot of items I want to try and rings don't even cross my mind.

 

[MedWoodWorx]

I laminate wood veneer, no kits, just soak, bend and glue. Any size, any width and lots of different veneers. I use Delrin mandrels that I made for sizing when gluing the layers of veneer together.

Same here, easy to make them but ca stinks..; so its not my favourite thing to do.cheers

 

[jrista]

I have been interested in rings a bit. Mostly, though, from a purely from scratch standpoint... I've seen some incredible ring designs made from all natural materials, including wood and another material, such as fossilized mammoth tooth or bone or tusk. Those look amazing. Wood with carbon fiber looks nice as well. Pure wood is also an option. I don't think any of these would rely on a kit though, which I think is what Ed is querying...

 

[KenB259]

Not interested because of the inventory you would have to have, due to the sizing issue. Also, as has been pointed out, if you really want to make a ring there are ways that don't require a core.

 

[jttheclockman]

I too have checked the never made a ring to wear category and will never make any. Inventory in all styles or it would have to be a order base business and you have rings to size people. This goes fro not only doing shows but also an on line business. not for me.

 

[ed4copies]

To be clear, sometimes I just have a curiosity. One major competitor seems to be stressing rings, I wonder why. So, I am interested in how the membership here views "rings".

So far, nearly 80% have never done a ring---not a "ringing endorsement" in my book!!

Small sample, maybe as more respond the percentages will change.

 

[kraby]

I haven't done any yet although I'm a bit interested in doing so. As others mentioned the number of sizes is a bit of a drawback in doing for selling though.

 

[KenB259]

To be clear, sometimes I just have a curiosity. One major competitor seems to be stressing rings, I wonder why. So, I am interested in how the membership here views "rings".

So far, nearly 80% have never done a ring---not a "ringing endorsement" in my book!!

Small sample, maybe as more respond the percentages will change.

They are probably stressing rings because they too have an excessive inventory and might have misread their customers

 

[Evilleray]

I made a Maser Burl titanium core ring for my daughter's husband to be. It was mostly to be ceremonial as he works hard physical labor and rings are dangerous. It was tricky but worked! Should be easier the second time around. Plan to make a few for myself and gifts now that I have the equipment.

 

[jrista]

To be clear, sometimes I just have a curiosity. One major competitor seems to be stressing rings, I wonder why. So, I am interested in how the membership here views "rings".

So far, nearly 80% have never done a ring---not a "ringing endorsement" in my book!!

Small sample, maybe as more respond the percentages will change.

Ed, I think the key thing that floats to the surface is the need to keep an inventory of rings in a lot of sizes. That was something that caught me off guard when I started looking into ring-making. I also noticed that, if I were to order say one of these amazing carbon-fiber rings you can buy from makers on Etsy and the like...they make it custom to order. I suspect that is because of the sizing issue, and the cost of carbon fiber and many of the other materials you see used (such as the veyr expensive fossilized mammoth stuff).

If I were to do rings, it would be the same way. Made to order, rather than premade and sold at shows or online stores. Unless you know you'll be selling a ton of them and have a general idea of what sizes sell, I guess, it seems hard to be cost effective with rings?

 

[Woodchipper]

Just one? Mine has several.

So does mine but not all lathe jobs. I go to Jared's!

 

[RunnerVince]

I haven't found rings to be the best use of my free time. With pens, I spend way more time on prep and finishing than on actual turning, and that's even more so for rings.

Without precision equipment, getting the blank bored accurately is very time-intensive, and because the rings are so small, there's little room for error and high visibility for mistakes. It's difficult to keep your adhesive from squeezing out onto the show surfaces, and can be difficult to clean it off when it happens--especially without marring your ring core.

With practice, I'm sure I'd get both better and faster, but I'm not turning enough rings to get that practice. I am looking to do my first show early next summer, so I may do as others have suggested on here and offer them as a custom-order, but even then I don't know. Ring sizes should be standard, but they're really not in my experience, so the only way to ensure a good fit for the customer is to have the ring cores on hand for them to try. I know from the rings I've done for myself and my wife that the same size in the stainless vs. the titanium vs. the two-piece vs. the ceramic are not actually the same, whether that's due to actual differences in the internal diameter or just how the different types of "fit" actually fit, I don't know, but in practical terms, a 9.5 in one style of core is not the same as a 9.5 in another.

For now, I just do them for myself, my wife, and as gifts for people she wants to give them to.

 

[BarryE]

Another question might be;
I have purchased ring kits, but have never turned any

Just guessing...

 

[carlmorrell]

One more point I would make is with the ability to move a cutter with precision makes the ring core blanks very easy. I spend about 20 minutes boring the blank to the correct size and gluing in the core. The next day, another 20 minutes to shape and polish. I did start out with a woodworkers Barracuda chuck, but have since switched to a 4 jaw scroll chuck. I also like to mount the ring arbor in a collet chuck. Adding the cross slide with a quick change tool post opens a lot of possibilities with the lathe.

My biggest issue with rings, is I only make them with a person and size in mind:

 

[RunnerVince]

I spend about 20 minutes boring the blank to the correct size and gluing in the core.

Would you mind giving a brief rundown of the tools and process you use for boring and gluing?

I mount a boring tool into the tailstock, but I get issues with deflection, so the bored hole is rarely 100% perpendicular to the blank it goes through.

Also, how do you keep glue from getting everywhere? I mask off everything but the outside of the ring core prior to gluing, but inevetibly get some adhesive on the sides/interior anyway. How do you avoid that?

 

[carlmorrell]

Would you mind giving a brief rundown of the tools and process you use for boring and gluing?

I mount a boring tool into the tailstock, but I get issues with deflection, so the bored hole is rarely 100% perpendicular to the blank it goes through.

Also, how do you keep glue from getting everywhere? I mask off everything but the outside of the ring core prior to gluing, but inevetibly get some adhesive on the sides/interior anyway. How do you avoid that?

I always back my blanks with a piece of round wood with CA glue and accelerator. But I have found with alumilite (diamondcast ) blanks, I don't think this is necessary. I have done the drilling on the lathe, but with my setup, I have to move my mounts, and re-square everything.

I mount the blank in a 4 jaw scroll chuck. Then I use a light pass across the face with a carbide cutter. This helps me locate the center. Then, to keep life simple, I use a 1/2" twist drill in the drill press. I remove the chuck from the lathe with the blank still installed, and use a vice to hold the chuck on the drill press. Quick center punch before drilling.

Once I have the 1/2" bore, I put the chuck back on the lathe. I then use very inexpensive carbide boring bars. It doesn't even matter too much if the 1/2" bore is off center. A boring bar setup will get things re-centered. I take this step slow with measuring with calipers and eventually the core for a good fit. Bore all the material down to the backer.

Here you can see the backed blank mounted in a PSI Barrcuda chuck, during the boring process. However I am using an indexed cutter, not a boring bar.

Here you can see the core slips in:

I don't stress about getting glue where it does not belong. It's easy to remove the first few hours, perhaps even a day later. Cut off the backer first with a band saw.

After that, I use some silicon plugs to help me center the core in the blank when horizontal. If I want a little glow , I mix the powder in the epoxy. Once the glue has setup, a few hours, I take a dental tool and remove all the excess glue. In fact, if there is glue on the inside of the core, you can usually pop if off with a fingernail.

After glue and some cleanup, I switch to the collet chuck and ring arbor (incorrectly referred to as mandrels). I bring the diameter down, then clean up the one edge. I flip the ring on the arbor to get the other side. I do sand the sides on a flat surface with 150. Once I have gotten both edges really clean and down to the core, it goes back on the lathe, where I use sandpaper to make the final shape.

If there is enough interest, I could video the process. If you have any questions, I would be more than happy to share.

 

[RunnerVince]

After that, I use some silicon plugs to help me center the core in the blank when horizontal.

Do you make or buy the plugs? Could you post a photo of one by itself and one (or a set) in action?

 

[RunnerVince]

I always back my blanks with a piece of round wood with CA glue and accelerator. But I have found with alumilite (diamondcast ) blanks, I don't think this is necessary. I have done the drilling on the lathe, but with my setup, I have to move my mounts, and re-square everything.

Ha! That's a headsmacking moment for me. I've been using a homemade wooden face plate that I glue the blank to and then put into my 4-jaw chuck. The issue there is that I have to reface the faceplate for each ring, and eventually just make a new faceplate as I go. On one hand, your approach isn't all that different from mine (the chuck grips the backer/faceplate, which has the blank glued on). On the other, repeatability is an issue with mine because a wooden faceplate gets marred by the jaws, and may not always go back in completely square the next time you use the faceplate.

Next time I do a ring, I'm going to do it your way. If nothing else, it will be less effort, but I think it will improve accuracy as well and get me a better overall fit between core and blank.

 

[its_virgil]

I could not decide which category to check so I will answer here. I purchased all of the required tools and began making rings. I made about 50 or so and became bored with the process: lots of prep time and little turning time. I was quite good at it (if I do say so myself) and people liked them. But, life is too short to not enjoy making certain things. So, I sold my ring making tools and materials.
Don

 

[Marko50]

Just my .02¢ on rings:

I find making them to be pretty fun. I have a full assortment of cores and blanks. Some blanks I've purchased, but most I cast, stabilize or 3D print/cast myself. With inlays, I've found the stainless steel and carbon fiber cores to be the easiest to work with and the most comfortable to wear. You can get excellent results using a wood lathe using ring chucks, collet chucks, along with a boring head that attaches to the tailstock (unless you've got a sloppy tailstock, of course). I have a full set of the ring chucks for every size of ring and they work well. All my rings have been gifted, except one. Sometimes it's not about the sale.

@carlmorrell is spot on with his tutorial. I do it the same way, with a few differences, but on my Powermatic 3520C and have never had any issues. I use thin double sided tape to attach the blank to the wood backer plate. To drill the initial core hole, using a jacobs chuck, along with a 1/2" forstner bit does the trick too. From that point forward, a boring head will become your best friend for sizing the hole to fit the core. As @carlmorrell pointed out, a dental pick, or even a fingernail will 'pop' off any excess glue, no problem. Facing the ring blank on a wood lathe takes a steady hand, but is doable. I like to do the final shaping with my EasyWood Ci2 and negative rake radius cutter and then sandpaper for the last little skiff. 3D printed and wood rings get a CA finish, wet sanded and polished with Magic Juice. If you're the creative type and love learning something new, give it a go! There's always going to be an initial investment in time and equipment, for obvious reasons. CSUSA has some excellent videos on how to make them using a standard wood lathe. You can view some of them here:

I'm a caster and have cast thousands of ring blanks for suppliers. I supply blanks for both US and Canadian suppliers and in my humble opinion, they are and have been spot on with bringing these products to the masses. Ring making is obviously very popular outside of pen-turning. Pen-turning suppliers who offer a healthy line up of ring components are capturing new customers outside of their normal pen customers. I'd say they're pretty smart for doing so. My current ring blank orders confirm it!

One short note: I had a customer ask me to make a wooden wedding ring out of a family heirloom baseball bat (no pressure)! Yes, he realized the bat would get cut up and become useless, but he was all in. It turned out gorgeous and I even made a ring box for the ring out of the same bat (pictures attached). I charged him $300.00 and he was very happy and grateful.

 

[carlmorrell]

Do you make or buy the plugs? Could you post a photo of one by itself and one (or a set) in action?

I have a very old circle cutter I use on the drill press. It has helped out of many situations. I like that I can cut any diameter plug. I try to make the plug the exact size as the blank. After I glue it, sometimes I have to remove a little material on the bench sander. After I am done with the back, I cut it off with a bandsaw, and reuse them.

 

[Marko50]

That is a very cool cutter Carl! I suppose a tile hole saw could work too? I might have to give that a try...

 

[bsshog40]

I have never made one. Thought about it bit, but after reading all these comments, not sure it's something worth investing in.

 

[Smokey S]

I have never ventured into turning rings, and seriously doubt if I ever will. I did buy a set of rings just about 53 years ago. An engagement ring and two wedding bands for which my wide still wears all three. Just saying……… Smokey

 

[fnfalguy]

I have never ventured into turning rings, and seriously doubt if I ever will. I did buy a set of rings just about 53 years ago. An engagement ring and two wedding bands for which my wide still wears all three. Just saying……… Smokey

So, uh, Mr. Smokey, you may want to correct that typo before someone who could harm you in your sleep reads it.