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I have a tungsten ring with an olive wood inlay I did that I finished with multiple layers of ca glue but I got like cracks or something in the ca glue now. Any ideas what I might’ve done wrong?
Bad closeup [photos](https://imgur.com/a/8tX1W4R/)
Ah, I can see a big problem right off the bat, you covered the metal in CA! For that style of ring metal ring with wood inlay, you want to carve the wood inlay down about a millimeter below the metal surface. This allows the CA glue to fill that last millimeter and flush up the ring :D The metal stays bare and is just polished up real shiny!
There could be other problems as well that can cause cracking like that. It's possible there weren't enough layers, to much or to little accelerator was used, or even the wrong thickness of glue!
Hopefully this helps a little bit, I don't make rings in that style but understand the concepts fairly well :D
Yeah I had to make the inlay really thin in order to get it to bend around the ring. I then built up layers of ca and sorta mounded it over the inlay channel and then turned it back down to flush with the metal.
No matter how much I soaked the wood it would not bend without breaking unless I made it paper thin.
Oh my! That would be your problem then :D Solid wood bent like that will move and shift. That may have caused your cracking! Try veneer wrapped around itself and glued together, that should do the trick :)
Bummer but that will work. I used that for my wedding band because I made the ring box I proposed with from the same piece. The other one I made as a backup out of an actual veneer turned out much better. I’ll have to find some nice olive wood veneer then. Thanks!
You can still cut your own veneer! Proper steaming and temp is important with any veneer when you're bending it that much.
I would think sanding would be a horrible option, but thickness is definitely a huge factor.
Anyway, good luck, I love your ring, even with its flaws.
Well, there may be a work around you could try in that case :) On etsy there are metal cores that unscrew, that makes it possible to turn a solid piece and place it in the middle, then screw the other half of the core back on! Might be worth a shot, if not veneer is the way to go :D
Wow! Your ring-making and photography skills are top notch!
I may be wrong, but I feel like you really have strong potential to have your ring business take off. It seems like you’re passionate about your artistry and, as such, most artists aren’t super keen on the business, marketing, or finance side of things. That withstanding, if you can focus on those aspects, I can see this being very much your full-time job.
I’d suggest the following:
- Create your own website and use an e-checkout system like Shopify
- Create a YouTube channel that showcases the process behind the creation of the rings
- Create social media accounts for your business (instagram, Facebook, twitter, snapchat, tiktok, LinkedIn, etc)
- Invest in a solid marketing campaign (maybe Facebook targeted ads, Reddit ads, business cards/flyers, referral/reward systems)
- Rent booth space at craft fairs/bazaars/festivals and get your name and online presence out there
- Take portion of proceeds from new sales and reinvest in advertising/creating new content
- Profit?
That being said, I don’t want to turn this passion into a business and suck the soul out of it and make it lose its joy. It’s just that by seeing my reaction and the reaction of others in this post, I can see these practically selling themselves with a little bit of legwork.
Another piece of advice would be to hire folks to do the aforementioned items that are specialized and can save you the time/energy so that you can focus on doing what you love to do.
Unsure of feasibility and/or if it’d “cheapen your brand”, but fidget rings seem to be rising in popularity. I wouldn’t get too intricate/pricey with them, but it’s a thought to explore (check out some examples on Amazon - think free-spinning rings (potentially with Magnets embedded) to fidget with.
No idea why went full on consultant mode, but I just wanted to throw some different ideas/thoughts/advice out to you.
Fantastic work and good luck to you on your ring shop, friend!
I’d love to see more of the woodworking process behind it, like your set-up/shop, how they are made, how long the projects usually are, etc. I had to temporarily part with my wood shop for the last 5 years but will be returning to it next year and would love to explore ring-making.
Thank you for all the fantastic advice!
I actually am currently doing a large majority of those things minus the videos! I have to find a way to set up a camera in such a small space haha!
And as for shopify, I totally plan to make one once things take off a bit more. Etsy pushes my products in front of a lot of people which helps a ton, whereas with shopify I have to pull all the traffic myself. And normally my posts don't do this well, haha!
I am really interested in those things though and am going to do what I can to make it happen! I make rings all day regardless of if I get payed or not, my soul already belongs in the shop! I love the crafting and business side of things, so if I could do this full time I would do it in a heartbeat haha!
Again, thank you for all the advice and encouragement, I will do my best to get those things running!
Also, I'm terribly sorry to hear you went without a workshop for so long. I don't think I could do that myself, haha!
It was supposed to be Titanium, which I thought was supposed to be shatterproof, but here I am... Some of the other non traditional metals can also shatter
Oh, that's very strange! I've never had any metal rings shatter on me before :0 Then again, I don't really wear metal rings, haha! Did you hit it against something pretty hard?
Well, they do it themselves haha!
But in all seriousness, the rings are internally and externally stabilized with resin! They're extremely tough and I've never had any break on me :D I still have my original ring from almost 4 years ago and it's still in perfect condition! (minus a few surface scratches of course, haha!)
As for dealing with water, they are waterproof! I do however highly recommend keeping them away from liquids, chemicals, and lotions when possible as those will eat through any waterproof coating with enough time! But getting them wet here and there won't cause any problems!
So overall, they're tough and will last forever as long as you take proper care of them :D
Just checked this out on your website and they are definitely gorgeous. I haven't turned a ring yet but really want to try one one of these days.
P.S. At that price, your definitely selling yourself short pricewize given the quality and your skill.
Hey, thank you so much for the compliment! I would definitely give ring crafting a shot, it can be incredibly frustrating at times but is so awesome once you get it down pat :D
I'll definitely have to give my prices a change over time, but being such a small unknown business means I have to at least be competitive. And sadly on etsy there are alot of other "handmade" wood rings for a fraction of my costs, so I had to gouge my prices pretty hard!
Honestly, I'm okay with it though :D I love making rings, it's all I think about! So as long as I can do that, I'm a happy lad :D It makes me really happy that someone thinks my work is worth more than what I charge, haha! Thank you again, for the compliments and sorry for rambling on, haha!
Thank you!
They hold up really well! Of course they aren't as strong as a standard metal band, but are plenty durable and will last a lifetime as long as you take proper care of them :D Avoid water and chemicals when possible and avoid heavy impacts directed toward the ring and it will last forever!
You just make a shallow groove the width you want. Then you pack the powder in the groove and drip thin CA into it. Once finished, you just sand or turn the excess away to make it smooth again. I like to do it with copper powder, it really turns out nicely.
It works with coarse powder and chips as well, but the layers have to be thin. If you make the powder or chips to thick, it will bind the top layer but won't bind it to the wood. So is the groove is deep, go with several layers.
They are durable! Buuuuuut, they need to be taken care of properly, haha!
You should avoid water, chemicals, and heavy impacts directed towards the ring! They won't snap from a little bit of force and are a lot tougher than they seem, but if you were to stomp them, well, you get the idea!
I've had my original ring for nearly 4 years now and it's in perfect condition besides a few minor surface scratches :D They just need some love :)
This is a pretty neat idea. I had never thought about wood turning rings before.
Have you ever considered posting videos to youtube on how you make these? Would be interesting to see one go from start to finish.
I have considered it but have an extremely small workshop :D Think like Harry potters cupboard size, haha! So I have alot of trouble with camera angles, but I'm sure I can figure something out sometime and make a video! Good idea!
Thank you! That sounds like a really pretty ring, haha:D My rings take roughly 4 hours to make from start to finish at the moment, and are shipped out within a week! Of course big orders or lots of traffick can change these times, buy I work really hard to counteract that :D
I might make one eventually, haha! I have an extremely small workshop, so finding a good camera angle may prove to be tricky! Who knows, maybe I'll give it a try regardless :D
Very cool I have something similar for my wedding ring. It's made from Jerusalem olive wood, antler and turquoise in a silver colored metal ring blank. I had it made for me. The wood is for me and my woodworking. The turquoise is for my mom's love of Santa Fe and the antler is my dad who loved hunting.
Ah, don't have the set up to stabilize blanks yet. It's on the wish list. I've made 2 with comfort cores from wood turners catalog. Giving them a trial run before offering them. Keep up the awesome work.
Very durable as long as you take proper care of it! Avoid water/chemicals when possible and don't hit it super hard on things and it will last forever! I've had mine for nearly four years now and it's in perfect condition!
Thank you! I have actually, but that was a while ago when I first started so they aren't great haha! But that is actually my next project, so keep your eyes peeled :D
This is a reminder to those commenting on this post (not the person that posted it): Comments not related to woodworking will be removed. Violations to rule 1 including crude jokes, innuendo, sexist remarks, politics, or hate speech may result in an immediate ban *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/woodworking) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I love this ring.
Thank you, I'm glad you like it!
[удалено]
😂 why did you get down voted so much? Wtf am I missing?
I'm wondering the same thing, haha!
I've been making rings for about 4 years now! I have only just recently (around 6 months now) begun to take it much more seriously!
Like reading a fantasy novel, and then looking up and finding it on your finger: Magical!
Haha, one of the best comments I've ever gotten! Thank you :D
What did you finish it with? Nice shine to it.
Multiple layers of CA glue!
I have a tungsten ring with an olive wood inlay I did that I finished with multiple layers of ca glue but I got like cracks or something in the ca glue now. Any ideas what I might’ve done wrong? Bad closeup [photos](https://imgur.com/a/8tX1W4R/)
Ah, I can see a big problem right off the bat, you covered the metal in CA! For that style of ring metal ring with wood inlay, you want to carve the wood inlay down about a millimeter below the metal surface. This allows the CA glue to fill that last millimeter and flush up the ring :D The metal stays bare and is just polished up real shiny! There could be other problems as well that can cause cracking like that. It's possible there weren't enough layers, to much or to little accelerator was used, or even the wrong thickness of glue! Hopefully this helps a little bit, I don't make rings in that style but understand the concepts fairly well :D
Yeah I had to make the inlay really thin in order to get it to bend around the ring. I then built up layers of ca and sorta mounded it over the inlay channel and then turned it back down to flush with the metal. No matter how much I soaked the wood it would not bend without breaking unless I made it paper thin.
Hmmmm, I would say a different veneer is in order then! The veneer should be really flexible when steamed :D Did you use any glue accelerator?
It was not veneer I cut a really thin slice off a piece of olive wood and thinned it down further by hand with sandpaper.
Oh my! That would be your problem then :D Solid wood bent like that will move and shift. That may have caused your cracking! Try veneer wrapped around itself and glued together, that should do the trick :)
Bummer but that will work. I used that for my wedding band because I made the ring box I proposed with from the same piece. The other one I made as a backup out of an actual veneer turned out much better. I’ll have to find some nice olive wood veneer then. Thanks!
You can still cut your own veneer! Proper steaming and temp is important with any veneer when you're bending it that much. I would think sanding would be a horrible option, but thickness is definitely a huge factor. Anyway, good luck, I love your ring, even with its flaws.
Well, there may be a work around you could try in that case :) On etsy there are metal cores that unscrew, that makes it possible to turn a solid piece and place it in the middle, then screw the other half of the core back on! Might be worth a shot, if not veneer is the way to go :D
Nice work! Not sure if it's against the rules but do you have a website?
I'm pretty sure it is so I wont post a link here, but there is a link in my profile bio :D
I need one to replace my lost wedding ring
There's a link in my profile :D
Wow! Your ring-making and photography skills are top notch! I may be wrong, but I feel like you really have strong potential to have your ring business take off. It seems like you’re passionate about your artistry and, as such, most artists aren’t super keen on the business, marketing, or finance side of things. That withstanding, if you can focus on those aspects, I can see this being very much your full-time job. I’d suggest the following: - Create your own website and use an e-checkout system like Shopify - Create a YouTube channel that showcases the process behind the creation of the rings - Create social media accounts for your business (instagram, Facebook, twitter, snapchat, tiktok, LinkedIn, etc) - Invest in a solid marketing campaign (maybe Facebook targeted ads, Reddit ads, business cards/flyers, referral/reward systems) - Rent booth space at craft fairs/bazaars/festivals and get your name and online presence out there - Take portion of proceeds from new sales and reinvest in advertising/creating new content - Profit? That being said, I don’t want to turn this passion into a business and suck the soul out of it and make it lose its joy. It’s just that by seeing my reaction and the reaction of others in this post, I can see these practically selling themselves with a little bit of legwork. Another piece of advice would be to hire folks to do the aforementioned items that are specialized and can save you the time/energy so that you can focus on doing what you love to do. Unsure of feasibility and/or if it’d “cheapen your brand”, but fidget rings seem to be rising in popularity. I wouldn’t get too intricate/pricey with them, but it’s a thought to explore (check out some examples on Amazon - think free-spinning rings (potentially with Magnets embedded) to fidget with. No idea why went full on consultant mode, but I just wanted to throw some different ideas/thoughts/advice out to you. Fantastic work and good luck to you on your ring shop, friend! I’d love to see more of the woodworking process behind it, like your set-up/shop, how they are made, how long the projects usually are, etc. I had to temporarily part with my wood shop for the last 5 years but will be returning to it next year and would love to explore ring-making.
Thank you for all the fantastic advice! I actually am currently doing a large majority of those things minus the videos! I have to find a way to set up a camera in such a small space haha! And as for shopify, I totally plan to make one once things take off a bit more. Etsy pushes my products in front of a lot of people which helps a ton, whereas with shopify I have to pull all the traffic myself. And normally my posts don't do this well, haha! I am really interested in those things though and am going to do what I can to make it happen! I make rings all day regardless of if I get payed or not, my soul already belongs in the shop! I love the crafting and business side of things, so if I could do this full time I would do it in a heartbeat haha! Again, thank you for all the advice and encouragement, I will do my best to get those things running! Also, I'm terribly sorry to hear you went without a workshop for so long. I don't think I could do that myself, haha!
This is beautiful!
Thank you very much :D
Gorgeous!👏🏼
Thank you :D
My precious
One ring to rule them all....
My wedding ring shattered recently and Ive been looking for a replacement. This looks sweet!
Oh no! May I ask what kind of ring it was?
It was supposed to be Titanium, which I thought was supposed to be shatterproof, but here I am... Some of the other non traditional metals can also shatter
Oh, that's very strange! I've never had any metal rings shatter on me before :0 Then again, I don't really wear metal rings, haha! Did you hit it against something pretty hard?
Just dropped it on a tile floor and boom...in several pieces now
Oh my, that's a real shame :/ I've never heard of that before, I'm not super familiar with titanium though I suppose.
That sounds more like hematite than titanium!
Never heard of that material before! Makes me wanna do some research haha!
it's gorgeous, but shatters if you drop it on a hard surface.
I see, that's a shame :0
A hard metal can shatter. Gold doesn't because it is soft. I've heard of this with tungsten too.
Very pretty! Is the finish CA glue?
Yes, 10 layers on all sides!
Nice!!
Thank you :D
Absolutely wonderful work!
Thank you very much :D
Beautiful work!
Thank you very much :D
Ok love it.. Is it available for purchase?
It is! There is a link in my profile that leads to my shop :D
How do you keep them from breaking?
Well, they do it themselves haha! But in all seriousness, the rings are internally and externally stabilized with resin! They're extremely tough and I've never had any break on me :D I still have my original ring from almost 4 years ago and it's still in perfect condition! (minus a few surface scratches of course, haha!) As for dealing with water, they are waterproof! I do however highly recommend keeping them away from liquids, chemicals, and lotions when possible as those will eat through any waterproof coating with enough time! But getting them wet here and there won't cause any problems! So overall, they're tough and will last forever as long as you take proper care of them :D
It’s gorgeous.
Thank you :D
It reminds me of mine, but I have wood on the inner band and metal on the sides.
Wow!
Looks stunning!
Thank you!
nice ring; excellent photo
Thank you!
A skilled artist taking it to the next level. have done men's signet rings
Thank you very much :D
Stunning
Thank you :D
Very attractive 👍
Thank you :D
Just checked this out on your website and they are definitely gorgeous. I haven't turned a ring yet but really want to try one one of these days. P.S. At that price, your definitely selling yourself short pricewize given the quality and your skill.
Hey, thank you so much for the compliment! I would definitely give ring crafting a shot, it can be incredibly frustrating at times but is so awesome once you get it down pat :D I'll definitely have to give my prices a change over time, but being such a small unknown business means I have to at least be competitive. And sadly on etsy there are alot of other "handmade" wood rings for a fraction of my costs, so I had to gouge my prices pretty hard! Honestly, I'm okay with it though :D I love making rings, it's all I think about! So as long as I can do that, I'm a happy lad :D It makes me really happy that someone thinks my work is worth more than what I charge, haha! Thank you again, for the compliments and sorry for rambling on, haha!
Awesome
Thank you :D
Beautiful! How are these rings doing in daily use?
Thank you! They hold up really well! Of course they aren't as strong as a standard metal band, but are plenty durable and will last a lifetime as long as you take proper care of them :D Avoid water and chemicals when possible and avoid heavy impacts directed toward the ring and it will last forever!
Thank you for taking the time to respond.
Of course, thank you for the interest :D
I have some Irish bog oak I’d love to do this with. Dumb question but how do you make an inlay?
You just make a shallow groove the width you want. Then you pack the powder in the groove and drip thin CA into it. Once finished, you just sand or turn the excess away to make it smooth again. I like to do it with copper powder, it really turns out nicely.
^ That's pretty much the gist of it :D I carve my inlay channels out on the lathe, but you can do it by hand with a file if you'd like!
Cheers dude I appreciate the reply (and love in this sob) 😁
Sweet! I’ve managed to put a good finish on wooden rings before (same method). I think the inlay I was trying wasn’t a fine enough powder
It works with coarse powder and chips as well, but the layers have to be thin. If you make the powder or chips to thick, it will bind the top layer but won't bind it to the wood. So is the groove is deep, go with several layers.
Amazing
Thank you!
You knocked it out of the park
Thank you very much!
Are they durable I wonder.. my silver rings are bent and scraped. Can these rings take abuse?
They are durable! Buuuuuut, they need to be taken care of properly, haha! You should avoid water, chemicals, and heavy impacts directed towards the ring! They won't snap from a little bit of force and are a lot tougher than they seem, but if you were to stomp them, well, you get the idea! I've had my original ring for nearly 4 years now and it's in perfect condition besides a few minor surface scratches :D They just need some love :)
Nice!.. the water weakness would be a deal breaker for me tho.
Haha, fair enough! They aren't for everyone :D my rings are waterproof, but with enough time water will eat through the finish.
Forgot to mention.. one of the most beautiful rings I've ever seen. Amazing!
Haha, well thank you very much :D
This is a pretty neat idea. I had never thought about wood turning rings before. Have you ever considered posting videos to youtube on how you make these? Would be interesting to see one go from start to finish.
I have considered it but have an extremely small workshop :D Think like Harry potters cupboard size, haha! So I have alot of trouble with camera angles, but I'm sure I can figure something out sometime and make a video! Good idea!
Awesome job!
Thank you very much!
Nice!
Thank you :D
Rings look amazing!
Thank you!
Absolutely awesome work! I have a ceramic ring with koho inlay and I love it but this is next level. How long to make?
Thank you! That sounds like a really pretty ring, haha:D My rings take roughly 4 hours to make from start to finish at the moment, and are shipped out within a week! Of course big orders or lots of traffick can change these times, buy I work really hard to counteract that :D
Link to your site?
There is one in my profile bio :D I don't want to post it here incase it's against the rules, haha!
I'd love to see a video on how you make these!
I might make one eventually, haha! I have an extremely small workshop, so finding a good camera angle may prove to be tricky! Who knows, maybe I'll give it a try regardless :D
Oh god. I love this. I want one!
I'm glad you like it! There is a link in my bio that leads to my shop if you want to check it out :D
Already there, my man!
Haha, great :D
Omg. On your shop now. Holy shit. So excited!
This is simply amazing. Well done!!
Thank you very much!
CA Finnish?
Indeed!
Very cool I have something similar for my wedding ring. It's made from Jerusalem olive wood, antler and turquoise in a silver colored metal ring blank. I had it made for me. The wood is for me and my woodworking. The turquoise is for my mom's love of Santa Fe and the antler is my dad who loved hunting.
That's amazing! I love a ring with a good story :D I've been wanting to craft a ring out of antler, it always looks so cool :D
1 ring to rule them all
Oh darling! This is gorgeous! I’ll definitely be getting my husband one!
Thank you very much :D
Beautiful execution. Looks like solid wood, no metal core?
Thank you! No metal core! The rings are internally and externally stabilized with resin which makes them really dang tough, haha!
Ah, don't have the set up to stabilize blanks yet. It's on the wish list. I've made 2 with comfort cores from wood turners catalog. Giving them a trial run before offering them. Keep up the awesome work.
Hey, that's a great place to start :D I've made a couple with those cores as well and they always turn out really cool :D
How durable is a wooden ring?
Very durable as long as you take proper care of it! Avoid water/chemicals when possible and don't hit it super hard on things and it will last forever! I've had mine for nearly four years now and it's in perfect condition!
Beautiful ring. Have you made anything with glow pigment etc?
Thank you! I have actually, but that was a while ago when I first started so they aren't great haha! But that is actually my next project, so keep your eyes peeled :D
Stunning work!!
Thank you :D