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MBUMIK
4th January 2010, 12:52 PM
howdy doody one and all

i have had an enquiry about wedding rings made out of rosewood

i have had a limited play with wood turning most restricted to pens, confetti oil lamps and bottle stoppers

just wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction in making a ring out of wood

i am guessing that you would drill a hole the approx size of the finger and then use pin jaws to complete the item but i am not sure

any help appreciated

MIK

wheelinround
4th January 2010, 12:59 PM
Mik I made some napkin rings similar thing I guess I wouldn't use pin jaws but a jam chuck to mount them on.

How I made the rings was as you said mount a blank in a chuck drill centre deep enough just past the first width needed. Make a wooden spigot up for the tailstock slide it in to hold the ring steady while shaping the outside, sanding and finish as much as possible before and parting off. I used a hacksaw blade a a parting tool nice and steady slow speed. Mount then on a tappered spigot to finish

Edit found it http://www.woodworkforums.com/f8/rings-63583/

petersemple
4th January 2010, 01:13 PM
For a wedding band to be comfortable, it would need to be quite thin. I doubt it would last long as a turned item due to breaking along the grain. If it was me, I would experiment by making up a "blank" by laminating plane shavings around an appropriate size of steel rod, and then maybe turning that down a bit. I suspect that would be a way of getting the strongest grain orientation.

Peter

MBUMIK
4th January 2010, 02:03 PM
thanks guys

here is a pickie of what he wants

if i was making a pen out of it i would say that the piece of wood is cross cut

MIK

woodwork wally
4th January 2010, 08:19 PM
Hi to you MIK were I doing the job follow wheelins guide then finish using super glue well and truly bonding all fibres to prevent ring from easily being broken then finish with final sand -to 600- EEE- linseed oil/superglue as per a pen and for more gloss GLOW so thet the user can always bring shine back using any proprietry wax and you should have a magic unit cheers ww.wally

Texian
5th January 2010, 12:20 PM
Might want to ask if the rings are to be worn more than just briefly. Some folks are allergic to rosewood. I would vote for a three or even four layer lamination with grains crossed like plywood. Usually cross grain joints are to be avoided like the proverbial plague, but should not be a problem in very thin/narrow sections like a ring, and should greatly improve the strength.

MBUMIK
5th January 2010, 12:36 PM
he has actually requested rosewood, but i would finish it with CA just like a pen and i think that should seal it pretty well

the more i look at the pickie the more i think it has been made from rolling up a veneer, which would explain the prices being charged more so, i mean how much would it cost for a piece of rosewood that size and all of 30 minutes max to make, $450 is the prices that i have seen on searching

thats pretty dam good profit for $1 worth of wood

Texian
5th January 2010, 01:27 PM
Good eye Mik. That is indeed what it looks like. Maybe soak or steam the veneer, roll up tight, clamp and let dry. Partially unroll, insert glue, roll and clamp. Should work on my napkin rings too. Must go build a steam box thingy.

CA finish should work.

dai sensei
6th January 2010, 09:35 PM
Chuck a piece of wood (grain parallel to lathe axis) into pin jaws and drill a hole to slightly smaller than the inside dia required, then sand the inside to required size for at least one ring width. Turn the outside to the desired outer dia and sand. Part off and hand sand edges, then polish and buff with wax. Then start on the next ring etc.

If you want CA finish, you could do inside, outside and one edge OK, but the parted edge would have to be done sepparately holding the ring in the pin soft jaws after parting off.

Hope this makes sense.

Broda
9th January 2010, 02:01 PM
have a look at this article

Woodturning Online :: Turning a Wood Ring with a Veneer Inlay (http://www.woodturningonline.com/Turning/Turning_content/ring/wood-ring.html)

Enfield Guy
9th January 2010, 04:37 PM
Looks like the go to me. Good of you to pass this on.
Cheers

lightwood
9th January 2010, 04:48 PM
MIK,
I make jewellery for a day job, and I've always loved rosewood and silver as a combination.
I made a miniature plane a while ago...
Miniature Infill Plane (http://www.petermcbride.com/miniature/)
Incorporating it into a piece of jewellery is something I've wanted to try for a while, and your question prompted me to give it a try this afternoon.
I made a 0.5mm thick silver ring 7.0mm wide.
Then drilled a 19mm hole in piece of Indian Rosewood. I need a hole 21.5mm to insert the silver, so used an emery spindle on the flex drive and opened it up. Then used Loctite 454 to glue the ring inside. I cut around the ring with a fret saw, then roughed it out on the disk sander, then put it in the three jaw chuck on the watchmakers lathe and turned it to shape. I polished the silver, and used Wet & Dry Emery to 600 on the wood and then some friction polish.
The ring I just made is not merchantable quality, but it does show another approach.
I like the silver and rosewood together, and think it could be a way to make a lasting piece of jewellery if you could get the rosewood stable ( perhaps a bent lamination as already suggested ) and treated to be resistant to attack by body acid.
Regards,
Peter
Peter McBride Goldsmith Jeweller (http://www.petermcbride.com)