Bentwood Inlay Rings

very nice Ring Frank

Beautiful ring Frank, as all of your rings are.

I’ve read your blog on layered rings and really enjoyed it. What process / material do you use to inlay this kind of ring with?

Thanks for posting, I’ll be looking for more to come…............

-- Gene, Majestic Eagle Woodworks, http://majesticeagleww.etsy.com/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/majesticeagle/

Beautiful rings. Fanatstic job

-- Jerry--A man can never have enough tools or clamps

Thanks, everyone!

Gene: Thanks for the kind words about the blog entry! I’m glad you ejoyed it! These inlay rings are done in the bentwood fasion, which involves wetting or steaming thin strips of wood and bending them into the correct diameter. (No drilling involved.) For the inlay part, I carefully cut the thin wood strips and apply them around the “base” bentwood ring, leaving a space in the middle where the crushed stone would go.

-- Frank, Mississippi, Original Bentwood Rings - http://www.bentwoodrings.com

Frank,
Wow, your rings are now ART! I just can’t believe how you manage to put the crushed stone in the bent ring… This one is just gorgeous!!!

-- Junji Sugita from Japan, http://tetra.blog12.fc2.com/

Junji: I’m a fan of your work! Your kind words are really appreciated!

-- Frank, Mississippi, Original Bentwood Rings - http://www.bentwoodrings.com

Great work Frank. I really appreciate how you explained some of your techniques in your blog also.

-- Matt - Syracuse, NY

Beautifull rings Frank. Your rings are the reason I decided to make my own. Sorry to say I like yours better then mine! haha ( the wife likes mine better but that is ONLY because I made them)

Very fine intricate work on these inlays. Fantastic job!

Keep it up.

Scrappy

-- Scrap Wood's the best...the projects are smaller, and so is the mess!

I like your approach to ring making, they are visually interesting, and I imagine much stronger than the drilled variety.

-- A thing of beauty is a joy forever...

That turquoise ring is just delightful; thanks for sharing it.

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems

Thanks, guys! It is always a thrill to receive such nice feedback. It means a lot to me!

-- Frank, Mississippi, Original Bentwood Rings - http://www.bentwoodrings.com

Those are really nice!! What a great idea!!

-- Matt Garcia Wannabe Period Furniture Maker, Houston TX

Thanks, Matt!

-- Frank, Mississippi, Original Bentwood Rings - http://www.bentwoodrings.com

This is sooooooo pretty… Can you describe the process of making a bentwood ring? i tried to make some bracelets and failed miserably. they all had irregular shapes.

-- The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep...

Hi, moshel!

The best way to approach it – whether it be rings, bracelets or similar – is to always bend them around/against a form of the exact intended size. I’ve seen mandrels for bracelets – I think they are set for two or three sizes. Although typically used for wax-casting (or whatever techniques standard jewelry makers use), you can bend the wood around them. Soak or steam the wood first, bend it around carefully, and use tape to hold the wrapped wood in place while it dries. It’s best to use tape that isn’t too sticky, because you don’t want to pull the wood fibers away when removing it.

One little detail: I like to taper the inside end of the wood before bending around it. This is the inside seam that will be visible later, and (to me) it’s easier to smooth it out while it’s laying flat. ALSO, if it is too thick of an edge, it can crease the wood as it’s being bent around it.

-- Frank, Mississippi, Original Bentwood Rings - http://www.bentwoodrings.com