| Project by scottb | posted 163 days ago | 521 views | 0 times favorited | 11 comments |  |
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A thin band of Cherry bisects the continuous grain of this Osage Orange ring. (pictured on the piece of wood it was cut from. From, or near my BILs house in TX. Thanks Rob!)
Beautiful, durable, and strong, the heavy, close-grained yellow-orange wood is very dense and is prized for tool handles, treenails, fence posts, electrical insulators, and other applications requiring a strong dimensionally stable wood that withstands rot. Straight-grained osage timber (most is knotty and twisted) makes very good bows. In Arkansas, in the early 19th century, a good Osage bow was worth a horse and a blanket.
This might not get you a horse, but it’ll surely get some attention. This ring (US size 9 or 9 1/4 – approx 19mm inside diameter, 21.5 mm outside), is the lightest, thinnest ring I’ve made yet. I started out making a smaller ring, (Inside dia), then with sanding the inside got closer and closer to fitting my finger perfectly. So I kept at it until It was perfect, and it was!... (at least while the ring was, literally, HOT of the lathe, all the sanding and buffing.) Now it’s just a wee bit to tight for my ring finger and loose on my pinky. I’m wearing it as I type this, and it’s like it’s not even there, so thin and comfortable!
Like the others, the center band is glued perpendicular to the grain of the outside for increased strength and stability. Finished with (bathed in) walnut oil, (which seems to have darkened it a tad more than I expected… but in the right light, Oh the grain and chatoyance!) and buffed with “bowling alley” floor wax.
This is the 10th project in my 30 projects in 30 days challenge
cross posted on Facebook: B C Woodworking
this (starting thursday pm) and other projects, for sale on Etsy: B C Woodworking
-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/
11 comments so far
darryl
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1392 posts in 1217 days
posted 163 days ago
this is just as nice as the others.
you should make yourself a ring display/holder!
-- www.darrylmasterson.com ~ www.darrylmasterson.etsy.com
cabinetmaster
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8411 posts in 449 days
posted 163 days ago
Great Idea darryl. I like this one too. Wish I could find some of that Osage orange. I really like the projects I see made with it.
-- Jerry--A man can never have enough tools or clamps
dustbunny
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308 posts in 186 days
posted 163 days ago
Scott, beautiful ring !!
I was wondering if you applied any sanding sealer before applying the walnut oil ?
Bowling alley wax makes this ring a 300 game. LOL
Lisa
-- I inherited the woodworking gene and it's gone into overdrive.......
Karson
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25787 posts in 1291 days
posted 163 days ago
Scott a great looking ring. Nice job on the wood selections.
-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
scottb
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3403 posts in 1218 days
posted 163 days ago
I love the Osage too, It’s probably my favorite wood. The color, grain, chatoyance perfect combination of strength and beauty… If only it grew up here!
Sanding sealer, didn’t occur to me. I have a sister blank to this one ready to go,... lets see what a difference that makes!
-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/
dustbunny
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308 posts in 186 days
posted 163 days ago
Not sure if oils will penetrate the sanding sealer though. I read somewhere to put oil first, then sanding sealer, then wax. Not really sure about this either.
Looking forward to your results !!
Lisa
-- I inherited the woodworking gene and it's gone into overdrive.......
Russel
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2054 posts in 830 days
posted 162 days ago
These rings are really nice. If you keep posting them, I’m going to want to try to make one. I really like the detail and color combinations.
-- When you give someone a chance it may well be their last.
RobS
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1242 posts in 1197 days
posted 162 days ago
Sweet and from my backyard too! FYI, I just sent a few chunks back with Dad, hopefully it is something you can use. I’m a big fan of the wood too, mainly the strength-beauty combination.
All your rings seem wider than others posted here, is that a result of the lathe method versus the more hand cut process? Of course on the flip side, the wall thinness of this one is amazing. No need to worry about breaking as with age it will turn to stone.
Nice work, as usual.
-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX
scottb
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3403 posts in 1218 days
posted 162 days ago
Yep, thanks for them there chunks… Re: the width, you must have been reading my mind. I started off making them a bit wider than my wedding band, and am slowly coming down…. or at least I thought so, my first was the narrowest. Working with such huge tools compared to the work makes everything seem so small. I couldn’t even fit my skew inside of them! Once they’re turned and smoothed, its pretty quick business to take them down with a little time spent sanding. Stay tuned, I’ve got a few more blanks (and back up blanks) glued up and ready to roll. Umm, I mean turn.
-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/
a1Jim
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16497 posts in 468 days
posted 162 days ago
well done
-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon
dustbunny
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308 posts in 186 days
posted 161 days ago
Scott,
I bought this mini set of turning tools from woodcraft. They work very nicely, and they are more sized for the smaller turnings. I recommend.
http://www.woodcraft.com/product.aspx?ProductID=143718&FamilyID=4434
How did you make out with sealer? I’m going to try it today.
Lisa
-- I inherited the woodworking gene and it's gone into overdrive.......