I started to tag this on to someone else’s project post but thought they might not appreciate me hijacking their thread. So here it goes:
HOW TO BUILD A (BEGINNER’S) BENTWOOD RING:
1) Soak your thin veneer of choice in some water for a while. It doesn’t even have to be hot water.
2) Glue and wrap said veneer around a ‘thing’(preferrably a round ‘thing’) and let it dry. Go-Rilla glue works.
3) Remove it from the ‘thing’.
4) Sand the inside and outside to shape. A lathe is really not required to get very good results.
5) Apply your finish of choice.
6) Post in on LJ under ‘Projects’.
Seriously folks, that is about it. What kind of veneer? Use what you have in your shop. Different veneers behave differently. Even if I tell you the exact one I use, then you will likely have slightly different results and/or problems. Ya just have to try it out and gain that elusive experience.
How long do you have to soak it? A while. We’re not building rockets here. Different veneers take different amounts of time. If it breaks, try longer. Or use thinner veneer.
ADVANCED RINGS:
Adding contrasting inlay strips… Glue up strips of contrasting woods, then rip to thin veneer strips. Use these for rings with contrasting inlays. How about contrasting liners? Try scarfing one contrasting veneer to another(end to end). You only need a few inches for the contrasting liner.
Oh, and you wanted pictures. :( Use your imagination as to ring shapes and wood combinations.
I truely hope many of you try this out. It is fun, elusive, and imensly rewarding. I wish you all the best in your results.
-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--
11 comments so far
Sam Shakouri
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849 posts in 1256 days
#1 posted 639 days ago
It looks interesting, I may try it, but where can I find Gorilla Glue? I looked in all hardwear shop in Sydney, they have not even hear about it. Can it be found in different name, Rance?
-- Sam Shakouri / CREATING WONDERS WITH WOOD.....Sydney,Australia....
hairy
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1763 posts in 1701 days
#2 posted 639 days ago
http://www.gorillatough.com/gorillagluedistributors/GorillaGlueInternationalAustralia/tabid/311/Default.aspx
-- It must be jelly baby, cause jam don't shake like that...
majeagle1
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1382 posts in 1665 days
#3 posted 639 days ago
Sounds great Rance, one for me to try….
There are now a few types of Gorilla glue out there…. which one do you recommend?
-- Gene, Majestic Eagle Woodworks, http://majesticeagleww.etsy.com/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/majesticeagle/
rance
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3856 posts in 1329 days
#4 posted 639 days ago
@Gene – The expanding, foaming, messy to work with, waterproof kind.
@Sam – Gorilla is the brand name for “polyurethane adhesive”. I’d be surprised if there are not more mfrs. Try Amazon.com.
@Hairy – Creepy page. Notice how the fingers move ever so slightly when you mouse-hover near them or the menus?
Frank Lad is really the pioneer here IMO. He documented some of his ringmaking here.
-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--
woodzy
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410 posts in 847 days
#5 posted 639 days ago
I’ve looked for a “how to” for this very subject in the past. And this is the best one. It sounds like the way i ended up teaching my self. Setp 1) Just decide it’s not roket science and step 2) dive in. Mess up a few, get a number of interesting results. Then finally a bentwood ring.
thank for making it simple.
-- Anthony
rance
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3856 posts in 1329 days
#6 posted 638 days ago
Anthony, you hit the nail on the head. :) I like your two step method better.
-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--
WoodenFrog
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2351 posts in 1082 days
#7 posted 636 days ago
Rance, Thanks for the info! I’m Still not happy with my results i’ll keep pushing and see how it goes.
Thanks for sharing.
-- Robert B. Sabina, Ohio.....
rance
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3856 posts in 1329 days
#8 posted 624 days ago
I just heard a great quote from Doug Stowe:
“Repitition leads to Refinement, and Refinement leads to Success.”
I think this goes right along with making bent wood rings.
-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--
Thomas Hanson
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29 posts in 121 days
#9 posted 87 days ago
What’s with all the Gorilla glue? I hate that messy stuff ! Surely there are other choices.
-- Okie from Council Hill
rance
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3856 posts in 1329 days
#10 posted 80 days ago
Thomas, the GG has the ability to fill tiny gaps if they should occur. It also has sufficient working time that you’ll need. Yes, it can be messy. Remember that you always have to use clamps when using GG. After I’ve wrapped up a blank for a ring, I put 3-4 rubber bands to hold it tight. The foaming will come out the sides, NOT push the rubber bands out. Hope this helps a little. :)
-- Backer boards, stop blocks, build oversized, and never buy a hand plane--
WoodenFrog
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2351 posts in 1082 days
#11 posted 77 days ago
It is a great blog Rance! Thanks again!
-- Robert B. Sabina, Ohio.....
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