# I am trying to make bentwood rings and I could really use some help.



## JFish (Jul 14, 2016)

So far I have made 3 bentwood rings out of veneer wood. I can tell I am getting better but there are still two main problems that keep happening.

*Problem 1*: Gaps keep appearing once I am done gluing.

*Problem 2.* I don't know how to get a perfect looking ring when I sand. I feel like know matter how much I sand, there are still some spots that look awkward.

*Concern: * I am not sure if CA glue is the best idea for bentwood rings. I want to make rings that are going to last forever and will be extremely durable and waterproof. My thinking about using CA glue is it will not allow the wood to ever bend or flex. This could cause the ring so easily crack (Thoughts…). Any suggestion…

*The Process I Use*
1. I boil the strips of veneer for about 40 min on a very low boil. 
2. I wrap them around cylinder and leave them wrapped for about 5 hours.
3. I unwrap them and let them try for about 3 hours.
4. I then start wrapping them tight as I can using CA glue.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I was researching what application are used for making wood cannons but did not come across much yet. I though this would be a good idea because cannons and wood rings must be durable, last a long time, and waterproof.


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## JohnDon (Mar 14, 2015)

Some more information might help- what are the dimensions of your rings- diameter, width of the strips, and number of laminations (thickness)?

Are you bending around a circular template, and using LOTS of clamps, and giving the glue time to cure?

I've had good luck with gluing bent laminations using resorcinol glue (Weldwood plastic resin glue). It has practically no "creep", and gives a very rigid, strong result. I've not had problems with gaps or delamination.


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## MadMark (Jun 3, 2014)

Glue 'em on the mandrel …

M


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## Mahdeew (Jul 24, 2013)

1- Don't boil the strips; just soak them in water over night.
2- Wrap it on a piece of round pine and use masking tape to hold it for few hours (in the sun if you can).
3- Wrap your ring holder with some masking tape
4- Use CA glue 
5- Make a tapered wood dowel and wrap it with masking tape
6- put the ring holder in a drill or lath and round the ring


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

FYI: Resorcinol and Wildwood plastic resin glue are not the same. WPRG is a urea resin. Water resistant but not waterproof (in boiling water); resorcinol is waterproof. Also, urea resin glue is a light tan color, while resorcinol is a dark reddish brown. Both are finicky about tight fitting joints, resorcinol even more so than urea resin. Neither is a good gap filler.

Both at one time were widely used in boat building. Epoxy has mostly replaced them.

Some pictures of what you are trying to do would help a lot.


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## JFish (Jul 14, 2016)

> Some more information might help- what are the dimensions of your rings- diameter, width of the strips, and number of laminations (thickness)?
> 
> *Thank you for answering. The width's of the rings are around 3mm to 6mm. I usually do about 4 wraps. I would give you the exact thickness but my meter needs some batteries.
> 
> ...


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## JFish (Jul 14, 2016)

Would you not recommend using resorcinol what so ever?..... Not even on the outside of it?


> FYI: Resorcinol and Wildwood plastic resin glue are not the same. WPRG is a urea resin. Water resistant but not waterproof (in boiling water); resorcinol is waterproof. Also, urea resin glue is a light tan color, while resorcinol is a dark reddish brown. Both are finicky about tight fitting joints, resorcinol even more so than urea resin. Neither is a good gap filler.
> 
> Both at one time were widely used in boat building. Epoxy has mostly replaced them.
> 
> ...


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## JFish (Jul 14, 2016)

> 1- Don t boil the strips; just soak them in water over night.
> 2- Wrap it on a piece of round pine and use masking tape to hold it for few hours (in the sun if you can).
> 3- Wrap your ring holder with some masking tape
> 4- Use CA glue
> ...


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## SuperCubber (Feb 23, 2012)

> 1- Don t boil the strips; just soak them in water over night.
> 2- Wrap it on a piece of round pine and use masking tape to hold it for few hours (in the sun if you can).
> 3- Wrap your ring holder with some masking tape
> 4- Use CA glue
> ...


Yes, that's why he said, "drill or lathe."


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## JohnDon (Mar 14, 2015)

runswith….- thanks for the clarification and corrections!


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## Mahdeew (Jul 24, 2013)

I think most of the problems you are having is due to the strips being too thick. Two or three papers stacked on top of each other will give you a much better result than thicker ones. If you get a copper pipe and cut a 2" slit at one end of it with a hacksaw, you can use thicker stocks. Soak them overnight, secure the pipe in a vise, insert one end of the strip into the slot, place a torch set at low inside the other end of the pipe and slowly wrap the strip over the pipe. The heat from the torch will help the strip bend and dry at the same time. If you use a small (in diameter) enough pipe, you can do a large strip like 3'. When you get ready to wrap and glue it, start with the top of the wrap so you end up with the smaller diameter wrapping over the larger diameter. This will help you used less force to make a tight wrap with no gaps.


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## Jeremymcon (Jul 16, 2016)

Hello! New to the forum, but I have made a few bent veneer rings recently, so thought I'd share my experience.

My process is to wrap the rings around the outside of a socket wrench. Always with at least one full wrap of masking tape over it. After you have the rigs roughly bent and dry, taper the ends of the strip so that the end isn't visible. Do this with sandpaper. Then wrap very slowly and carefully, adding CA glue as you wrap, a holding the ring in place with each wrap until then a glue is holding. Wrapping slowly will help with the cracks.

Once the ring is fully wrapped and is holding together remove it from the socket. This can be tricky I you've allowed top much glue to squeeze out and onto the socket, but the masking tape should help - if you have to you can basically pull the masking tape off the socket along with the ring, then just sand/peel it off later.

Once the CA glue is fully cured, sand the ring to width using sandpaper on your flat bench top, being careful to keep both sides parallel to each other. Don't that, put the ring back on the socket, place socket on a socket wrench extension, and secure the wrench extension in your drill or drill press chuck. Sand the edges round (or you want them round), and then add a couple things layers of CA glue, polishing the glue layers with fine wet/dry paper in between (I used 2000 grit).

Also, don't expect wooden rings to last forever, unless you don't expect them to ever be worn. One you tuber I subscribe to uses wooden rings as wedding bands, and makes new ones every year for his wedding anniversary because they get so scuffed and worn.


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## JFish (Jul 14, 2016)

So I though I almost had it down. I was sanding the edges really nicely on the edges and it was making it look like it was 1 piece of wood (no layers showing. However, as soon as I add the CA glue (after done sanding) the layers come back and they are very noticeable….. Any advice?


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