Looking for advice for engagement / wedding ring carving wood...

[Hutch]

Hi,

I'm looking for a good wood to carve into a wedding ring. My girlfriend doesn't wear any jewellery, and doesn't like metal next to her skin. I want to carve her a wooden ring to serve as a symbol, and wouldn't intend for it to be durable enough for every-day use.

So.. what suggestions do you have for wood type? I'm thinking that when I've used holly for firewood it's been very hard and seemingly very white. Does anyone know how it seasons? Is there a whiter wood that anyone can think of that I might be able to search for in the West Country or buy in blocks?

I'm guessing that a wood with a very fine grain or complex grain like walnut might be best for strength while being worked? A cousin once showed me some bog wood which seemed very very dense and hard but was pitch black in colour, and I think I want to use a very white wood.

I have no previous experience with wood carving, but reckon I can do it given enough practice

Thanks!

 

[jackcbr]

I made an engagement ring for SWMBO out of rose and made it into a necklace. Did it out of a knuckle where a stem was growing out. The knot from that has kind of become the stone. It started off as a very white wood, but has mellowed. If I can get it off her I'll try and get a picture.

 

[Toddy]

I don't know what woods would carve finely enough, and soundly enough, for a ring, but how about also considering stone ?
The native stones that carve finely into rings and bangles are mostly dark, but serpentinite does come in very pale green. It would be lovely for a ring.


If darker is fine, well folks have been using jet and cannel coal to make rings, bangles and beads since at least the early bronze age in the British Isles. http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/record.php?usi=000-100-036-600-C

Amber too shapes well

cheers,
Toddy

 

[santaman2000]

I suspect ivory might work out better than wood. And yes, there are still ivories that are legal (just not elephant ivory)

 

[Skaukraft]

I've carved a few rings from juniper in the past. Worked very well (at least with the very slow growing juniper in the mountains over here.
It's close to 20 years ago, so unfortunately no pics.

 

[vizsla]

I think I'd go for walnut but be very selective, I've carved a few small items with walnut and it can be taken down really thin and also remains strong without cracking at room temps

 

[Macaroon]

If you can get hold of a piece of old mature holly and use the heartwood, away from knots and flaws, it is extremely durable, takes on a beautiful ivory colour over time and has a very tight grain and carves very well indeed - but it is very hard when seasoned well. You'd need to source something that's been down for at least 5 or 6 years........I probably have a lump somewhere you could have a go with..............sometimes, if you're very lucky, pieces take on a rose colour but there's no way that I know of to tell which bits will "rose up"...............and you'll need top tools with very good edges to get the detail; I used to use holly a lot years ago in the making of top-quality driving whips and it can be very rewarding if you get it right..............hope this helps, atb mac

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Olive wood ......symbolises longevity too ...............................Welcome to the forum by the way.

 

[santaman2000]

That's nice!

 

[grey-array]

That is one heck of a nice ring Timber wolf, may I ask to contribute to this discussion the preferred method to producing one of those lookers?
And I also wanted to put in here, might you not find a wood species white enough, You could of course go towards Bone which you can find as white as you can possibly get.
And perhaps easier to get a more durable piece out of as you wouldnt have as much with grains and burls
Yours sincerely

 

[blacktimberwolf]

That is one heck of a nice ring Timber wolf, may I ask to contribute to this discussion the preferred method to producing one of those lookers?

Sorry grey-array, neither my woodworking or photography skills are that good..........they are two different rings by the way.

 

[Samon]

http://www.frommoroccowithlove.com/files/cache/94aab58ae48c81e92dc5b90b8bab1d22.jpg

this is thuya wood, it's beautiful but I have no idea how well it carves/works..

welcome to the forum too

do you get out much in your area? might be worth looking for some local specimens.

 

[Paddytray]

. Quickly made this one for a friend as his engagement rings didn't turn up on the day he planned to propose . I made this one out of pine and Yes its fragile but it's ment as a keep sake . My only advice is don't go for a obvious angle in the grain. As in straight in any way it seems to split them so easily instead go diagonally . And slowly. Use google search for a print out of a ring sizer as it helps alot

Paddytray .;

 

[Paddytray]

The ones posted before my effort are truly beautiful

Paddytray .;

 

[mountainm]

I made one from a round of cherry of about the same diameter as the ring. It was easy to work and strong.

 

[TomBartlett]

Similar to mountainm I've used wood a similar diameter to the ring, that way you end up with a ring that made up of a couple of growth rings, which, in my experience has turned out stronger than other options. I've made rings out of oak, hawthorn, sycamore, holly, ash and cherry. I think holly or hawthorn were my favourites. Sycamore gives the whitest wood out of those however.


From left to right the rings are hawthorm, sycamore, oak and ash.

 

[Colin.W]

Hawthorn is a lovely tight grain to work and weathers to a lovely colour. Holly is a little softer and paler but is also a nice tight grain. Elder is another favorite of mine although larger sections are a bit tempermental when trying to dry. The smaller trees that are of little interest to the timber dealers are a good selection of woods for carving and turning