Customized rings are a hot new item that you can make in the woodworking shop. With the help of your lathe, you can make a very creative gift that is as unique as the person who will be wearing it!

There are two types of rings that you can make: rings where you use inlay materials, like crushed opal or abalone, and rings where you turn ring blanks of wood, acrylic or other materials.

Inlay ring cores don’t require blanks but use a different technique where the groove in the ring is filled with inlay materials. Crushed opal or abalone are popular options – and you can give your creativity free reign by mixing in regular or glow in the dark mica powders (or both).

There are two styles of ring cores that require blanks:

1. Lifestyle one-piece rings can be made on a 7 mm pen mandrel using small, medium or large bushings according to the size of the ring you are making. We’ve got a great starter pack to get you on your way to making your first rings.
2. JDG two-piece rings require a special ring mandrel, which you select according to the size of the ring that you are making. This is a higher end product with ring cores that are made in Ontario.

Ring cores come in both different widths (anywhere from 3 to 8 mm) and in different sizes to fit a wide range of fingers (half and full sizes from 4 to 16). They’re available in stainless steel, sterling silver and black ceramic.

Learn more about ring-making at penblanks.ca.