This is the 5 Best Tips for Sizing Your Wooden Ring. In this post you’ll learn the tricks to creating a finger opening on your wooden rings that is the perfect size for the new owner.

Sizing Your Wooden Ring Perfectly

The number one thing that’s going to determine whether a customer of yours, or yourself for that matter, is going to wear one of your wooden ring creations is the way that it fits. It’s not the way that it looks, or what it’s made out of. It’s the fit.

With so much riding on how the ring is sized for your finger, it’s definitely worth taking some extra time and making sure that anything you sell to somebody else, or for that matter wear yourself, is perfectly sized.

I’ll show you the steps coming up, and even though these have a client in mind, you can do the exact same thing for yourself or for someone that you have better access to.

This way, you’ll be able to deliver a ring that fits just as well as it looks, if not better. That’s how you guarantee that your ring will be seen for all of its amazing beauty.

See Also: Sizing A Wooden Ring

Start With Measuring Your Client

The absolute easiest thing you can do when it comes to getting the size of your finger opening correct is to just measure your client. Many times, your client will tell you what ring size they wear, but this can be a little different for a wooden ring.

It’s not like the ring is a different size simply because it’s made out of wood, the big difference is that most jewelry style rings aren’t as wide as a wooden ring. This alters the fit slightly, and that can be a surprise in some cases.

Instead of simply relying on a number, it’s best to take an actual measurement of your customers finger, or even better use existing rings that you already have to demonstrate both size and the thickness difference of a wooden ring to your customer.

Once you agree upon something that fits really well, you can take a measurement of that finger opening and then you’ll be able to duplicate it in the shop. If the ring is for you, you can just drill some holes in pieces of wood there about the same thickness as a ring, and test the fit.

Once you find something you like, and it fits well, you’ll know what size.

See Also: How to Make a Wooden Ring Without Power Tools (7 Steps)

Pick the Closest Drill

The best way to drill a ring is to drill it with one exact drill bit that’s the perfect size. However, you would need many, many drill bits in order to always have the perfect size drill available. The solution however is just to drill it a little smaller.

When you drill your opening a little bit smaller, you can always remove more wood later on in order to create the perfect size opening. In contrast, if you drill the hole too big, you can’t put the wood back.

So, in an effort to get the ring to the perfect size, drill with the closest drill bit that you have that is smaller than the target size. Then, enlarge the inside diameter.

See Also: How to Make Wooden Rings Without a Lathe

Enlarge the Inside Diameter if Needed

The way you change the inside diameter is by sanding. You can do this in a number of different ways, and if you’re fortunate enough to have a lathe, the process goes fairly quickly.

You can also use a small sanding drum on your Dremel tool and work the inside of the ring just the same. If you want to do the process by hand, simply roll up some sandpaper into a tube, and then use that to widen the ring.

This is why it’s incredibly important to use the largest drill you have that’s still just smaller than the final size of the ring. Sanding wood from the inside of the ring is not easy, so the closer you start, the faster you finish.

See Also: Essential Wooden Ring Making Tools List

Sand the Interior Smooth

Sometimes the enlarging process can cause scratches and marks on the inside of the ring that will need to be removed before finishing. Even though the inside of the ring will not be seen, it will definitely be felt by the user.

And uncomfortable ring is just as bad as a ring that doesn’t fit well. Definitely take the time to sand smooth the interior of the ring and create a surface that feels as good as it looks.

Start with whatever grit you need to get rid of the scratches, remember that you don’t want to remove too much material past your perfect fit. If you do, the ring could end up being too big.

If you’ve done any sanding up to this point, odds are you’re not in a very bad place. You can probably get away with a little bit of 220 grit, followed by 400 grit for a very smooth finish.

See Also: 17 Important Tips on How to Sand Wood

Test Fit the Ring and Adjust if Necessary

Before you commit to whatever size your ring finally arrives, you need to arrange one last final fitting with yourself, or your customer. This is a way to check to make sure everything is perfect before you proceed.

Let the customer try on the ring, and make sure that it feels good before you move on to final touches and finishing. This way, you’ll know that the ring is a perfect fit, and that your customer will be happy to wear it.

If you made the opening too small, it’ll be a fairly quick process to widen it out a little bit, and then you can test the fit one last time. If you made the opening too big, unfortunately you’ll have to start over, because it’s very difficult to put the wood back after you remove it.

Either way, don’t settle. Make sure that you make a ring that feels great on your own finger, or that feels great on your customers figure. Again, it’s the only way your ring will see the light of day after the initial sale.

See Also: Make and Sell Wooden Rings

Your Action Assignment

Now that you know all about how to get a wooden ring finger opening to be the perfect size, it’s time to get out into your shop and take action. Ring making is a lot of fun, and getting the finger opening right is easier than it seems.

Take your time, and if you can’t buy the perfect drill right away, get as close as you can and then sand the opening to reach the final diameter. Take care to make the inside nice and smooth, and you’ll create a comfortable, well fitting ring.

If you have any questions about drilling wooden rings, and getting the size correct, please post a question and I’ll be happy to answer it. Happy building.

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