Briar Wedding Ring - Westfarthing Woodworks

When it came time for me to select a wedding ring, I knew that I wanted a wooden ring. The only objection I had was that wooden rings are more delicate than metal rings, and over the lifetime that I hope to be married a lot can happen to a ring.

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My solution to the problem was to use both metal and wood to create a ring that would be both beautiful and stand the test of time.

Having a combination of both materials is what gives you the beauty and strength that you need for a long lasting ring. The wood on the outside is the look, and the metal inside is the lasting power. Other people will only see the wood when you wear a ring like this.

Briar Wood for My Wedding Ring

I started out with Briar, which is used by Tobacco Pipe makers. They make their stummels from well aged Briar. This wood is very durable, and works through changes in wetness really well.

Moisture is something that can become a factor on a ring that will on occasion get wet.

You don’t want to have a ring that can’t take a little sweat from time to time. Even if you remove the ring for hand washing and things like that, the sweat from daily activities will get your ring wet. This is something to think about when making a wooden ring.

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Briar also stains very well, and is especially good at taking a method called contrast staining. This is where the grain is stained one color and then the flake is stained another. Essentially the whole ring is stained a dark brown or black, then most of it is sanded off. The grain soaks up the color deeper, so it retains the color when sanded.

The titanium band had to be turned down on the lathe to flatten the outside area before the Briar could be epoxied to the ring.

Once a nice fit was established, the two were bonded with two part epoxy and then turned on the lathe until smooth.

After that, the stain was applied, and the ring was buffed on a wheel with compounds and carnauba wax. The compounds polish the surface, and the wax adds a really nice shine to the ring. This is the same process that tobacco pipe makers use.

I am very happy with the ring, and hope to wear it for the rest of my life. There are instructions for how to make this ring step by step in my book, Wooden Rings: How To Make Wooden Rings By Hand, as well as instructions for over 50 styles of ring. There is a ton to choose from. Even a complete beginner will be able to make a ring they are proud to wear. They can also be given as gifts.