This post is all about why you should use a bigger ring blank. This one simple change to the way you make your ring blanks can lead to more rings for the same amount of effort. After all, making the blank takes about the same amount of time, no matter how big it is.
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Making Laminated Rings
Laminated rings are made from several layers of wood. each layer is glued together, and they form a blank that you drill for individual rings.
If you make a small blank, you will only get so many rings from it. On the other hand, if you make a bigger blank, you can get a mot more.
In the end, the only difference is a little more wood, so you might as well get more blank for your time and make more rings too.
It’s amazing how one tiny change can make such a big difference, but it can. Read on for more about how making a bigger blank is good way to start your wooden rings…
Bigger Blanks Take About the Same Amount of Time
When you are gluing up a few layers of wood, the time involved is about the same no matter the size, relatively speaking of course. If you normally make blanks that are a few inches square, you can get more for your time by making a bigger blank.
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Especially on designs that you use often, making a bigger blank means more ring making materials without spending any more time. If your blank lets you get ten rings instead of five, you literally double your output on the same blank.
Make all of your blanks on the large side, and the next time you have to make a ring of the same style as you have before, you will have the blank in the shop. This cuts down on the time it takes you to make a ring for the order, since the blank is already done.
See Also: How to Use Wood Lamination for Different Ring Looks
Bigger Blanks Don’t Cost Much More
Many times, the wood that you use for making rings is scrap, or it’s made from larger pieces and cut down to the size you use for making blanks. If you just use the full piece, you can save effort, and the blank will cost about the same.
If you normally cut off material, and especially if this material goes in the trash, you are throwing away what could be made into a ring. Just glue up the full size pieces and make a blank from them. You will get more wood, and spend about the same amount of money.
When you look in the wood store too, pay attention to the price of the sizes of wood that are near to each other. Sometimes, you can spend a tiny bit more and get much more wood than the price would suggest. In cases like this, the bigger portion of the blank actually costs a lot less, because the extra wood didn’t cost that much more.
See Also: 15 Great Places to get Woodworking Wood
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Big Blanks are Safer
Big blanks are also safer to work with. the drill is a very powerful tool, and it can cause an injury very quickly. When this happens, you will not be able to stop it, and you can lose a lot of shop time because of a mistake.
Instead, use your bigger ring making blank and it will give you more area to clamp. This makes the process easier, and you can clamp your piece down when you drill very easily. A clamped piece frees up both hands, and when you are not holding the piece, your fingers are much safer.
Clamp the piece to the table top of the drill press after measuring your locations. Make sure that the drill bit is making contact where you want it to, and then fully secure the clamp. the piece should not be able to move on the press. Then, carefully drill the hole when everything is safe.
See Also: 17 Awesome Reasons I Made My Own Wedding Ring
Your Homework
Start making bigger blanks. In the beginning, especially when you are not selling a lot of rings, or not giving many away, it will result in a lot of left over blanks. However, when you do finally need them, you will be glad that you are not wasting a lot of time making more.
Bigger blanks are safer and easier to work with. The bigger surface area means more rings from the same lamination, and this is great when you have several people asking you to make more of the same ring that you made them before.
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Try it out, and see how you like it. Of course there is an upper limit, and you don’t need a five foot long blank unless you are making a lot of rings. However, try the bigger blanks, and enjoy the reduced time that it takes you to bring a ring to life.
See Also: 35 Important Tips on Making a Ring
Bigger Blank Wrap-Up
It takes about the same amount of effort to make a ring blank that is a few inches by a few inches as it does to make one twice as big. Something that you can do to make your ring blanks more productive is to make them bigger.
Blanks that are bigger are more efficient, and they can give up several more rings for the same amount of effort in gluing. They also don’t cost much more than smaller blanks, and can mean more rings for less money if you are selling what you make.
Finally, wooden ring blanks that are bigger are also safer. They are easier to clamp to the drill press, and they make clamping more practical. This means you might actually do it more because it’s easier. More clamping means less injuries too.
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