Beautiful Wood Ring and Box

This Christmas I wanted to make my wife something as beautiful as her.... That's impossible. But at least I can try. So for Christmas we do gifts a little different. We each get each other one larger item and then we focus on small special gifts that will fit in our stocking.

I love working with wood so I thought a wood ring and a log box would be perfect. It didn't turn out as beautiful as her but it looks pretty good.

This is a fun and easy project that only took an hour or so, not counting drying time. This will be my first completed instructable so I hope I can explain it well enough. Enjoy

Step 1:

For this project you will need:

Wood veneer

Straight edge

Razor blade

Two deep well sockets , any size

Painters tape

A sander... A bench top works great

Sand paper. 80 to 600

Super glue

3/8 in dowel

Steel wool

Gloss poly

3/8 drill bit

1" 3/8 fostner bit

Miter saw

Step 2:

Start with the wood veneer. I bought a 50 piece sample pack from wood craft. It is a perfect size and you get a great variety. I like to choose two pieces that complement each other. A light and dark wood look really great together.

To start, use a straight edge to cut a small even strip off one side of the veneer. Use a razor to lightly score the wood. I use the weight of the knife to cut. You don't need to push on the blade, just let the knife do the work.

Step 3:

Once the strips are cut, place them in a pan with a fork on top of them. This keeps the strip down while it is in the water. Pour boiling water into the pan and cover. Let them sit for 20 min.

After the 20 min. Lightly squeeze off the water and start to wrap. Use a deep well socket to wrap the strip around. Place the end of the strip against the socket and use your thumb to slowly wrap it tightly around the socket. After it is wrapped all the way around, use the painters tape to tape it tight. Then let it sit for another 20 min. Do this for both prices.

Step 4:

Unwrap the veneer and it should be in a loose circle. At this point you need to sand one end as thin as you can get it. This will help your seam be almost invisible and keep it from forming a lump at the seam.

Step 5:

Now to wrap. This is the hardest part but it's not too bad. To get the perfect size I like to use an existing ring and size it with whatever fits. In this case a tube of chap stick was a little too small so I used some painters tape to make up some of the size.

Place the sanded side on the chap stick and start to wrap around. When you get around, place a drop of super glue on the sanded side and glue together. You want to be sure that it is tight around the chap stick when you glue the first piece or else your ring will be lopsided. Also, try not to glue your fingers to the wood. It will probably happen but do your best.

After it is glued continue to glue and wrap in small sections. I like to wrap each layer two times around. Once you get back to the seam the second time, stop glueing and cut the remainder off but leave a small flap.

Step 6:

Use a sander to sand the top of the ring smooth. This will help the second layer to fit better with no seam. Then carefully sand the sides flat.

Step 7:

When you wrap the second layer, start with the sanded end and place it right at the end of the last seam. Glue the end and be careful to keep it straight as you wrap it. Wrap another 2 layers using the same process as the dirt layer. Then cut off excess and sand the top flat again.

Step 8:

Now it is time to sand sand sand. Start with a 80 grit sand paper to start to shape the ring. Work down the sides and start to round the inside. Repeat those steps with 200, 320, 400, and 600 grit. I know it is repetitive but it is worth it in the end. I recommend lightly sanding with the ring held loosely in your fingers. Shape to your style.

Step 9:

The last step for the ring is easy. I used spray gloss poly and sprayed the ring on a string. Sorry about the picture, the lighting was weird and it made it look red.

After letting the poly dry, buff with steel wool and apply another coat. Repeat process until it shines.

Step 10:

The log box was easy and tired out awesome! I found a log in my wood pile that had some awesome insect marking on it. So cool.

Step 11:

I cut off one end to give it a flush cut and the cut about 3 in off for the box. Then I drilled a 3/8 hole close to the edge of the log about 2 in down.

After the hole, I used the miter saw to cut a half in off the top for the lid. If you drill the dowel hole first, you can be sure it will line up.

After the lid it off, use the fostner bit to drill out the center about an inch down. Replace the lid and then gently tap the dowel in to place. Cut the dowel off flush and sand the top.

Step 12:

For the plush ring holder inside it used an old t shirt and cotton balls. I cut out a piece and glued it around the cotton ball. Then squeezed both of them into the center hole. Spray the whole thing with poly and it looks great!

Step 13:

The end result is something beautiful for the love of my life. It is a easy project that looks like you spent a ton of time on it. Simple and elegant that will last a long time. Thanks for sharing my first instructable with me, I can't wait for my next one!

Step 14: