![The process of making two copper wedding rings with a wooden inlay.](http://ashdownwood.com/cdn/shop/articles/CAM13837.jpg?v=1706710264&width=1100)
The process of making two copper wedding rings with a wooden inlay.
To start of with I had a 25mm diameter copper rod, the first thing to do is make the internal diameter the right size using a metal working lathe. Once this is done I reduced the outside diameter so that the wall thickness of the ring is 1.5mm. Next I cut a groove into the centre of the outside of the ring approximately 0.75mm deep, this is where the wooden inlay is going to sit. Now I head over to the woodworking lathe and make a cylinder of wood around 30mm diameter, now I have to drill a hole that is the same diameter as the outside of the bottom of the groove on the ring. once this is done I will very carefully make a cut in the wood, now comes the tricky part, very carefully I open the wood up to be able to fit it into the groove on the ring. I glue it in place with a two part CA glue which cures very quickly. Now I can file the wood down by hand until its the same height as the copper, and then there is a lot of sanding a polishing to do to make it all nice and shiny. The final stage is painting a clear liquid over the entire ring which will protect it from tarnishing and it also stops the copper reacting with your skin and turning you green.