Wedding Ring

[Ron Solfest]

I've been fortunate to wear a gold wedding ring for nearly 36 years. I do everything with it, and once in a while stop and question if I should remove it for safety when working with my hands but never really have and I've never had a resulting problem. With that said, I know it's recommended to remove rings sometimes. A few weeks ago I saw an RV video where someone's ring got caught and made a clean bread of the finger...after surgery and lots of pain it's expected he'll heal. It seems I see something similar every year or so, and think about it while turning about as often.

Long story short, I spent $15 on Amazon and they sent me a pack of 7 silicone rings. They don't look as nice as my gold wedding band but after a couple weeks wearing it I think my gold band will stay in my wife's jewelry box and I'll just wear a rubber band on my finger from here out. Doesn't look too bad, and it's one less opportunity to hurt myself as I get older (kind of like getting my SawStop, or wearing a bike helmet).

 

[Nathan Roper]

I bought one of those silicon rings and can't stand it. I wish my wedding ring still fit but it's about a half size too small. It's also tungsten so it's not like it can be resized.

 

[Dean Center]

It takes a lot of force directed in exactly the right direction to deglove a finger. The RV people are conscious of it because there have been at least a couple of cases where someone opened the door to their RV with their left hand and jumped down to the ground, leaving the finger skin and the ring hanging from some protruding part of the door. During normal life for most of us, the exactly right circumstances are unlikely to occur. As I understand it, the silicon ring is intended for the active parts of our life, and you're expected to put on the real deal for date night, church, family gatherings, and so on, unless you're a Holy Roller or your family gathers for sky diving.

And Nathan, I hate tungsten rings. There's just no way to get them off when somebody injures their finger and the ring is acting like a tourniquet and threatening the viability of the finger. Gold can be cut off with a Harbor Freight quality, simple device in about 2 minutes.

 

[hockenbery]

takes a lot of force directed in exactly the right direction to deglove a finger.

I was wearing my few days old high school ring while playing touch football in physEd.
The ring caught in the grass and peeled the palm side skin off the first part of my finger.
Just a giant ouch. Never wore a ring again for any sports or around machinery.

Worked a couple summers in aluminum factories - no jewelry allowed on the floor.

 

[Nathan Roper]

When I was married I was working manual labor and then did law enforcement for a spell. The idea that tungsten wouldn't pick up the dings and dents or whatever else would damage it was intriguing despite all the warnings that people gave.

The ring looks the same as it did on my wedding day in 2007. I really wish it still fit.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

's just no way to get them off when somebody injures their finger and the ring is acting like a tourniquet and threatening the viability of the finger. Gold can be cut off with a Harbor Freight quality, simple device in about 2 minutes.

Not quite so

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJHUAwEx1bY

 

[Dean Center]

Not quite so

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJHUAwEx1bY

Been there, done that, many times. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. If memory serves, the hardest part is getting the ribbon/string/dental floss underneath the ring when the finger is swollen or chewed up. No problem on a normal finger. We used 'dental tape' which is like wide, unwaxed dental floss.

If you're going to try this some day:
A. Use twice as long a material as you think you'll need
B. Hold the finger up overhead for 5 minutes, then slowly wrap the ribbon/string/floss from near tip back towards the palm, with laps right next to each other (unlike in Gerald's video image) to 'squeeze' the finger smaller, prior to tucking.
C. A little lubricant under the ring helps, but try not to get in on the ribbon/string/floss

 

[Brian Gustin]

What Dean said. I can just imagine trying to do that to a broken finger all swelled up. Patient would likely pass out from pain if not having to be knocked out for the procedure..

I quit wearing wedding ring after I got a very nasty burn from holding a wrench while tightening a + battery terminal on a car battery and the ring touched grounded metal... and that was some time after having it nearly pinch a finger off when I was holding a wrench in one hand and impact wrench in other to loosen a rusted bolt - impact wrench jammed the box wrench hand between car frame and wrench, smashing the ring oval. I had to get it back to some semblance of round with a pair of pliers to get it off... But after that nasty burn I decided no more jewelry, period. To this day I don't even wear a watch, much less any rings, necklaces, bracelets, etc. (No reason for a ring anyway now, got divorced way back in 2000)

 

[Mark Jundanian]

My wedding ring lives on my key ring.

 

[Doug Freeman]

I only wear any ring when “going out”, ie kinda dress up. In younger days I caught rings palm side and a few things, and luckily only got minor scrape injuries. Decided early on any ring, even a wedding ring, is for show not go. I “go”, work on many things with my hands, constantly. Its unsafe to work on things with rings on.

 

[Michael Anderson]

Chiming in here. I haven’t worn my wedding ring for a while. When I did a lot of rock climbing, I would take it off frequently. And I climbed A LOT, so it was off more than on. I usually kept it in my wallet, but would put it on occasionally. One day I had it on while mowing the lawn. It fell off bc I was sweating and moving my hands, and I heard a clanging. Rand over it with the mower! Miraculously i was able to find the pieces (only three pieces) and it’s now sitting in a box. One day I will have it repaired and will likely wear it in a necklace. But, I never really cared for wearing it on my fingers.

That said, I did have a silicon ring for a while. I got used to it, but it eventually wore out and never replaced it.

 

[Jeff Hamby]

I have been married for almost 40 years and never took off my band until a couple of years ago I hung it working in the shop. Luckly no major damage...
I bought some silicon rings and have been wearing them ever since. Not crazy about them but I would rather keep my digits.

 

[Dean Center]

Chiming in here. I haven’t worn my wedding ring for a while. When I did a lot of rock climbing, I would take it off frequently. And I climbed A LOT, so it was off more than on. I usually kept it in my wallet, but would put it on occasionally. One day I had it on while mowing the lawn. It fell off bc I was sweating and moving my hands, and I heard a clanging. Rand over it with the mower! Miraculously i was able to find the pieces (only three pieces) and it’s now sitting in a box. One day I will have it repaired and will likely wear it in a necklace. But, I never really cared for wearing it on my fingers.

That said, I did have a silicon ring for a while. I got used to it, but it eventually wore out and never replaced it.

Careful, Michael, you may be on thin ice. You should set your observational radar on "high alert" to make sure that the key person in your life is OK with this development.

 

[Michael Anderson]

Good looking out Dean. If you ask my wife about the wedding ring situation, she would say that it’s very much in character for me. That was a couple of years ago. She gets my reasoning for going the necklace route—just have to (eventually) have it pieced back together.

 

[Karl Loeblein]

If you insist on wearing a wedding ring while working with your hands then turn a wooden only ring that can be easily broken off if caught or finger is swollen.

 

[Alan Weinberg]

Been there, done that, many times. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. If memory serves, the hardest part is getting the ribbon/string/dental floss underneath the ring when the finger is swollen or chewed up. No problem on a normal finger. We used 'dental tape' which is like wide, unwaxed dental floss.

If you're going to try this some day:
A. Use twice as long a material as you think you'll need
B. Hold the finger up overhead for 5 minutes, then slowly wrap the ribbon/string/floss from near tip back towards the palm, with laps right next to each other (unlike in Gerald's video image) to 'squeeze' the finger smaller, prior to tucking.
C. A little lubricant under the ring helps, but try not to get in on the ribbon/string/floss

As a urologist, I’ve got a bunch of stories about removing rings as well as circular bearings but not from fingers . . .

 

[Darryl Fective]

A few months before we were married, the son of our excavation contractor was dumping a load of tree stumps. They got tangled and wouldn't slide out, so he lowered the box and climbed in to free them. As he jumped down, his ring somehow got caught up high on the truck box...

On our honeymoon in Switzerlnd, we saw a limited edition pocket watch celebrating 800 years of Swiss independence, so I got a watch instead of a ring.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Back in the 60s my dad had a guy delivering lumber to a customer. As he drove out of the customer's yard, he tapped the top of a metal post with his left hand, just goofing around. His ring caught and ripped his finger off.

 

[Russell Nugent]

I haven't worn my wedding ring regularly in probably 20 years. My wife doesn't either. Between jobs and home tasks hobbies it's just not practical

 

[Wally Crawford]

Happily married for 56 years, but my wedding ring stays in a small box I turned for it. Something about the way I hold a bowl gouge makes the wring catch on the flute at times and I just took it off before I took my finger off. My wife is OK with it, but I have thought about a silicone ring. It's not like anybody is going to be hitting on me at this age, or I on anybody for that matter.

 

[John Walls]

Caught mine on equipment working on aircraft shortly after getting married in '82. Finally got it off, took a bit as it was now out of shape, then never put one on again. Got it straightened out and wife put it in her jewelry box. I do a lot of wood working as well as mechanical working on cars/trucks/tractors and various equipment. I don't think I will ever wear one again, well, she may put it on me if she does an open casket some day. She understands why I refuse to wear one. She has rarely removed her's. Her choice.

 

[GRJensen]

Mine stays in a valet box in the bedroom ... except for 'ceremonial' occasions! I quit wearing rings, watches, bracelets, etc. years ago.

 

[Sarah S Elkind]

I take my ring off for turning. But a friend of mine who’s a climber and back-country medic has the coolest solution to the dangers of wearing a ring that I’ve seen: he tattooed a ring on his left ring finger. Alway on and never in the way.

 

[Ron Solfest]

Haven’t looked at this thread in a while and just thought I’d update my situation (I’ve posted most of this elsewhere but don’t recall where). I have decided I like my finger enough not to risk it with a metal band though.

I wore the silicone ring for many months and then decided to turn a wooden on. They are very easy to turn and don’t take long, you can turn several in a couple hours. The tough part I’ve found is a good finish. I wear these 24/7 including showering, washing hands, and even a few time dealing with greasy mechanical things (try to remember to take off but don’t frequently).

I’ve turned a dozen or more in the last ~year, all out of white oak end grain (spindle orientation).

The first couple were a little thin and I tried using just poly finish; these each lasted a few weeks. Since then I’ve settled on ~100mil thickness, and ~300mil width.

Next I tried epoxy finish. This provided some structural support as well but application is problematic. The first one I wore for a month or two but the end grain started to get discolored, from moisture I’m sure. My application technique involved applying the epoxy while spinning ~100rpm on the lathe, this caused the epoxy on the end grain to be centrifically been thinned.

Next was epoxy but spinning with a small ~20rpm motor, this didn’t thin the end grain epoxy. I wore this ring for several months but wanted a better, prettier finish. I think this method still has hope but I’ve moved on for now, maybe I’ll loop back but my application technique will need to improve.

Next was CA. First CA ring lasted a month or so until there started to be some delaminating where subsequent coats had been applied.

Current instantiation is to use CA applied on the lathe like for pens, but I make sure that each coat goes on continuous from underside of one side, across end grain, across top, across end grain on other side and into inside on the other side. My technique does still leave a small coating discontinuity on the inside of the ring, but the ring continues to look nice after a month or more use so far

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Am I correct you are turning end grain? Any problem with splitting?

 

[Ron Solfest]

@Gerald Lawrence - I start with a ~1.5” square piece ~6-8” long, mounted for spindle turning. Round it, put a tenon on one end then mount it in my 4-jaw chuck and cut the ring on the free end using mostly a detail gouge when down to final cuts.

At this point the ring is finished on both edges, across the top, hollowed out ~1/2-3/4 of way through to final dimension, and undercut on the proximal side nearly a quarter of the way (cut cylinder back ~1” or so for clearance to allow me to hollow drive side). I final sand ~320 and have all of the ring completed except ~1/32-1/16 in the ~middle inside of the ring.

At this point I can apply several coats of CA, then finish hollowing out from tailstock end to release the ring. Now make a jamb chuck on the remaining cylinder with a shoulder that holds -1/16-3/32” into the ring. Push the mostly finished part onto the chuck and finish sand the ~1/16” unfinished area inside the ring and then CA this a few times (make sure to put wax on jamb so it releases).

Then I polish the CA with the 2” square pads all the way up (12,000grit?)

Sorry for the process instead of answering your question, I got started down this path before I understood what you were asking and just kept going…I think it took longer typing it out with one finger on my iPhone than it actually takes to make a ring 🤣

If you’ve waded through all of that, the answer to what I think you really were asking is that the initial rings that were ~80mil thick and ~250mil wide and finished only with poly did split after 3-4weeks wearing 24/7. The thicker epoxy ones held up well and didn’t split through a few months but had other issues mentioned above. Not sure if CA adds as much strength as epoxy. I’d like to go from them lasting weeks-months wearing 24/7 to years…ask me again in 6months

 

[Mark Hancock]

I always remove my rings and my watch before turning after a friend lost his entire ring finger in an accident.

 

[hughie]

for me so far so good. I havent had an issue in 40 odd years

 

[robo hippy]

Well, I think I was in 8th grade, and bought an initial ring, which was a cool thing to do back then. I took a bit of a fall off of a brick wall, and got my fingers and the ring on the top of the wall. No real damage, other than the bent ring. My dad told me to make a cut in the bottom of the ring so if it ever caught again, the ring would come off, but the finger wouldn't.

robo hippy

 

[David Propst]

Not quite so

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJHUAwEx1bY

I’m an urgent care nurse practitioner. I used this trick successfully several times. I use the elastic off an N95 mask.
I’ve also cut off many rings with a ring cutter.

Titanium rings are just stupid. Not worth it to lose a finger. A couple of years ago I ruined three ring cutter blades trying to remove one from a mangled finger. I finally got through it thankfully, because I had no more blades.

I only wear a silicone ring. Enso makes some nice etched design ones.

 

[Mark Fairchild]

Just a faint scar after 46 years. Working heavy construction at the time. Luckily, I never wore rings. Newly married. Caught the ring finger of my right hand in the bull gear of a crane. Tore the bottom skin and pealed it up to the first knuckle. Lucky for me it all went back together. My wife never griped again about me not wearing my wedding ring.

 

[Larry Crouch]

My wedding ring lives on my key ring.

Same here, all the time.

 

[Matt Honsinger]

I’m new to the forum, so don’t have much to add most places but I can add something potentially useful here, as I spent 9 years working as an EMT. Ring related injuries were not uncommon, and the advice around not wearing one in a shop around any power tools is sound. From hand drills to table saws, I saw lots of injuries made far, far worse from wearing a (usually gold) ring. Gold is heavy and malleable, and as such makes really nasty sharpnel.

I wanted to just add a bit about tungsten rings - besides silicone (which I wear), tungsten would be my second choice, especially if I wanted a metal ring. Tungsten rings were the absolute easiest to remove of any metal ring - tungsten carbide is brittle, so a pair of vice grips and careful pressure pops the ring into several pieces, with no injury to the wearer, in a matter of seconds. Some ERs have dedicated tools just for popping tungsten rings.

And to echo what David said: titanium rings are an absolute nightmare to remove in the event of an injury. If you have one, consider switching to anything else. Same goes for Damascus steel rings.

 

[Lou Currier]

I recently had a mishap at the lathe...was turning the bottom of a large bowl when the tailstock live center dislodged. Common sense would have been to hit the emergency stop button, but human reaction said grab the bowl! Needless to say, this reaction caused my hand to become lodged between the out-of-control bowl and the tool rest. I was wearing my wedding ring, which was solid stainless steel. It used to be round but now it is oval. If it weren't for the ring, I probably would have broken the finger or even worse. It was difficult to remove due to the shape and swelling but it did come off. If it were made of a softer metal, it probably would have been an even worse day.

Don't know if I will wear a ring while turning again but can't forget how it potentially saved the finger. Painful lesson but a learning moment.