The finished wedding ring

well, here is the finished ring after acid etching.

i set out to make a ring that is unique to me, something rare and precious. not so much because of the element that it is made from but through the process by which it is made.

making pattern welded titanium is a relatively new process and one that is full of difficulties. a layer of oxides form on the surface and that makes it hard to weld, the same oxides also make etching difficult. the exact pattern is unpredictable and no two pieces are the same.

i am satisfied that i have achieved what i set out to do, this ring is singular, there really isn't another one quite like it. in fact having done quite a lot of research on the subject, it is likely to be the only Pattern Welded Titanium wedding ring in the world.

How to make your own wedding ring part 1

Because of the significance of a wedding band, I wanted a ring that was both special and unique to me. I decided that the best way forward would be to make my own. In that way, through choice of material and the labour of making i would have a ring that is not only unique to me but also reminds me of the journey to get here and bond that it symbolises.

So for those interested, here is how i did it.

The Material

I make my living by working with my hands so I wanted a metal that was both tough and durable. I chose pattern welded (also know as Damascus) Titanium because of it's toughness, weight, appearance and the process through which it is made. This very special material is only produced by a handful of craftsmen around the world and has a pattern like wood grain. The pattern is produced by welding different alloys of titanium together and then twisting the welded bar. the patterns are largely random and no two pieces are alike. I contacted Richard Furrer from Door County Forgeworks in Wisconsin. 

Along with Damascus titanium Ric also makes beautiful Knives, Swords, Axes and Tools from his own hand made Damascus Steel. have a look at his work here:
http://doorcountyforgeworks.com/Available_Work.html

this is my piece of Titanium, milled square and ready to go. More to follow...