How I make Wedding Ring Boxes

[RockyAussie]

 

This is my first production run on these wedding ring boxes so for future reference I am a taking a heap of pictures as I go.

Due to a few rush jobs I have now only one week to get a minimum of 44 of these done. Many are pre sold and I don't think they

will be happy if they don't arrive for their wedding. . Details may get a little sketchy as I go.Just ask if you're interested.

These show the first prototypes I made

This picture shows the cups I designed being printed on a second hand $400 au printer I bought.

Here are the tools I printed to help me form the leather to the cups.

Actually they come apart to look more like this picture. The large one at the back left is a sander to clean up any roughness inside and outside the cups.

Placing the sandpaper part into the cup and spining to remove roughness.

Same thing for the cup outside. After this step the cups should all be ready for gluing up.

Next step is cutting the leather parts and splitting them to the correct thickness.

[RockyAussie]

Following are a few more of the steps I've done today.

Shows a few of the parts cut and ready for splitting.

Here I am splitting the leather to about .6mm. these pieces will be used where the cups come together in the middle. I did it this way as I did not want any joins at that part.

Here I have elected to use spray glue to save time. They could be done after the next stage of cutting but I found it a bit fiddly to hold and glue.

At this stage when they have tacked off well they are ready to have their second cut.

This picture shows how I have used a clicker press to do the cutting.

 

[CazaLopez]

Yes! Keep the pics coming 

[verus22]

Those are beautiful!  I think I need to invest in a 3D printer for some of the ideas I have... :D

Edited September 10, 2017 by verus22

[RockyAussie]

7 hours ago, CazaLopez said:

Yes! Keep the pics coming 

Will do.Time to see some more of yours I reckon.

 

7 hours ago, verus22 said:

Those are beautiful!  I think I need to invest in a 3D printer for some of the ideas I have... :D

I can only say I wish I had this technology around 20 or more years back. The ease that so many different projects can be brought to real life is truly amazing.

Following are a few more pictures for today. Picture below shows gluing the inside and outer side of the cups.

This should be a good amount pre glued to start putting together.

First I locate the leather into the 1st folding jig

This ring jig helps to position the cup into position exactly

Cup into position and ready to push down

Above shows after pushed in and ring jig removed

Here I am pushing the ring cup completely through the ring jig to tighten the outer edge.

Note the inner leather is still loose and now goes down onto the next jig

This is a very firm fit

Here I use a holding tool and spin the inner jig out. This creates pressure and heat and helps the contact glue to stick well. (and it does)

Presto more to come

[bikermutt07]

This is awesome.

[motocouture]

+1 to that

[Stetson912]

Didn't quite follow that at first but I got it now. For some reason I thought the cup itself was part of the jig haha. Silly me. Is it just a glue down construction?

[RockyAussie]

6 hours ago, bikermutt07 said:

This is awesome.

Thanks but I wont say that until i finish them. Couple of hick ups today.

 

6 hours ago, Stetson912 said:

Didn't quite follow that at first but I got it now. For some reason I thought the cup itself was part of the jig haha. Silly me. Is it just a glue down construction?

Yes they are all glued down construction and as I found today very well glued down construction. You have to rip the leather to get it off. I did one to many tops which meant I had one base short. I started with too many but then more orders caught me out.

Here is today effort and trials.

This shows all of one colour with the top+ bottoms done in the middle

This next step shows the top with foam attached

Only need to contact glue the tops here

All attached in about 5 minutes. Now to prepare the leather for tops and bottoms.

both top and bottoms split to 1.1ish mm

I decided to split the side strips while I'm at it to .8mm

The next step is skiving. I decided .5mm at edge tapering in about 13mm

A roller helps a lot on this soft leather

I've done one of the other colour to show you the skive better. More to come

[RockyAussie]

At this stage I decided to test a couple and make sure it works alright. Better than making 88 wrong and find out.

Glued up and ready to attach

Leather fits in Ok

Guiding ring placed

Cup pushed in but was very tight

Took way too long to get guiding ring out and off.

Note that the soft leather has crept up over the ring in the middle. This is a problem.

I quickly redrew the guiding rind to be .5mm larger in the hole size. I set it printing next as it will take about 45minutes to complete.

While this was printing I all the top and bottom skiving.

Pre glued the tops and sides

Spray glued the leather tops

The new ring worked good and I got the tops and bottoms done in around 90 minutes I think except where I got my counting wrong.

As you see the contact works awfully well on this PLA stuff. More tomorrow

Edited September 11, 2017 by RockyAussie
The text went out of order

[motocouture]

Thanks for the pics! They remind me of macaroons. 

[Matt S]

Not sure if this is genius or witchcraft. Either way the results are beautiful.

[Bob Blea]

Thanks for posting, this is great to see.

[RockyAussie]

On 12/09/2017 at 11:34 AM, motocouture said:

Thanks for the pics! They remind me of macaroons. 

Your welcome, I had to look up Macaroons and they do look similar but I think they would taste much better. Certain aisles I am not allowed in on the rare occasion I go shopping with the missus.

 

22 hours ago, Matt S said:

Not sure if this is genius or witchcraft. Either way the results are beautiful.

If only I could just wiggle my nose and there they be I would be so happy. As for genius my wife is still laughing and I do gotta admit I should have done a couple of more samples before starting this run. I agreed to do a rush one for today for a wedding this weekend. NOT GENIUS. I got it done alright as promised but found I had to come up with another tool to expedite the velvet application to the foam process. That is the pictures I will load next.

 

14 hours ago, Bob Blea said:

Thanks for posting, this is great to see.

Thank you Bob. I think I will have to tidy this post up a bit and redo it. I might think about doing a video on one if a few people think so as well.

The following 9 pictures are limited to how I do the velvet and foam parts.

This above shows a knife that I had made for doing the cutting of the foam. This could be done with just a hole punch and cutting through with a knife later as I did on my prototypes.

Note here in the close up I used two foams that I glued together and then covered with this white fabric. This was necessary to get the right depth and the fabric is because the green shade of the foam showed through on some lighter coloured velvets.

This picture shows the velvets pre cut now and the cardboard rings to hold the foam in shape in the bucket behind.

This shows a few of the stages of the foam being attached to the fabric. Just a thin glue line in the middle as yet.

Here are some now glued and pressed into shape. The three on the left are contact glued and drying off ready to get to the next stage

This one shows the new ring I did that helps the pressing into shape.

As you see when it presses down it nicely contains and shapes the velvet.

That's this part finished ready to be inserted later as seen in the following box I did today.

Yes it had to be monogrammed as well. More on Friday. Brian

 

[SonderingSusan]

wow, they looks so so good. thanks for sharing !

[Bob Blea]

I'm always amazed by the level of craftsmanship and detail that goes into making something like this. It is just fascinating!

[plinkercases]

I get as much of a kick out of the tools and jigs and creations than the end products! even when I am making things myself. Like living in an episode of "How it's Made".. I love process engineering.

[JD62]

                                                

[arz]

Very nicely done. Your skill with fabrication always amazes me! -Adam

[NCArcher]

Would love to see a video of the whole process Brian. I'm sure plenty of others would as well

[Stetson912]

I second that. Looks like a mesmerizing process

[motocouture]

22 hours ago, Stetson912 said:

I second that. Looks like a mesmerizing process

Third vote on that!!

[DJole]

Keep the pix coming! this is great!

[LumpenDoodle2]

While a lot of the 3D printer world are printing out Star Wars ships, and vases, you are using the 3D printer as a proper tool.

As a mere amateur in the 3D printing world (I print out basic forms, guns, and bullets, amongst other stuff), you are right in there getting on with it. 

[Fire88]

Very nicely done, having the tech sure makes that look pretty quick.