Forging a Wedding Ring from 114 Year Old Wrought Iron

Roy is forging a wedding ring from 114 year old wrought iron. This authentic wrought iron was salvaged from a bridge originally built in 1906.
Although this is not a "how to forge a ring by hand" in the sense that it is not an instructional, all of the stages are shown in forging a ring. Blacksmith ring making is a process that happens occasionally in the Christ Centered Ironworks shop.
Looking to have a handmade wedding ring custom made for you? You can see our listing for this ring at www.christcent....
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[@chrisg7996]

I'm proud to say that ring is on my hand. My lovely wife surprised me with it, knowing I've been following Roy for a couple years on my own journey as a beginning smith. Thanks again Roy, great work and great video. -Chris Gross, Stackpole Forge.

[@christophercarroll1977]

Cool!

[@SculptyWorks]

Beautiful ring! ❤

[@davidamos4847]

You are an artist. Great work! Blessings to you and yours.

[@RRINTHESHOP]

Nice job Roy.

[@hannemannironworks1651]

Looks great Roy good Job!!!!

[@theds2003]

Really nice job looks great

[@brysonalden5414]

Flawless, and of course the best thing is that no Fluxes were harmed during the making of this video!

[@billygildark4565]

I’m sorry but I don’t understand why you twisted it in the beginning?

[@stanervin6108]

I'm not sure, but I would guess it was done to strengthen the grain structure for the upsetting step later. Wrought iron has a grain structure similar to wood, almost always aligned lengthwise. It would have a tendency to split when struck on the end. What twisting does is give the piece a spiral grain, which tends to be much stronger. Am I close, Roy?

[@robertwhitney2232]

I am going to take a guess. It has something to do with changing the grain structure from longitudinal to radial, less chance of cracking. I know enough about Wrought Iron to make JUNK!!!

[@billygildark4565]

I was thinking something along the lines of grain structure but I’ve never worked with real wrought and know nothing of how it works... Wouldn’t twisting it out of welding heat cause more stress fractures/splits?

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Hit the nail on the head! :-)

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Billy It is so you don't split the grain when upsetting the wrought... Think about wrought iron like wood. good straight grain ash splits easy and curly maple doesn't . great question and thanks for asking

[@NeilGraham.I.M.F]

From the skill all the way through to the ingenuity, beautiful work as always Roy

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Thank you sir !

[@JulietteRomeo]

How does someone interested in blacksmithing get started?

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

A beginner class is a good way to try it and see if you like it.

[@therandomcrazygamer]

Nice ring, ive been thinking about making one myself recently out of a nickel steel and a manganese to get a nice contrast on an etch, i was wondering what you would recommend to protect the ring as the manganese steel is quite liable to rust and discolouration i was thinking about coating it in a thin layer of epoxy, any better ideas?

[@jamesbrandon8520]

Heck yeah Roy thanks for the idea I have some 3/4” wrought iron from the 1880’s and I lost my wedding band last year, how long and how hot on the etch? And what did you make the final OD? Just wondering if I’m going to have to upset the iron like you did

[@alexlovelace9304]

Hello Roy I was trying to forge weld three pieces of steel today and I grinded all the rust and scale off and got it up to a bright yellow heat and flux but it didn't tack or anything any pointers on what I did wrong also great video always enjoy a great craftsmen at work

[@klkkylekin5948]

If u put two pieces in the fire u can fell them get sticky when u touch them together then u know ur at welding heat hope this helps

[@alexlovelace9304]

Okay I'll try that and see first I have to go back and grind them off again we're I used flux

[@theranger2185]

What solution did you use for the last bath?

[@billwoehl3051]

You're already married, so, who's the ring for? And shouldn't it be a matching set?

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

A customer. She only requested the band for her husband.

[@grandadz_forge]

Interesting

[@samuelflook2066]

What is the solution that darkened the metal?

[@bortgov8624]

Cleaning vinegar, you can also use ferric chloride or even orange juice to etch metal.

[@samuelflook2066]

Bor Tgov cool; thank you!

[@rekusloth3979]

My dumbass would grab it while its red hot to adjust it

[@crazybill49]

Cool piece of work but would it have killed you to talk a little bit? A little explanation would have cleared up a lot of questions. I value what you have to say as much as I value what you have to show.

[@yourmom.2743]

This guy really likes green duct tape

[@robarcher3892]

Occasionally he will take his tools and do a demo somewhere like a hammer in. The tape he uses shows up pretty well so that he knows where all his tools are.

[@PablosProjects]

Beautiful work my friend, thanks for the video!

[@erniebeswick7675]

Didn't think you could twist wrought iron

[@klkkylekin5948]

Why couldn't you

[@techronmattic5876]

Cool Ring, I've made a few coin rings they are a lot of fun attempted one from silver once but had too much fatiguing in the metal and it cracked

[@DeepSouthForge]

Amazing work as always Roy. I made a wrought iron wedding band for myself a while back. I forge welded two pieces of 1/2 bar stock that were pickets off of some iron railings that come out of New Orleans. I drifted a hole a little smaller than my finger then done a 24 hour etch in copper sulfate. I then sanded it to take the rough edges off of the inside. Anyways, Keep up the good work and I look forward to your future videos.

[@thedestroyer9512]

Awesome video man! You did a great job.

[@smokeyforge9498]

Fantastic work, it came out beautifully.

[@whiskey7959]

Will it rust?

[@nilshaas8434]

first

[@Pivotalhope]

3:43 Brother when you're cutting the iron, why sparks ain't appearing???🤯

[@yaboiranger5465]

Cool idea, i have some wrought iron too and iv been wondering what to do with it.

[@flyingfool5215]

I can just smell the vinegar vapor

[@blipzero]

hells yah ...... "HELLS YAH !"

[@manga12]

is that an old crockpot you put the blank and vineger into, and this is one way to do it but usually something is drawn out on a roller to make a ring and then the end welded at least that is how I saw jewelers make rings or they cast them from a wax mold.

[@jamesbrandon8520]

Roy I made one like yours but I used the twist pattern from the first step as the accent and etched in ferric chloride it came out nice but I wish I could get a better gloss on it, I used renaissance wax on it and a buffing wheel but only got a very low gloss to the highs but still very interesting ring. I was wondering why you twisted it if you planned on stippling it seems like a waste of time? Great video though and keep up the great work and keep on inspiring me thank you

[@blipzero]

now this is how you really make a ring .

[@deathsromath]

Why even use wrought if you’re going to cover it in hammer marks? Might as well be mild steel.

[@thebreadpeddler6879]

Cole Aurichio Because a mild steel ring sounds kinda lame

[@billygildark4565]

It could be made of modern mild or any steel/alloy.... but your missing the point Sir, blacksmiths reduce, reuse, recycle. That wrought was made by a blacksmith 114 years ago for some purpose that was needed. Who knows when it was smelted? Maybe a 114 years ago that smith took and reused another smiths 100 year old work??? That’s why it’s interesting Cheers sir!

[@MrPinkfarts]

Did you make that ring mandrel as well. Very cool project.

[@ChristCenteredIronworks]

Sure did. Stamping the mandrel is how I busted my thumb.