Slimliners
Our Slim Line Bentwood rings.
Our "Slimliners" as we call them is a quest for the limits. How thin a bentwood ring can go but maintain a structural strength? The quest started for the need for very delicate bentwood rings, in order to built some designs for women's rings. We created and tested, and our Slimliners made it to the shop. Maximum thickness must be less than 2 mm, without limitations on the width, but wish to keep the design narrow, below 6 mm. The most important criteria though is to make a visually slim piece.
Slim-liner with infill? Can it be done?
Yes. The ring on this picture is the - 1,43 mm wide - example. Mahogany core with crushed Lapis infill. The ring is much stronger than someone might thing. With proper treatment it will never break.
Building the Slim-lines is an even slower and more delicate process than a typical bentwood ring. Great accuracy is necessary, not only for being exact to the design, but also because we are reaching the limits. No mistakes are allowed, a slight slip of the cutter will destroy the blank, and every step must be completed with the maximum of care.
Do you somehow reinforce them?
Yes and no. It totally depends on the design, and if the support is a visual element of the ring. Usually for supports we build silver rings , but according to the design - or your wish- we can use also other materials.
The ring on the picture is made from a 0.7 mm silver sheet, while the wood on top is turned to 0.9 mm, resulting in a 1.6 mm thickness. The outcome is a very discreet ring, not so common in the bentwood-making world.