Snakeskin Micarta Ring

After the traumatization of his last project, it was surprising that Peter was interested in tackling another snake based project so soon. It was unclear if his cold blooded viewers were eager to see if snake micarta was possible or just to see his skin crawl. Either way, Peter was keen on finding out.

Equipped with some Deep Pour Epoxy from MAS and a plethora of new turning accessories from Rockler, it was time to get to work. Peter has many projects where he hand made rings out of various materials over the years.

This time he set about using ring kits that can make the process a bit smoother. Literally. These precisely machined rings provided an easy way to focus on the look and style of the ring while not having to worry about sizes or comfort. 

First, Peter cut the skin into manageable squares that easily fit into a cube shaped silicone mold.

Next, he began measuring out the resin. This particular resin already has a pretty long working time, but it is contingent on a myriad of factors including temperature, humidity and even the size of the mixing vessel. After a resin is thoroughly combined, the smaller the vessel it sits in, the faster it cures, so Peter poured it out into a very wide bowl to further maximize his working time.

After a quick dunk in resin, layer upon layer was placed within this mold until it produced a sizable stack of serpent skin. 

In order to keep the stack compressed while curing, Peter placed a slightly smaller silicone mold within the original then filled it with colorful aquarium rocks as weight. When operating in a workshop in a shed, garage or basement, it can be beneficial to inject some fun and color into an otherwise drab environment. 

While letting that resin fully cure, Peter took that time to see if he could make a simpler ring with a different style of ring kit from Rockler.  It was time to wax poetic with a Kindergarteners EDC item.

The humble crayon! By layering in melted crayon of various colors, Peter was able to fashion a bit of fashion for himself. 

After finishing up the Crayola Ring with a parting tool and bit of resin, it was done.

This bonus little project within a project was a great demonstration of scale in terms of time invested, tools available and the end result. It can be so easy to get caught up in all of the complex projects that dragon and on and lose sight of the simple victories that can be just as rewarding.

Once the block of micarta was freed from the mold, it was time to mount it on the lathe and get to work. Peter utilized various Rockler Reptile N’ Resin™ turning tools to gradually whittle away material until it was too delicate to continue. The current state of the project left a lot to be desired but Peter pressed on.

Various smaller tools and sandpaper was then used to coax the ring into its final form.

Careful polishing transformed the once hideous monstrosity into what shall be known henceforth as….

The SlitheRing.

Praise it’s serpenty goodness!