Frame Miter - The
simplest ring type. Choose the number of sides and every segment is cut
with the same miter angle. Segments may be filled with solid colors,
pictures, or mosaics that represent the kinds of woods/segments you
intend to use.
Frame Miter with
Vertical Spacers - A very simple augmentation.
Fixed thickness spacers are placed between segments. As long as the
spacers are equally spaced around the ring, the miter angle doesn't
change and the program adjusts the segment sizes to compensate for the
added spacers so the ring diameter remains constant. With a 12-sided
ring, for example, you can have 3, 4, 6, or 12 spacers. Spacer
thickness can be very thin as with veneers or very thick as shown
above. The spacers
may be filled with solid colors, pictures or mosaics, just as
with segments.
Open Segment - Open
segments are really vertical spacers made of Air.
Again, there is no change in miter angle when they are evenly spaced
around a ring. For this 12-sided ring you could have 3, 4, 6, or 12 Air
gaps. You can print a template for any ring and use it to
help you assemble such a ring.
Compound Miter/Stave
- Sloped walls make the difference here. Just as for a Frame Miter
ring, you can have Open Segments or Vertical Spacers included in such a
ring and the segments as well as the spacers may be filled with solid
colors, images, or mosaics. The grain may be run vertical as in stave
construction or it may run around the ring, just as for a frame miter
ring.
Ring Master -
Although specifically included in the program to support rings made
with the Ring Master, this type of ring can also be made using a tilted
table on a band saw. Get the incline angle right for each layer and you
can make a vessel that requires only sanding after the glue-up to
complete it. This is a very efficient construction method and the
program provides help in getting the maximum number of rings out of the
fewest pieces of stock. Of course there's nothing keeping you from
mixing these rings with any of the other types within a project.
