Engagement Ring Box
May, 2023
This was a high pressure project - failure was not an option.
But it was also a fun one. From the design, to the manufacturing, to the proposal itself (she said "yes")! It was really important to me to come up with something unique for this important moment in our lives. The custom sapphire ring needed a truly one of a kind box to pair with it. After going through all of that time and money on an amazing ring, you can't just slap it into any ordinary $20 box - that would be lame. Check out the full proposal story!
I want to give a big thank you and shout out to friend and fellow engineer Ronen Sarig for providing design review feedback as well as manufacturing support from his shop.
Technical Details
Woods Used: Desert Iron Wood
Other Materials: Brass locking mechanism and leather ring holder
Box Size: 2x2x2in cube
Finish: 2000grit followed by finishing wax
Project Challenges and Lessons Learned:
This project was difficult right from the beginning. I struggled to lock in a design I was satisfied with. I scoured the internet for inspiration and came up with boxes that fell into two main categories: (1) the DIY YouTube box made of walnut with magnets inside the lid to hold it in place and (2) the crazy over the top engineered boxes. I thought I could do better than (1) and to be perfectly honest I felt like if I went down the rabbit hole of (2) I would be making the box for myself rather than her. I wanted something unique but simple and elegant. Ultimately I was happy with the design, but it took some design review and iteration to get right.
While this box is by no means super complicated, you have to really think about mechanical stack up and tolerances with moving parts. I wanted the lid to have a snug fit, otherwise it would feel cheap. I should have spent more time thinking this through before entering the shop. The manufacturing of this box was relatively simple because we used a CNC for most of it. I am so glad I went this route instead of using hand routers, drill press, etc. Overall it came out well but I definitely was not satisfied with the cleanliness of some edges. Burl wood has pockets of knotty and clumpy wood that can come out in chunks if you are not careful. Super sharp end mills at high speeds are a must. Practice on test pieces would have been smart.
I have really been enjoying coming up with different materials to contrast pure wood. This box is made from Desert Iron Wood, but the locking mechanism is brass, and the ring holder is leather. Spend the time to really evaluate your material options ascetically. The simple decision to go with a different type of wood can really set a project out from the rest. Again, going back to the DIY YouTube box example, it seems like most people go to walnut or an equivalent looking wood. I get it, walnut is nice. But you may surprise yourself if you just take a little time and go see what your other options are. I found an online store that sold all kinds of cool burlwood blocks, perfect for this project. You can check them out here: https://arizonaironwood.com/
All and all a successful project, and I am happy with the end result. There is always room for improvement next time. Although, hopefully there won't be a need to repeat this project...
