DIY Wedding: Man Makes A Wedding Band Out Of A Coin (PHOTOS)

Michigan web designer Richard Crawford thought it would be too impersonal to simply buy his fiancee's wedding band from a store. So he decided to make his own -- out of a coin.

Crawford posted photos and step-by-step instructions for the wedding band he made out of a Canadian quarter to Imgur Saturday. He told HuffPost Weddings he had never done any sort of metal working before.

"I'd been vaguely aware that it was possible to make a ring out of a coin for a while so I did some (extensive) online research to figure out the details and whether or not it would be feasible," Crawford said. "I figured I would give it a shot."

He said he chose to make the ring out of a Canadian quarter because his fiancee, elementary school teacher Sarah Bontinen, is Canadian. After drilling a hole in the coin, he used a tool made out of a hammer and spoon to tap the edge of the coin down until it was the correct width.

He then used a rotary tool to enlarge the hole, and sanded the entire ring to give it a shiny finish.

Although he had originally wanted the ring to be a surprise, he decided to tell Bontinen before he started working because he figured she'd get suspicious after hearing a metallic tapping noise for hours a day.

"She seemed enthusiastic but a little skeptical in that way that people are when you tell them that you're going to hit a coin with a hammer until it becomes a wedding ring," Crawford said. "She was pleasantly surprised when she saw the finished product."a

Though he's finished with Bontinen's ring, Crawford's work isn't over. Before the two marry around the end of the year, he plans to create his own wedding band out of a British silver shilling since he originally hails from Scotland.

"I'm a firm believer that you can accomplish anything if you tackle it sensibly and put the effort in," he said.

Click through the slideshow below for photos of the ring-making process and Crawford's instructions for those interested in making their own wedding ring.

• The Coin

  Richard Crawford said he bought this 1945 Canadian quarter on Ebay. "Try to use a coin that's 80 percent silver or more. Look your coin up on Wikipedia to find out its metal makeup. Modern coins tend to be made up of more than one metal and you'll end up with a copper color band in your silver ring," he said.

• Drill A Hole

  Then, Crawford drilled a hole in the middle of the quarter, which he said was surprisingly easy to do. You'll need this hole to help hold the ring in place as you complete the next step.

• Tap The Outer Edge Of The Coin Down

  This tool is a hammer with a spoon taped and soldered onto it. "I wanted the smooth edge of the spoon and the weight of the hammer," Crawford explained. "Tap gently. You're tapping rather than hammering. Go slow or your coin will warp and you'll have wasted your time. Keep the coin turning slowly on your file to get an even edge."

• 30 Minutes Of Tapping

  After 30 minutes of tapping, Crawford took this photo. The American quarter on the left is just for reference.

• One To Two Hours Of Tapping

• Three To Four Hours Of Tapping

• Five To Six Hours Of Tapping

  After tapping the coin for five to six hours, Crawford compared the coin to a ring that fits his fiance well.

• Enlarging The Hole

  Crawford then enlarged the hole with a Black & Decker RTX-B rotary tool. "I got it for $30 on Amazon and I HIGHLY recommend it for this project. If you don't have a power tool you can use a file," Crawford said.

• Filing The Inside

• The Filed Coin

  The coin is now filed to the correct size.

• Sanding The Ring

  Crawford sanded the ring with 400 grit sandpaper, then 600 grit sandpaper, then using a buffing attachment of the RTX-B to remove any small hammer marks on the surface. He then continued lightly sanding the ring.

• Polishing The Ring

  He used a felt pad with the RTX-B and a silver polishing compound to make the ring shiny.

• Finishing The Ring

  Crawford used a special silver polishing cloth (which cost him $4 on Amazon) to give it a "mirror finish."

• The Finished Ring

  "It fits!" Crawford said.

Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Weddings on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/11/diy-wedding_n_2665269.html

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