Glow in the Dark Wooden Inlay Ring From 2x4

Hi everyone! This is my first instructable so please be kind! I made this glow in the dark ring from a 2x4 piece of untreated soft wood because I was feeling bored and also wanted to sign up for a contest for the first time! This is my absolute first try at making a glow in the dark ring and an instructable so please bear with me! Anyways, lets get started!

WARNING! Before i get to my too land material list i cant feel the need to never not where safety equipment. always wear hand, eye, and nose protection at all times. You may see me not wearing hand protection AKA gloves beacause i could not control the ring well. if this isnt your case always wear safety equipment.

I was unable to capture photos but here is my material list:

1. 2x4 untreated softwood
2. glow in the dark puff paint
3. (optional) clear nail polish

Now moving on to my tool list:

1. small hand saw
2. big hand saw
3. belt sander
4. electric drill
5. spade bit
6. sander belts from 120 to 800
7. triangle file
8. sanding block

These are what i used essentially for my project but i dont want to get in to too many details so this project can still be yours and unique when you make it!

First, I took a 2x4 untreated soft wood from my garage and cut it so the the length was 4 cm. i then measured the block and cut it in half to have 2 equal ring blanks using my large hand saw.

Afterwards, I then cut the ring to the width i wanted which was 1 cm. (I later learned from this and next time i make a ring like this, I will make the width smaller.)

First, I drew a circle that was the inner diameter of my ring size and made a circle on my piece of wood based on that and drawing lines through the middle to mark the center. Next, I took a clamp and a spade bit that was about the size of my finger and drilled through the wood, flipping the wood ring blank over half way through to prevent splintering. As you can see, the drill bit walked on my wood so i didnt get it in the circle i wanted but no worries, I just erased the circle and drew a new one for the outer diameter of the ring which should be no less than 2 mm otherwise you risk breaking the ring. I also learned to not make the outer diameter no more than 5 mm unless you want a bulky uncomfortable ring.

This step is fairly simple so, all you need to do is take your small hacksaw and cut off the corners until you have a more circular shape.

It was difficult for me to take pictures while using the mini belt sander machine so please forgive the angle. All you need to do is take your slightly octogonal shape ring and sand it until you reach the outer diameter of the ring. And attain a circle.

This step was also easy, all you need to do was take a pencil, draw a line across the middle, and use your triangle file to sand that out. This is where you will place the glow paint.

I was unable to take pictures during this step but what you want to do is take a glow paint of your choice, or multiple if you want a pattern inside the inlay channel, and squeeze it in until its slightly above the surface of the ring. Let the paint dry and cure for as long as your manufacturer says.

After the paint has dried, add more paint or sand the surface of the ring to make the paint level with the surface for a nice even look. After this, you can optionally take clear nail polish and coat you ring with it to give a semi-water resistant layer to your ring.

Take a uv light or go into the sun to charge it up then enter a dark room and watch it glow! This project was made a couple hours before the closing time of the contest at mid night so i apologize if I made any mistakes. I hope you all love this and make one on your own!