ring safety RSS

Locking pliers gripping a tungsten ring, demonstrating the emergency crack-and-remove method.Most of the time a stuck ring is a swelling problem, not a ring problem. Work through the gentle options first; the emergency method is genuinely a last resort and it destroys the ring.Everyday removal when a ring is tightFingers swell in heat, after salty food, after exercise, on flights, and late in the day. Try these in order: Cool the hand. Run cold water over it or hold something cold for a minute or two. Cold reduces swelling quickly. Elevate. Hold the hand above your heart for several minutes...

A cleanly cracked tungsten carbide band beside an intact polished band.Yes. A tungsten carbide ring can crack, and if you strike one hard enough on a concrete floor or a steel edge, it may break into clean pieces rather than dent. This surprises people who were told tungsten is the toughest ring material available. Both things are true at once, and understanding why will probably make you want the ring more, not less.Hardness and toughness are different propertiesHardness measures resistance to being scratched or deformed. Toughness measures resistance to cracking under sudden force. Materials engineering trades one against the other...