Answers to your....FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ???

How Long Will It Be Before I Get My Ring ?

It will take between 4 and 6 weeks to make your ring and ship it to you.  Invariably one Brother get's stuck in the 6 week mark every month, but typically the rings come out sooner.  I must ask that you 'await the time with patience.'   Please do not check on your ring until the 5 week mark.  Answering inquiries just delays getting your ring made.

1.  What is "GOLD FIRING"

Gold Firing is a name we use to describe the heat treating in a high 1400 degrees annealing oven to achieve a wonderfully rich "honey gold" appearance to the ring.

2.  Can the "GOLD FIRING"  come off ?

• Over time, if worn everyday, it can diminish, so I personally recommend you wear it for "dress wear" rather than a "daily wear" ring.   I have had one of mine for 6 years and it has only changed to the original stainless steel on the back of the band.  I have not taken it apart because the face still looks as good as new.  Eventually I will recondition it, but it appears right now it may be at the 10 year mark, then reconditioning should be done just to make it look brand new again.

3.  What if  I want a "DAILY WEAR" ring.?

• If you want a "daily wear" ring then you need a colorless "die struck" solid metal emblem.  The Blue Lodge Bronze, Marquis Bronze, 1 of 4 Copper and Trowel Copper are all "die struck" emblems.  They are meant for the "working man."

4.  How much can I have engraved on the ring & where is it engraved ?

• The rings can have up to 6 characters, such as in a date,   09/11/01 or any other Special Date you may want.  Typically Brother's and Sister's choose their initials or a short name.  The engraving is done on the back of the band.  The smaller the ring the less characters I can fit.  Keep it Simple Please.

5.  How much is it to ship to Canada or the UK ?

• I ask $ 8.00 shipping Global Priority Mail with the United States Postal Service.  It typically takes about a week to get to you from Brunswick, Georgia.

6.  Can I  have my  ring overnight shipped to me ? 

• Yes, if you are willing to pay between $18 and $ 30 for the shipping.  It is costly and is better to "await the time with patience" as we Brother Mason's understand. 

7.   Do you make QUARTER SIZES, OR JUST HALF SIZES ?

• I ask that you give me the size to the nearest quarter.  I will always try to get the ring as close as possible, but guarantee only to the 1/2 size.  Remember,  the ring is tighter in the warm weather and looser in the cold weather for those of you who enjoy the snow I miss so...

8.  Are the rings really handmade from Stainless Steel ?

• Picture several hours pass and it is time to go in the house.  You get to the sink and realize you have stainless steel in your hair and ears, polishing rouge up your nose and your shirt is now metallic dust covered.   That is what happens on occasion when I forget a face shield, breathing mask or apron.  A shower is a must, but you are always wondering when you will begin to look like Robert Patrick in Terminator 2 as the " liquid metal man." Just moving from a metal saw, to a drill, to a lathe, to two grinders, to two polishing steps...then the inside of the ring need to be done before you can do a final clean up and attach the emblem.  The emblem sits on the ring overnight to insure proper hardening.  Then final cleaning and inspection is done before shipping all by a couple of aging Brother Mason's and Veterans.  It is a labor of love.....trust me.

9.  How are the emblems affixed to the ring ? 

• We consulted with Loctite chemists to find the best adhesive to use for stainless steel and our emblems.  We use Loctite Structural Adhesive that is $60 per tube.  When we first started we used to use regular REAR VIEW MIRROR Adhesive.  This worked fantastic, but we still had about a 1/2 of 1% emblems coming off.  This has improved with the newest Loctite and we are not down to only a quarter of a percent of emblems coming off.  That is why we are now using this expensive Loctite adhesive.  My best friend is a plumber by trade and has had his ring for 8 years with the emblem never coming off.  I only had to change it to a Past Master's emblem for him when he left the EAST.  That is not to say emblems do not come off, but it is rare as you can see by the stats I keep.

These weights have been hanging on this tree through summer and winter with no problems since 2000.