Oval Rings Inquiry

I like the Bon4M, though I find the 45mm ring a bit snug and the next size up at 48mm feels slightly loose for some reason. The left side tends to pop out first when it does happen. It’s not really intentional; mostly occurs while I’m inspecting my scrotum for redness or other issues, which makes it awkward asking my wife “can I have the key please?” So here is what I am wondering: What are the benefits of an oval ring? Is it that you can wear a smaller size without pinching, or that a larger ring stays on comfortably because it doesn’t pop out? The reason for this query is that I want to swap rings on my Bon4m without altering the spacing between the pin holes and need to know if the effort pays off. When I tried changing to the smallest ring (which I probably won’t use long-term), heating the metal caused the holes to spread apart by about a pin’s width. To stop that from happening, I will likely create a jig that locks into the pin holes to keep the cage pin in place while I heat the ring with a torch and then compress it using a vise. Anyone have thoughts on this?

If you go with an oval shape, it does slightly reduce the distance between the cage and the ring, which helps keep your balls from escaping.

I agree because I have a 1-7/8 base ring that was originally round. It came as an oval but I used a vise to round it back out since the gap at the bottom felt too tight. After several months, I started experiencing occasional pop-outs when my boys were warm and hanging loose at night. I thought I needed to drop down to 1-3/4 size, but after reworking the ring back into an oval shape, the problem stopped.

I turned my Bon4m's 48mm ring into an oval. It is now measuring 45mm X 50mm. The 45mm dimension no longer lets me pop out, and if needed I can always close it down further for a tighter fit. My wife currently has the keys so she took them with her; this means I cannot change cages right now, but I am interested to see how this adjustment affects comfort levels overall. I will write another post later detailing my experience and also share pictures of the jig I built to hold all the holes in alignment so they still line up perfectly with the cage's alignment pins and locking pin. This is even more important now since the HTv2 broke on Wednesday....:(

Hi Fineline. Glad to hear it worked for you—well done. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I handled the pop-out issue by adjusting the gap between the ring and cage so it's variable. Now I close it down to about 11-13mm as I like and lock it there. Still, after a full week (24/7) wearing the Bon4M, I’m finding myself more drawn to the oval base ring idea. The pain from the 48 mm ring at night is getting worse—it’s definitely cutting into my sleep, even with the polished finish. I feel like adding another 3-4 mm of width (keeping the height similar) would make it much better. Did you think about taking a different approach and grinding down the inner surfaces to create an oval shape? I’m not skilled enough for heating and beating, but I have my Dremel, some patience, and a beer... We’ll see; I don’t feel like I’ve finished tweaking this device yet. After just one week, though, it still seems to hold the most promise.

> member_98abcb0fad wrote: > I don't have the skills to heat and beat but I've got a Dremel, a beer and patience... :lol:

Bound_Spirit - grinding isn't the best option. You'll thin out the ring too much and weaken it since you'd need to remove quite a bit of material. Heating works well with a propane torch, and you can shape it in a basic bench vise. Just cool it down in a bucket of cold water. It didn’t require heavy pressure really; I used two torches for some reason. I couldn't get the cage on until yesterday afternoon. The 48mm ring converted to an oval is very comfortable now. No pinching or other issues, and no balls popping out yet. For reference, my HT ring measures 45mm from top to bottom, with more width side-to-side, which is similar. The only issue I have is that the top of the ring and end of the locking pin keep hitting me in the abdomen because the cage's back hits my chair while working. This isn't related to the oval modification. However, it makes me consider getting a smaller cage. Usually there’s plenty of space at the end of the B4m cage, but the Jailhouse cage is about 3/4 inch shorter than the large B4M and matches the length of the small one. It might work. I like the idea of staying in metal without taking it off unless she wants access. With a metal cage, there’s no excuse to remove it, even for cleaning. The next time could be 30 days.... Meanwhile, I made a new locking pin out of stainless steel. The very end is drilled and tapped for a 10-32 screw, with an additional hole further back to accept a wrench pin that keeps the pin from turning while tightening the screw. If you try removing just the screw without using the wrench pin, the whole locking pin rotates. Since the screw goes into the END rather than the side, nothing shifts when it’s tight. I tried standard screws too; frankly, I find the security screw concept much more intimidating than a padlock. I looked for images of the "security" screw MM uses. The ones I found utilize a standard Torx security screw with a pin in the center. That doesn’t quite meet my definition of secure. I bought bits including the necessary one at Harbor Freight.:o If I use it, I’ll have to hand both bits over to my wife or seal one away as a safety key.... It could be secured in our small metal can and sealed with a sticker. I also found some interesting security screws, like a pentalobe head with an internal pin. That option is likely pricier but not something you'll find everywhere.

Out of the Bon4m now. I managed to pop out on the left side as usual yesterday afternoon while checking things, but got it back in. Later that evening, the right ball popped out too. I took everything off to inspect an irritated area and found cuts from the cage bars on the underside of my shaft. Ouch. Applied Neosporin and switched cages. Now I need to see if the cage can be smoothed enough for long-term wear. Still waiting for a replacement HT cage...