Make it work!

The title for this post is an often used phrase by Tim Gunn in Project Runway and has since been one of my favourite quote and also the 'motto' that I hold dear to my heart when it comes to designing. More on this later on.

Anyway, my apologies for the super lack of updates this past month. This has been a very busy month. Brother's getting married this weekend! So you can imagine all the preparation work involved!

Will be on temporary hiatus for the next 2 weeks or so but will be back with heaps of updates! ;) So many stories to tell! LOL....

Meanwhile...... I really need to figure this out.......




Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, folks! :)

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Making jump rings

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Work Room chat:
I guest wrote an article for Beads Talk where I actually talk more about myself rather than jewellery making as I always do here. If you want to know about my story, check them out here. Thanks, Steve for the opportunity!

Also, I recently joined the Handmade Jewelry Club. Founded by Jane Chew, it’s an online community for handmade jewellery lovers. If you make jewellery, you can sell your creations there or even share tips and knowledge. If you love wearing jewellery, you can buy artisan jewellery there as well. Cool or what?

There’s also a short introductory article about me too if you’re interested. :P Thanks, Jane for the write up!
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Making jump rings is actually a simple two step process which involves 1)coiling of wires and 2) cutting the coiled of wires into individual jump rings.

Now, let us look at the first step.

Coiling
Here, you need to get a long rod with the same diameter size throughout. This means the rod has to be of equal thickness to create a same size jump rings from that coil of wires.

Another thing to note is the tension while coiling the wires. You need to try as far as possible to maintain an equal tension while coiling the wires. Otherwise, you’ll end up with uneven size jump rings! Uneven not in the sense that they are out of shape or something but you’ll find some discrepancies in the sizes of the jump rings even though they came from the same coil of wires.

I’ve talked about tension before in beadstitching / beadweaving context. In wirework, it is also about the same thing; the strength you use while pulling the wires to do the coiling. Pulling it harder will create a tighter coil and smaller size jump rings. Pulling it loosely will create a looser coil and larger size jump rings.

Of course when you are talking about jump rings coiled from the same rod, technically, they should be of the same size, right?

Well, you’re right. Technically, that is.

Well, say at the beginning of the rod, when you hand is still ‘fresh’, you might have the strength to pull harder to make a tighter coil but as you are coiling along, your hand might have gotten tired and you are subconsciously pulling with lesser strength. But in your eyes, you are still coiling them around the same rod and would therefore expect it to be of the same size.

It will not be obvious from the coil, when the jump rings are still coiled together. But as you cut the jump ring out you’ll notice the discrepancy. The difference will not be so shocking great but enough for you to realize that they are not of the exact size.

So, how?

How to create even coils of wires with equal strength?

Well, that’s how(I’m guessing) LeRoy Goertz came up with the Coiling Gizmo.


Tadah!

That is the economic version which they call it the Eco Winder, selling for $15 from their website. Although it is stated there that that price includes shipping, but I believe it is limited to the States only lah. International buyers can’t possibly be paying only that price to get it shipped to your house.

They’ve also got a Professional Deluxe winder.



Just the name itself is so‘professional’ and ‘deluxe’ already, no doubt the price will be just the same. Selling at $199.95!! @_@

Gosh! The price gap between the two models. But then the setup of the two also very far apart la.

Well, basically, the name of the product is descriptive enough of what it does. A gizmo that helps you to coil wires in a more efficient manner. And then you could either coil the coil of wires to make coiled beads or cut each individual coil out to make jump rings.



We’re going to look at how the Eco Winder works since this is the model commonly used by crafters.

The Eco Winder is a very simple gizmo. It consists of two different sizes of mandrel for making the coils and a bracket frame for you to ‘wind’ the coil.



The Eco Winder works in a similar fashion to the bobbin winder of a sewing machine. If you have used a sewing machine before, you know how we spin the thread for the bobbin case? That’s the small spool of thread underneath the sewing machine bed, for those who do not know what I’m talking about.

Well, the Eco Winder just like that. You wrap the wire around the mandrel for the first few rounds and the wind it on the bracket frame to form the coiling on the mandrel. Doesn’t that sounds like how we spin the bobbin case too?

Ok, I’ve never used or even seen the Eco Winder before. I just thought that was what it reminds me of when I read about how it works.

For details on how the Eco Winder works, visit Craft Critique who did a post on the Eco Winder here. (That is a very interesting site to visit by the way if you love doing crafts)

But I do not have a Eco Winder. This is how I do it.



This is a three step pliers from Bead Smith which I asked Sa Kor to get for me on my first year of making jewellery. According to the description, it is used for making consistent loop or jump rings and as a beginner at that time, that sounds enticing enough. :)

As you can see, there are three ‘step’ on the jaw, each step for making one size of jump rings. There are three steps, which means you can make three different sizes of jump rings. The smallest one being a 4mm, the next 5mm and the last 6mm.

So, what I do is to make the coiling on the ‘step’ depending on what size of jump rings I want.



The ‘step’ I use most often is the 4mm one. However, one thing I notice is that although it does let you make consistent loop (on the assumption that the tension used throughout was equal), I can’t say the same for the size. Somehow, the sizes aren’t exactly very accurate.

The size of the jump rings made from each step does appear to be slightly bigger when I compared it to those commercial jump rings that I used to buy. But since it doesn’t affect my design in any way, it’s not a major complain la. Don’t know if it’s due to the tool or me though….. o_O

But then and again, the three step plier is not indispensable to begin with. You can also make jump rings using a round nose plier!

Ok, you can’t be too sure of its size but if size is not a fundamental issue, this will work just fine.

This is what you do.

Make a mark on the jaw of your round nose plier. This mark will serve as a guide not only for the size that you to make but also consistent loop throughout.


You can actually use a marker pen to draw a line around the jaw. I’m using a strip of masking tape stick to the jaw as the guide because I don’t like to scribble on my tools. Just remember to immediately take them off after you’re done with them. Otherwise, you might risk dirtying the jaw with the sticky residue from the tape.

Cut off the excess. Well, just to get it out of the way la.



Position the end of the wire just below the mark. This will determine the size of the jump ring you will be making.



Make your first loop just below the mark. Below in the sense of towards the handle grip of the plier and not the other direction.



Since you will be coiling towards the handle grip, make sure the wire end for the first loop end below i.e. on the same side as the handle grip.



Move the first loop over the mark you just made and towards the tip of the jaw so that you make the space available for the second loop because you want them to be the same size.



Now, make the second loop and same thing again, wire ends below the loop.


p/s: Just in case you are wondering. Yes, I'm working directly off the spool of wire without cutting out any wires. Yeah, some might find that it gets in the way. If you prefer not to have any obstruction while working on it, feel free to cut off pieces of wire off the spool before coiling. You know why I'm working off the spool. ;)

Repeat for as many times as you like to make as many jump rings as you want. Just remember that one loop, one jump ring.



Frankly speaking, I think this method is only feasible for that odd one or two jump rings. I don’t think this is a practical method

The best is still to coil the wires around a one size rod or mandrel. We don’t know if we
ll ever get our hands on the coiling gizmo but even if we do, I doubt it will be price friendly and to be honest, I don’t think the coiling gizmo is an indispensable tool for coiling. It merely makes it more convenient to do the job and not exactly fundamental for the job itself.

I’m sure we just need some wires and a one size rod or mandrel and we’re good to go already.

The million one dollar question is, where to find a one size mandrel long enough for us to make a long coil? I say, look around you of course!

Pencil or maybe even pen?



Not practical.

Why? Sizes are not consistent and even the body is not necessarily a perfect round.

Erm, how about usb cable?



Well, the cable has a perfect round body.

But, nope either. How are you going to slide the coiling out?

I thought of crochet hooks but then neither are their body a perfect round.



And then…… I thought of something.

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These!!



Guess what these are?

Knitting needles. :)

I’ll tell you why knitting needles are the perfect candidate for the job.

• A perfect round mandrel.
  
  
  



• Long enough.
  
  
  
  


And the best part?


• They come in sizes!
  
  
  
  So you can be sure of the size of the jump rings you will be making! Cool or not?

I’m not very sure how much exactly does knitting needle costs. I know that the very good ones can run into hundreds for a set. But since we are not using them for knitting, there is no need to buy the good ones and neither is there a need to buy them in set.

You can get them in loose pairs and I reckon the cheap ones made from plastic is probably not going to cost you an arm and a leg? Those really good needles are made from premium material like bamboo and such. I’m sure knitting needles made from plastic can’t compare to that, right?

Anyone with any idea of how much do they cost?

The two I photographed above I borrowed from my Aunt Kwan and neither does she knows since they were bought tens of years ago. Yes, it is THAT long. Told you the family does not have the habit of throwing things away.

Oo-kay. Now that we’ve gotten around the coiling part. Next is the cutting part. Cutting out the individual jump rings.

Cutting

The fastest way of cutting the long coil of rings to make individual jump rings is to use a jeweller saw.



I have never seen one nor know exactly how it is used but have only read about it. My guess is you are going to saw through the coils like how you saw through a piece of wood with an ordinary saw? *shrugs*

From what I’ve read, they have very fine and delicate blades. See that very fine, thread-like looking thingy at the bottom? Yeah, that’s the blade.

Anyway, the way I do it is to cut individual jump rings out from the coil one by one. It’s a bit tedious but it gets the job done.

Before I go into details on the cutting part, I cannot not mention about the flush cutter.

Remember my complain about it in a previous post?

Remember what I wrote about the way flush cutters cut? Where the flat side of the flush cutter cuts evenly while the ‘hollow’(which I later learned was called the bevel) side cuts off diagonally? And also because of this, how the jump rings closed with some kind of gap?

Go to the previous post to read about it if you have not. Scroll down to the end which is where I mentioned about it.

Well, guess what? That is EXACTLY how a flush cutter cuts!

Tsk, you know, when you are a self-taught artist, these are the little, little things that you hoped someone told you about which you would otherwise not know about.

That is part of the reason for The Work Room. It is only when I observe and write that I would gain insights into what I would otherwise have overlooked.

Err, heheh….digressed a little there already. Just a note on my learning journey la. :P

Okay, back to cutting. It is because of the way that flush cutter cuts that makes the cutting part a little tricky.

After you are done with the coiling. Cut with the flat side of the cutter facing the end of the coil and the bevel part facing the wire loose end.



The rationale here is this. The last coil end will be one end of a jump ring which you are about to cut off and you would want the get the ends cut off evenly so that you can make a nice closure of the jump ring, without gap.

If one end of the jump ring was cut off with the bevel side, that end would end up with a diagonal cut off end and you will no doubt be left with a gap after closing the jump ring due to one of the diagonal cut end. Erm, get what I mean?

Alright, now your coil of wire is ready to be ‘processed’ into jump rings.

We are going to start cutting from the last coil we make.

Now, turn your flush cutter the other way, with the flat side now facing what would be the other end of your first jump ring so that you get an evenly cut end.



Cut.

Now, here’s your first jump ring. Both sides are of even cut which makes for a nice closure.



And this is how it looks like when closed.



Let’s continue with the second jump ring. Take a close look at the ends now. Notice how this last end is a diagonal cut end?



Well, logic what. Because you used the flat side to cut one of the ends of your first jump ring already. So, this last end will no doubt be the diagonal cut end.

We are going to get rid of this end because we want an even cut end.

With your cutter, flat side now facing the ‘new’ end for your second jump ring and the bevel side facing the unwanted bit.



Cut.

You don’t need to cut a lot off. Just enough to get rid of the diagonal cut end will do.

Just like how you cut off your first jump ring, turn your cutter around and cut. You get your second jump ring.





You will be faced with one diagonal cut end again.



Repeat all the above until you have finish cutting off all the jump rings from the coil of wires.



That, ladies and gentlemen, is the finer details on making your own jump rings, Work Room style. ;)

To learn more about the wires that I use – here and here.

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What's my solution?

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Work Room chat:
Ever wondered how wire jewellery artist make those wire wrapped cross pendant? I found this video not too long ago showing how those wire wrapped cross pendant are made. The lady in the video did it very fast and her wrapping is a little messy I reckon. When you do it, you just slow down a little so that you get a nice neat wrap and now that you've know the technique, you can be more creative by attaching beads or something to make it yours. Check out the video here.
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No doubt, we all know that the best wire is sterling silver wire but we all also know how much it costs. I think I’m still considered an amateur crafter lor. Sterling silver material is probably not something I can afford to look into right now. In time to come, maybe. But for now, dwelling so much into the price tag for sterling silver wires will probably put me off from continue making jewellery.

But even as an amateur, I still want to be able to make a good quality piece of jewellery.

I tried silver plated pins and the same hoo-haas I had with pins arose. Moreover, I think those plating were so thin that I can literally see the plating flaking off while I was working with them. A total let down!

Sa Kor came back to visit early this year and she brought back these wires for me to try. These are European made silver plated wires. They have a copper core and the plating is made up of a small quantity of pure silver, to get the colour, and an alloy. The plating on these wires is a lot thicker than what you normally get from the Chinese wires.


These wires have a firm but bendable feel, it keeps it's shape really well and it has a beautiful, bright silver finish, akin to sterling silver. I’ve been using these ever since. Good quality wires, I must say and I’ve been very happy with it.

All my pieces you see in the Atelier are made with these silver plated wires. I have since crossed off head pins and eye pins from my bead shopping list. All my wire needs are found in these silver plated wires.

I’ll tell you why.

I make my own head pins


Hold the spool of wires on your left hand. (I'm right handed, so, if you're left handed, it should be the other way round la!)


Slide your bead in.


Let your bead slide further down a bit so that it doesn't get in the way.


Now, with your tip of your chain nose plier, hold onto the edge of the wire.


Turn 90 degrees upwards.


That's not enough. Turn some more. Until you turn 180 degress.


Then, use the flat surface of the chain nose plier , press them together so that they are literally crushed into each other. :P


This is what you'll get. This picture is not crushed close enough. When you do it, you should crushed them together real close in order to get the intended effect. There shouldn't be gap in between like this.


Now, slide your bead back up.(?)Cuz just now we said slide down mar, so logically, it should be back up now? But it looks like you've got a top hat on the head when you only want a head.


No worries. We're gonna tweak it a little.

Slide your bead back down to get it out of the way.



With your flush cutter, be very careful and cut a small bit off the tip of the folded part. This would require some precision cutting, so it would be a good idea to do this in a bright room. Careful also not to cut off the entire head.


There, now it looks more like a clean shaven head. LOL!


Slide your bead back up.


There. That looks more like it. :)



Now, use your chain nose plier and hold right at the top of the bead.



Make a 90 degrees turn.


Guesstimate the length you'll need to make your loop and cut off.



Tadah! You've just made your own head pin. Loop the other end as usual to make your connection.


Erm, I think it could even be pass off as one of those ball end head pins, no? o_O




An alternative to the ball-like end head pins is to make a scroll end head pins. Instead of balling up the end, you scroll up the end like this. This can even goes as part of your design.



Basically, design possibilities are endless.

I make my own eye pin.

Same old story. *yawn* :)



Slide your bead in.


Make a loop.


Slide your bead back up.


Make a 90 degrees turn. Cut off at the length you need to make a loop.


Look what we have here? ;)


And finally, what I like best.....

No more wastage!

Now, here's the trick. Do not cut off pieces of wire to make your loop or head. Otherwise, you are still faced with the same wastage problem as before.

This is what you do.

Always hold onto the spool of wires on one hand and slide in the bead first. Once you’ve got the required length, you can put the roll aside and do the loop forming as usual.

Notice how there is no wastage of wires at all throughout the process?

I just love it how there's control over material usage when it's done this way.

I know some may find it to be a little inconvenient to be holding a roll of wire on one hand all the time while working it with the other but this seems to be the only way that I know of to help you cut out the exact length of wires that you need without any wastage. Save whenever you can, is a good policy. No?

You'll get used to it after some time. :P

However, some wastage is unavoidable when you are making a wrapped loop. You do need to cut out excess wire for you to make the wrap and it is always a good idea to have a longer end for you to wrap so that it gives you the correct tension to help you make a nice tight wrapped loop.

What else did I do with these silver plated wires?

I made my own hook and eye clasp!



On the rare occasion when I ran out of clasp I made my own. But really, it is the eye that I made more of.

I was never quite happy about ending my pieces with a jump ring or split ring for the clasp to hook onto. I felt that it gave a very unfinished look to the piece.

I knew about end tags.



But end tags are hard to come by and I feel end tags look better paired with a bolt ring clasp.



Not with a lobster clasp.




Now, I make my own eye for the lobster clasp to hook onto. Same old grandmother story, why buy when you can make your own? I’m more satisfied with how my pieces end now than I was before.



With wires long long like this, I can also ......

Wrap a teardrop bead



..... the way I’ve always wanted to.


I even ....

Made my own jump rings.





I wouldn’t recommend you to make your own if you want to do chainmaille. You’ll probably die of exhaustion unless you have a coiling gizmo and a jewellery saw!

This is for the odd one or two that I need to connect the clasp and eye to finish off a piece or to make a connection.

Okla, so I did tried making a chainmaille piece once. With ALL handmade jump rings using 1.0mm thick wires! LOL :) But that was it lor hor.



I’ve been using these wires for almost a year now and I do think they have work wonderfully for me. It’s a great way to get the look of sterling silver for much lesser.

If you are interested to get these silver plated wires click here for more info. This will also work great for those who wants to make wire jewellery.

I have 20 samples pack of these silver plated wires in 0.6 mm to give away.



The first 20 readers to leave your email on the comment box for this post will get a pack of these wires. Each pack consists of ½ metre long of 0.6 mm European made silver plated wires. Postage paid for by normal post.

I will mail you personally to get your address to send them to you. Limit to one sample per reader, alright? :)

Oh, and also only for local shipping addresses, ya.

This is something interesting I found on the metaphysical properties of silver. Silver, it is said, to serve as a mirror to one's soul, allowing a view without judgement. It provides a strong connection between the physical and astral bodies. Used with gemstones, it attracts and retains the qualities of the stones. It enhances the powers of the moon.

Hhhhmmmmm....... interesting..... if only la I knew what are astral bodies and what can the powers of the moon do...... o_O

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