Home   >   Daily Wire Jewelry Tips   >   Daily Wire Tip April 20: How To Use Crimp Beads

Daily Wire Tip April 20: How To Use Crimp Beads

By on April 20, 2010
Print Friendly

Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
April 20, 2010

Question:

When I crimp a crimp bead the on the second step it never gets for me. Instead of folding over, the crimp reopens then goes flat.
By this time the crimp will mostly break and fall off! I do angle my crimp bead slightly before step 2.
How can I overcome this problem?

Answer:

Seriously, I have never used a crimp before as I do not ‘string’ or ‘bead’. But we have had some great advice from those who do. Please see this post and the great comments from our helpful beading friends regarding: how to use crimp beads

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

Have a question? Submit your question here

16 Comments

  1. avatar

    Linda

    April 20, 2010 at 7:19 am

    I have had a few break on me as well. You crimp the crimp in the back part of the pliers and once it is flat rotate your piece so that when you place it back in the front part of the pliers you have one side of the flat crimp at the top of the pliers and the other at the bottom. Then when you press together you are folding the flat side in the middle and bringing the two ends together. Most times this will work for you and it will get easier as you do it more often. I have been stringing for a few years now and so I am new to the wire wrapping end of things. Hope this helps you.

  2. avatar

    valarie

    April 20, 2010 at 8:02 am

    something I want to mention that was taught to me by the owner of our LBS, the crimping tool has two holes. Most of us just go to the hole that puts the crease in first, but she told me to use the oblong hole to make the crimp bead sort of oval in shape. then hold your wires so that one is at each end of the oval (make sure they don’t cross inside the crimp…each one needs their own channel if you want the crimp to look neat). Then go to the hole that creases the bead, and finally turn it sideways in the hole to fold it over. I still hit glitches now and then, but this seems to work a lot better than just “crease and crimp”

  3. avatar

    Rebecca

    April 20, 2010 at 8:52 am

    I have a double crimper. Using my optivisor magnification to help me see minute detail, I place the crimp in the back hole and crimp very tightly. I should look fairly flat at this point. I then turn the crimp on its side and carefully place the crimp into the first hole – making sure the crimp is solidly on its side. (this is where the optivisor really helps. I then press tightly. You should have a nice rectangle. I use tube crimps rather than ball crimps. Good luck!

  4. avatar

    Gigi

    April 20, 2010 at 9:02 am

    What you describe is what happened to me the time I tried to use my chain nose pliers to crimp because I couldn’t find my crimping pliers! If you are’t using crimping pliers (or “crimpers” depending on who you talk to), they are definitely worth the investment. They are designed especially for the purpose of flattening and folding these pliable little beads just right. You can find them at most major craft stores that carry beading supplies and a decent pair usually runs between $10 and $15. (Wire-Sculpture also carries both regular and ‘magic’ crimping pliers here: http://www.wire-sculpture.com/crimping-pliers-1.html )

    Something else to think about: are you using the correct size crimp bead for the beading wire you are using? This was one of the first “lessons” I learned when I first started making jewelry. If the crimp is too large, I would struggle to close it tight enough around the tiny wire…which means I would squeeze too hard and it would often break. I use mostly .012″ to .018″ beading wire and I’ve learned that the size 1 crimp beads work best with those.

  5. avatar

    mary

    April 20, 2010 at 10:15 am

    Crimping…hmmm, don’t do that much either. But, there are several good resources to be found on stringing or making jewelry in a variety of magazines on the market not to mention videos to show techniques at various sites. Even your local beading shop will show you hands on such techniques you are not quite getting and help you find out what it is you are doing wrong.

    • avatar

      dalecgr

      April 20, 2010 at 10:33 am

      Good advice Mary. Often folks don’t think about just asking for a demonstration at their local bead store. Thanks!

  6. avatar

    Dani

    April 20, 2010 at 11:09 am

    I have had the same problem over and over with the crimper tool or with regular pliers either. I have found there are a certain type of crimp beads that work much better than others although I don’t know the brand name. They look like a seed bead but have RIDGES on the outside and are much stronger than the smooth, barrel type crimp beads and don’t require double crimping. I get mine at one local bead store when she has them and have no idea the brand name or I’d be looking for them online too. Before finding these crimp beads, I also had problems with crimping too tightly and the crimp bead wearing through the wire causing it to break. Had several customers return necklaces where the wire had broken there. VERY irritating!

  7. avatar

    Barbara

    April 20, 2010 at 11:46 am

    I work in a bead store and have beaded for years. All the previous advice are good ones, but the main thing that helps is using Sterling Silver crimp tubes or beads. Sterling Silver is a softer metal and can therefore be “folded” over easier in the 2nd step of crimping using crimping pliers. Base metal has different mixtures of metal – some softer than others. Sometimes your crimp will fold fine, other times it will break. Good luck!

  8. avatar

    cathy

    April 20, 2010 at 11:54 am

    All good info-I am a beader learning about wire wrap. I would suggest you buy good crimps that come in a vials, in different sizes, I use #2 crimp that is a long tube. My wire is .014 for this crimp. If the wire is smaller, I switch to a #1 crimp in the set of crimps and of course-I use a crimping plier. Working from the back hole as described and then folding the crimp over in the front. I purchased cheap crimps while on vacation for a quick repair and found them to be unreliable-ended up throwing them out. Hope this helps–have fun!

  9. avatar

    Kathy

    April 20, 2010 at 12:31 pm

    When I was learning how to crimp, I was told by the instructor to use the crimping tool. If you hold the tool up and look at the two spaces, one looks like an “o” and the other like a heart. Step 1 – put the crimping bead in the furthest hole. That way you will give it a “hug” first. Then, turn the crimp on its side and crimp again. Now you give the “love”. This will tighten the bead so it will not come off the wire. Be sure to squeeze tight both times. I have never had any problems with it breaking through the wire or coming off in all the time I have done this. Good luck.

  10. avatar

    Janet Hallstrom

    April 20, 2010 at 1:10 pm

    I have found that unless you are using sterling silver or gold filled crimps, you may have trouble. The cheaper crimps just do not fold or hold as well. Secondly, when you go to the second step, be careful as you position your flattened crimp. It is best if the two flat ends are at the top and bottom of the arc in the pliers.

  11. avatar

    Alex Netherton

    April 20, 2010 at 3:40 pm

    I hate working with crimp beads. I am first off a wire wrap craftsmen, but my wife and I have been expanding to bead stringing on occasion, and I have had to start working with beads. First, there are several sizes of beads, and there are also different sizes of crimping pliers. Get the size pliers for the bead, and make sure you fold the bead good in the first step, where you crimp it. If it is good and folded, then when you go to the second step/hole, it should fold over nicely.

  12. avatar

    Patty Insco

    April 20, 2010 at 7:10 pm

    I would just like to add that before you do step 1. Make sure your wire is not crossed in the crimping bead. And after the first crimp your flat crimp will have wire on each side of the flat middle. Then go to step 2.

  13. avatar

    Linda

    April 20, 2010 at 8:20 pm

    I have switched to using Tornado Crimps. You only need a reg. pliers to crimp them. I do use Sterling Silver Crimps,Crimp Pliers and also make sure my wires are not twisted within the crimp and still some do come apart. I feel more confident using the Tornado Crimps. Hope this helps! :)

  14. avatar

    Krister

    April 22, 2010 at 10:04 pm

    I have problems with the wire coming loose from the crimp bead. I know I put them on properly, still they come loose. I have had some bracelets returned for repair, too. Any ideas anyone?

  15. avatar

    Mary Phillips

    April 24, 2010 at 11:38 am

    If you make a good crease in step one, step two will happen naturally. I teach a class where we practiced using heavy cord and cheap crimps. But for actual stringing, don’t scrimp on the crimp! Cheap ones will be more expensive in the long run. And when you find a brand you like, stick with it. Right now I need help because I’ve lost my (good) crimping pliers.