Comments on: Daily Tip July 12: Taming the Wild Wire Bundle http://www.wire-sculpture.com/jewelry-making-blog/2693/straightening-wire-bundle/ Making Wire Jewelry and Wire Wrapping Techniques Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:56:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Carol Penry http://www.wire-sculpture.com/jewelry-making-blog/2693/straightening-wire-bundle/comment-page-1/#comment-3526 Carol Penry Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:29:56 +0000 http://wire-sculpture.com/jewelry-making-blog/?p=2693#comment-3526 On the subject of straightening wire, try pushing back from the table, and get yourself elbow room. Make sure you are not too cramped for space. Stand up if you have to. Also, in the hand that the wire is moving through, make sure your fingers are not too tight, forming a curve (thumb on top of two fingers). I can't just use the thumb and forefinger, and you can't stick your little finger out and straighten wire 'like a lady'. Don't be afraid to even change hands, and your finger positions. then it is like riding a bike, one day you will take off and it will come out straight. Good luck. and one book I read once, which I looked at and put back down quickly and gingerly insisted wire had a 'nap', and you should keep the 'nap going straight' and not 'get one piece backwards'.... way more than I wanted to know about wire...but, if nothing else works, try it. On the subject of straightening wire, try pushing back from the table, and get yourself elbow room. Make sure you are not too cramped for space. Stand up if you have to. Also, in the hand that the wire is moving through, make sure your fingers are not too tight, forming a curve (thumb on top of two fingers). I can’t just use the thumb and forefinger, and you can’t stick your little finger out and straighten wire ‘like a lady’. Don’t be afraid to even change hands, and your finger positions. then it is like riding a bike, one day you will take off and it will come out straight. Good luck. and one book I read once, which I looked at and put back down quickly and gingerly insisted wire had a ‘nap’, and you should keep the ‘nap going straight’ and not ‘get one piece backwards’…. way more than I wanted to know about wire…but, if nothing else works, try it.

]]> By: Mary http://www.wire-sculpture.com/jewelry-making-blog/2693/straightening-wire-bundle/comment-page-1/#comment-3517 Mary Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:28:17 +0000 http://wire-sculpture.com/jewelry-making-blog/?p=2693#comment-3517 One of the bad habits I had that Dale had to break me of was cutting the wire the length needed and then straightening. Which, in my case, was the way I was originally taught before meeting and taking classes with Dale. The second bad habit I had was when I got to the end of the wire I was turning my wrist up and making the wire curve slightly on the end. Neither was a good thing and Dale quickly got me doing it corretly with great results. One of the bad habits I had that Dale had to break me of was cutting the wire the length needed and then straightening. Which, in my case, was the way I was originally taught before meeting and taking classes with Dale. The second bad habit I had was when I got to the end of the wire I was turning my wrist up and making the wire curve slightly on the end. Neither was a good thing and Dale quickly got me doing it corretly with great results.

]]> By: dalecgr http://www.wire-sculpture.com/jewelry-making-blog/2693/straightening-wire-bundle/comment-page-1/#comment-3516 dalecgr Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:54:47 +0000 http://wire-sculpture.com/jewelry-making-blog/?p=2693#comment-3516 Thanks Ginni! This is why I continuously preach 'straighten the wire BEFORE you measure and cut! Let's think about it: if the wire is cut first, you have to hold onto one end tightly while straightening it, meaning that the end being held is becoming harder as the wire is worked straight, and often this end becomes 'comma' shaped and now 'harder', which means the end has a slight curve that will not lay next to the other wires in the bundle, but as I mentioned in my answer above, pushes away from those wires next to it. Thanks Ginni! This is why I continuously preach ‘straighten the wire BEFORE you measure and cut! Let’s think about it: if the wire is cut first, you have to hold onto one end tightly while straightening it, meaning that the end being held is becoming harder as the wire is worked straight, and often this end becomes ‘comma’ shaped and now ‘harder’, which means the end has a slight curve that will not lay next to the other wires in the bundle, but as I mentioned in my answer above, pushes away from those wires next to it.

]]> By: Ginni Tutterow http://www.wire-sculpture.com/jewelry-making-blog/2693/straightening-wire-bundle/comment-page-1/#comment-3515 Ginni Tutterow Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:49:03 +0000 http://wire-sculpture.com/jewelry-making-blog/?p=2693#comment-3515 One thing I have found that makes it a TON easier to straighten wire: I do it BEFORE I cut the wire. I uncoil/unspool a bit more wire than I'll need, straighten it while it's still connected, then measure and cut. Not sure why this makes it so much easier for me, but it does. One thing I have found that makes it a TON easier to straighten wire: I do it BEFORE I cut the wire. I uncoil/unspool a bit more wire than I’ll need, straighten it while it’s still connected, then measure and cut.

Not sure why this makes it so much easier for me, but it does.

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