Daily Wire Tip Oct. 6: Loosening Wire for Easier Straightening

Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip for
October 6, 2010

Question:

When I receive the wire I’ve ordered, is it better to leave it as it is, coiled, until I use it? Or should I loosen the fasteners and let it relax so it’s easier to straighten?

-Kathy in Greenfield, Indiana

Answer:

When the WS Faculty members or I work with wire (always from a coil) we loosen the ties and slip out about two feet at a time, straighten, measure and then cut what we need and repeat if necessary. Personally, I have made the mistake of untying a 3 ounce coil of 21-gauge square sterling – made the prettiest slinky you have ever seen! But I had to make about seven cuts to get it under control again.

It really is up to you and how you store your wire. If you keep it in a large zip-loc bag and have about 30 feet or less, you could let it relax a bit, retie it and put it back into the bag.

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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3 Comments

1. 

   Chris

   October 6, 2010 at 8:54 am

   LOL! Been there, done that. Like tangled fishing line. What’s worse is I wrapped a whole coil of silver wire with a rubber band. That’s a BIG NO-NO. Tarnishes like crazy. Learned the hard way, but learned.
2. 

   Elizabeth Little

   October 6, 2010 at 10:27 am

   Me too. Untied the coil and sprang one giant slinkyzilla. I’m very careful now to work small sections out of the coil.
3. 

   Brandi

   October 6, 2010 at 1:08 pm

   Its nice to know I’m not the only one who suffered this mishap! I almost lost an eye while trying to extract a few feet of silver artistic wire. I laughed after I found my retinas intact, LOL.