By Mary W. Bailey

In these economic times, we as artists and jewelers are faced with the shock of the price increases in precious metals. Silver and gold prices have skyrocketed and we are finding ourselves faced with rethinking just what metals we are going to be using to create with.

Both copper and brass jewelry wire are available to us in a variety of gauges and shapes. Brass gives an illusion of being gold-like with its yellowish-red color, but it is actually a blend of copper and zinc (having roughly 67% copper and 33% zinc in its makeup). Sometimes small amounts of other metals are added in the blend but the majority of brass is as stated above. Jewelry brass is usually the 230 alloy, otherwise known as rich low brass.

Please be aware that working with brass wire is harder on your hands as it will not bend and flow as easily as when compared to silver and/or gold-filled wire. So take your time and work it slowly until you get the feel of the metal.

Keeping your brass and copper items clean and shiny will take a bit more work than normal. There are a variety of ways to do so, from simple home recipes to buying commercially manufactured products. The one thing you do have to keep in mind is the difference between acidic and caustic compounds for cleaning brass. We will cover a few different ways to clean these metals.

Please note that these are just some techniques to try and before using any of them take into consideration the beads or gemstones, etc. you have used in making your jewelry piece. We are not endorsing any one way or method, merely providing you with information for your use regarding cleaning techniques that we are aware of, and none of these cleaning methods will prevent tarnish. If there is a product or method listed that we do personally use, we will note it as such.

Natural Methods:

Lemon Juice: To clean brass or copper with lemon juice, you can either use it neat (straight), or mixed with vinegar and/or baking soda.

• Mix up a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice with a couple of teaspoons of vinegar.
• Add just enough baking soda to make it become a gritty paste.
• Use this with a cloth to scrub your brass or copper items.
• Rinse with lukewarm water and dry with a clean cloth.

Ketchup or Worcestershire Sauce: Who would have thought this would work?  Ketchup and Worcestershire sauce both have the ability to remove dirt well due to the acidic nature of both items.

• First try rubbing the sauce onto your item with a soft cloth.
• If this doesn’t remove the dirt very well, coat the item in sauce and leave it to sit for a minute or two.
• Rinse with lukewarm water and dry with a clean cloth.

Vinegar & Steel Wool: Noted as one of the simpler methods available for cleaning brass. Grab some vinegar, pour it on or soak your item in it for a minute or two, then just use steel wool to remove the tarnish. (Personally, I think if using this method I’d use a q-tip dipped in vinegar or a soft cloth with some vinegar on it, since most of the cleaning action comes from the acidity of the vinegar rather than from the physical scrubbing with the steel wool.)

• Use a fine grade of steel wool (If it is numbered, lower 0s are a minimum grade as opposed to a higher grade with more 0s).
• Watch your item if you do immerse it entirely into the vinegar: some items will discolor in the vinegar, and you will need to buy a commercial polish to remove the discoloration.
• Some people use apple cider vinegar, while others say red wine vinegar is better than white wine.  Which works best for you will depend on your own choices.

Toothpaste: Toothpaste is a gentle abrasive. Use the opaque toothpastes rather than the clear varieties, as the opaque ones are more likely to contain the necessary, mild abrasive (while the others are more focused on killing bacteria and freshening breath).

Be aware that this method will probably not be as effective as any other method because the toothpaste is an alkaline and not acidic as the others mentioned above. Most of the results will be obtained by all the scrubbing you do with the brush.

Ready To Use Solutions:

If you are going to use a ready-to-use solution, follow the golden rule and read the label. This is for your own safety and for the preservation of your brass items.

Brasso: An old favorite that I remember well from having to clean large brass trays my mother had purchased while we were stationed in Taiwan. Follow the directions on the can. Basically you need to soak a cloth in Brasso then rub the tarnish off the brass. Wear gloves to do so and then buff with a clean soft cloth.

Nevr Dull: Yep, spelled strangely but it does clean brass. Comes with pre-soaked wadding in the can and you pull off a piece and start rubbing. Both Dale and I have used this product with good results. Be sure to wear gloves just to keep the product from drying out your skin, and use it in a well-ventilated area.

Tarn-X-Brass: Another liquid cleaner that attacks light tarnish. Be sure it says Brass as there are two types of Tarn-X. (FYI, we do not recommend using the silver version at all!!)

Easy Cleaning of both Copper and Brass: An ionic cleaner such as the Speed Brite works well on both copper and brass jewelry items and with no harm to gemstones or beads. If the piece doesn’t clean immediately with the regular clip and dip method, use a soft toothbrush under running water afterwards, to assist the process.

Be sure and properly store your finished pieces in a zip loc bag to help reduce tarnishing.

Wire-Sculpture Faculty member Mary Bailey is a regular contributor of patterns and articles. You can read more about Mary, a renowned scrimshaw artist, in her Faculty Profile.

One of our newest products is Steel Pattern Wire, great for making wire bangles, collars, and cabochon frames. You might find it a bit tricky to cut, because it’s tougher than Xurons and even Tin Snips – so we thought we’d take a minute and show you how we cut it in our warehouse!

Cutting Steel Pattern Wire

We’ve also heard from a customer whose Lineman pliers do the job; he said it just takes a firm grip. Some of our customers have found that using a bench grinder allows them to smooth the cut edges of the pattern wire, so it’s very dull and safe on skin. Of course, this depends on how you use the pattern wire: several wraps around a wire bundle containing pattern wire as well as square wires will help insulate the ends. Good luck – and we’d love to see your pictures of steel pattern wire jewelry on our Facebook page!

Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip for
December 18, 2010

Question:

Good morning Dale, I’m tumbling some Apache tears and they refuse to polish up to that fine glass finish we all love. Can you give me some pointers? Thanks for all your help and guidance.

-Sherry in Coulterville, California

Answer:

Ah yes, Apache tears, lovely little drops of obsidian. These are about the most difficult of all materials to tumble polish! I remember my first batch, it took me about 4 months of experimentation to get it right. The following is how I mastered tumble polishing Apache Tears:

First, be sure that you use LOTS of plastic pellets throughout every run, from coarse through fine, as you do not want a single conchoidal chip.

The secret is in the polish stage. Carefully place the tears in the polish barrel and before you add the water, saturate the water with white table sugar (and I mean saturate!!). This forms a really thick syrup that when added to the tears and pellets will further the “cushion” needed to protect these little glass pieces. Note: Be sure to add enough pellets for the barrel to be 4/5 full!

Then add cerium oxide, about half again the amount you would normally use, a dash of Ivory flakes, and run for about 10 hours before checking. Enjoy!

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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A gentleman/student-friend of mine, Jack from New Jersey, sent me an email the other day, asking about anklets. You have all heard me say that a lot of my personal inspiration comes from my students, thus the inspiration for this article.

It is the height of the summer season when women’s fashion calls for shorter skirts, Capri pants, shorts and longer halter dresses with side slits. Footwear includes heeled strappy sandals, decorative flip-flops or the lovely naked foot (which has been treated to a stylish pedicure). Therefore an important fashion accessory is the Anklet, as it calls attention to the legs and feet of a fashionable woman, charming and elegant no matter her age.

Now I am not going to go into major detail with regards to the history of the anklet, but you may find it interesting to know that this little jewelry item dates back 4500 years, to ancient Mesopotamia. That puts anklets in the same time line as wire jewelry! Ankle bracelets were and still are an important cultural accessory for women in India. North American women began wearing anklets in the fashionable 1950’s, and from the 1960’s through today (2010) we see anklets worn by both men and women. I also have to give fashion credit to the early Egyptians as anklets were worn by almost everyone; the rich whose anklets sported gemstones to show their wealth (predominately turquoise and lapis) while the less fortunate adorned their anklets with charms and amulets, later moved to the wrist to become . . . charm bracelets!

Anklets can be made from about any material. Some are simple pieces of leather, single strands or braided, with or without a charm or bead embellishment, which are tied around an ankle. Trendy anklets include those made of plastic-similar to a braided lanyard; fabric or rickrack adorned with tiny bells for dancers; braided embroidery floss – the ‘friendship’ anklet; stretchy, etcetera. Fashion anklets are made of both precious and base metals, some a simple decorative chain, while others incorporate beads and/or set gemstones.

Making different styles of anklets is easy and fun! From casual to more formal designs, with a bit of wire, chain, beads, maybe a snapset CZ stone or two and a good clasp, you will be able to satisfy any customer.

The most common anklet lengths are from 7 to 10 inches, however by following a few of my suggestions, your designs can be as versatile as your customer desires. To customize an anklet, using a measuring tape, measure around the person’s ankle, right where they would like it to lay, and then add half an inch. Another way to measure is to use a length of chain, in the same manner, and then measure the length of chain needed, subtracting the length of the desired clasp. Adding an additional 1 to ¾-inches of chain to the desired finished length adds size versatility to any anklet design.

Use a 4-inch piece of 22-gauge round wire with a wrapped loop at each end (insert the chain before the loop is wrapped closed) with a pretty combination of beads in the center and finish with a trigger clasp. The clasp will fit into any of the chain links, so a small headpin charm has been added to the opposite chain end, acting as a weight-dangle. This ‘beaded center’ anklet design can dress up or down, depending on the beads used. (You could even make earrings and a simple pendant charm to match, for your ‘sun goddess’ customers.) To make it even more simple, here are the stepped out directions for my Easy Agate Anklet.

Just remember to be careful about the bead choice as some materials like freshwater pearls, fluorite and turquoise (to name a few) will not hold up well in the summer sun, chlorine in pools and hot tubs or salt water. A ‘water-fun’ anklet is a good time to use whimsical beads made from shells!

For an elegant summer wedding or dinner, an anklet made of 14kt gold filled chain with freshwater pearl and crystal drops will certainly add sparkle to a tanned leg in a pair of summer heels. Use a length of medium weight chain; add a few wrapped headpin drops and a nice clasp-Done!

Entertaining young girls at a sleepover or a birthday party can be a piece of cake if you add a craft table. Provide some elastic cord, brightly colored glass, plastic or wooden beads, maybe some alphabet and number beads (depending on the guests ages) and Ta Da! Instant fun and a take-home anklet party favor, possibly personalized with their name or the date of the event.

If you wish to offer a slightly different product to your customers, try attaching a chain from the anklet at the top of the foot to an adjustable toe ring, to fit the big toe. In Eastern cultures, this chain was added to force a smaller/shorter step for the ladies. (Similar to a slave bracelet, but for the foot.) The ‘Lady Bugs’ sample, shown below, is a combination of four headpin charms that I used to attach two chain lengths together, before wrapping in the final loops.

Now, in closing I have to tell you that my ‘ending’ has changed. WS Faculty member Charley Key came by my studio yesterday afternoon and had a question about making ‘boot bracelets’ (thus my new ending). You can take all of the ideas in this article, use a heavier weight chain, add a couple of inches and . . . Ta Da!! Boot bracelets are born for the winter and fall season.

Now go and have some fun decorating ankles and enjoy the summer in ‘style’!

Always Twisted,                                                                                                                                                                                                 Dale/Cougar

Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
July 20, 2010

Question:

Is there a gauge for wire that is not round?

-Mary in Santa Rosa, California

Answer:

I am not sure if there is a gauge for just square wire, however at this time I would like to explain how to use a wire gauge.

If you hover over this picture of a wire gauge tool, you will notice that the top of the slit between each number/size is straight on each side. This is where your wire is placed to determine its size. Simply fit the wire between the slits until the wire rubs against them: not too tight, but still snug.

You can measure round, half round, and square wire with this tool. For half round, make sure you measure across the widest point of the wire. For square wire, place the flat sides of the wire between the metal slits.

Here’s an image of the Wire-Sculpture staff measuring a 14-gauge round piece of copper wire.

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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