Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
February 28, 2010

Question:

I like to form my own cabochons and free form pieces for wire wrapping. I seem to be having trouble getting the high polish I would like to have on my stones.  What is the best method or polish to use before I wire wrap my jewelry?  I currently have cerium oxide and tin oxide powder, but don’t know exactly how to use it to obtain the gloss I would like to have.

Answer:

Wow, it’s time to begin your own ‘polishing manual’. We have spent years working to get that high gloss polish on many different rock materials. Although cerium oxide is a great all-round polish, it just doesn’t work on some rocks like turquoise, which we use Zam on leather, felt or cotton wheels to produce the final polish. You may be ready to begin experimenting with diamond compound as well. (One tip is that you do not have to purchase the specialty extending fluids to work with diamond; rather a spray can of silicon spray from a hardware or auto parts store works fine.) The product called Super Cerium Oxide works well when used on leather wheels for a lot of the softer stones. Check your favorite lapidary supply source for a good book on polishing cabs and then write your own manual as you experiment with various methods. (And there are some stones that just do not take a polish well at all!)

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
February 27, 2010

Question:

What is the difference between an automatic wire twister and a pin vise, is one better than the other?

Answer:

I guess the main difference between using an automatic wire twister and a pin vise would be how many wires do you wish to twist at the same time (together), what gauge you want to twist, or how long is the wire you are twisting. Personally I use a pin vise if I am twisting a single wire (16g and smaller) that is about 4 inches or less in length. If I am twisting anything larger, longer, or a group of wires together, then I use an automatic wire twister. We have a great article all about twisting wire here: http://wire-sculpture.com/jewelry-making-blog/1388/getting-twisted/

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
February 26, 2010

Question:

I am new to wire wrapping and would like to know how to keep multiple strands of square wire all straight and flat when adding your half round wraps when wrapping a cabochon.  I have tried tapping them together but some strands seem to twist even after straightened.

Answer:

The most important thing to do is to make sure that your frame wires are as super straight as they can possibly be! When you arrange the frame bundle in your hand, if the wires are not straight at least rearrange them so they are all going in the same direction. When they are organized, tape near one end and then draw the wires up through your fingers, making them stay together and tape again.

I have to tell you folks, especially any beginners, if you are serious about wanting to learn wire wrapping, please set aside the funds and purchase my first beginner DVD, the All Wire Unisex Bangle Bracelet. http://wire-sculpture.com/jewelry-making-dvds/Beginner_Series_Part_1-7435-126.html This is my absolute favorite beginners class as it covers ALL of the techniques necessary to continue in the art form of traditional wire jewelry making, including how to straighten, bundle and tape wide wire bundles together, as well as how to make straight, beautiful wraps with square half-hard wire. I have to quote internationally known jewelry artist, Robert Dancik here, who after seeing me do a demo on these methods three years ago said, “You have just cleared up the wire wrapping mystery that has been boggling my mind for years.”

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
February 25, 2010

Question:

Is there any way to make a nice bail for a chain without going through a lot of hassle, a nice plain bail for a neck chain or a murano glass pendant?

Answer:

In October, Sherrie and I did a video tip that shows how to use a small piece of pattern wire to make an independent bail. You can also use a piece of heavy gauge round or square wire, by following the method shown in this video: http://wire-sculpture.com/jewelry-making-blog/206/creating-an-independent-bail/

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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Hi there, Wire Sculptors!

I want to give you an update on how we’re lowering prices to save you money, and remind you about our Gold Club!

We’ve been hard at work on reducing our prices on Jewelry Making Wire. Right now, our prices are lower than ever! In our new Jewelry Making Wire Section, you can quickly find the exact gauge and shape of wire you need. You can also select how much wire you’re purchasing—1, 5, 10, or 25 feet in most cases! And that’s not all.

We promised you we’d dedicate ourselves to bringing you the lowest price on wire—and in this economy, nothing beats a bargain. Today, we made good on that promise.

Thanks to our brilliant website guys, we are now able to base our prices on the current price of gold and silver—updated daily! Yes, that’s right—daily. You can buy all your jewelry making wire from our site confident that you have the most competitive prices, anywhere.

Check out our Sterling Silver and Gold-Filled Wire for your wire wrapped jewelry making, now priced as low as $0.32 a foot! Head over to our Jewelry Making Wire page and check out the improvements. We know you’ll love it!

If you’re looking for even more savings, don’t forget our Gold Club! If you’re already a member of our Gold Club, you already know about the benefits of joining, like our amazing 25% discount on all products.

But if you’re not a member of our Gold Club, let me take a second to outline why you should join.

•    It’s automatic—as soon as you qualify, you’re in. No applications, membership fees, or renewals!
•    It’s exclusive—get members-only emails alerting you to special deals, unique products, and bulk or limited-quantity supplies!
•    And don’t forget—you’ll save 25% on all Wire-Sculpture products automatically!

Just by qualifying for our Gold Club, you’ll save 25% on our already low prices! Check out our Gold Club membership page here for more information.

We’re always working hard to bring you the lowest prices in the market at Wire-Sculpture.com. Thanks for choosing us to supply your wire jewelry tools, wire, and inspiration!

Wishing you all the best,

Brandon Hutchins