Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
February 20, 2010

Question:

Is there an inexpensive way to display necklaces at shows?

Answer:

There are many, inexpensive ways to attractively display your jewelry at shows! As you specifically asked about necklaces, this is the one I will address here. I have seen coffee cans covered with velvet, with wire looped through the plastic top to attach a necklace to and the piece drapes down the can; picture frames with the glass removed and the back colored black, again with wire loops inserted through the top of the backing to attach pieces to; black DVD cases lined with felt (wire loops again through the back at the top) which work well for pendants hung on fishing line and not only are an automatic set-up but an easy pack-up and storage solution, etc. Browse around in second hand shops and you will be amazed at what treasures you can find! Used formal wear can be cut up and super glue can be a great friend. One of our faculty members uses odd glassware, shoes and stuffed gloves to display her pieces. (I can hardly wait to see what ideas you all send in to help with this one!)

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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Review by Rose Marion

Jewelry Making Tool Review: 4.8V Automatic Wire Twister

One of my friends in high school played the harp, and you wouldn’t expect it (I sure didn’t when she challenged me to a thumb wrestle), but playing the harp gives you very strong fingers! Harpists have to practice plucking a myriad of strings precisely and just hard enough to get the right volume and tone. Well, me not being a harpist, I have weak little fingers, and they just don’t like twisting wire. I lost the thumb wrestling contest, but lucky for me, I found this large automatic wire twister in the office today, so I thought I’d share my thoughts on it with you!

I’m really excited to share my review of our Automatic Wire Twister, one of the many jewelry making tools we carry. We have both the small (3.6V) and large (4.8V) versions in our office. The small version spins easily at 200rpm, but the large version can reach up to 400rpm. Both wire twisters come with rechargeable batteries, and have an average recharge time of 4-6 hours. Although the small one works great, I have to say I think I like the bigger one better!

The small wire twister fits easily in my hand, is fairly light for a machine that’s equivalent to my husband’s power drill, and can even twist itself in half, allowing you to operate it two ways (see below).

However, I prefer the grip of the larger power drill for my jewelry making. It fits snugly in my hand and has good grip-holding texture. Here’s a picture of the larger drill:

This drill has a larger battery pack for longer battery life and more power (twice as much revolutionary power as the 3.6V), so the drill itself has a more traditional “power drill” silhouette. The larger battery barrel at the bottom lets me rest the drill on the desk when I stop working, and it stays put—the smaller wire twister has a nifty rotating handle, but it will roll to one side when you put it on the desk. This way, if I’m working on a delicate piece with my fingers, I know exactly where my twister is when I need it again—I don’t even have to take my eyes off my work. You can even let the twister stay put on the table if you keep your hand steady on it, and feed the wire straight into the bit.

The large 4.8V drill operates by squeezing the on/off switch with your forefinger, regardless of which hand is your dominant hand. This is easier for me than the smaller drill, which operates by pressing the switch with your thumb (or, if you’re left-handed, it might be with your forefinger). I think the drill is pretty easy to use, and I really like the way it feels in my hand!

One last feature of the large 4.8V wire twister I noticed when I picked it up to use it for the first time: like my husband’s power tool, the wire twister has a key to change the drill bit. This key is stored in a snap-in compartment in the base of the battery pack, so it’s always handy and you’ll never lose it! This is helpful if you’ve accumulated several wire twister heads and you like to switch between them, or if you have other jewelry making drill bits that you use for drilling holes in metal sheets, reaming beads, and even unscrewing screws around the house! In contrast, the smaller twister self-locks, so it doesn’t even need a key.

Both wire twisters operate in forward and reverse, so you can twist your wire whichever way you like. Both wire twisters are completely battery operated, so you don’t have to worry about tripping over cords while working on your jewelry, or wasting time searching for a free outlet. Both wire twisters also come with A/C chargers, so when you’re through with your twister, just let it charge overnight, and it’ll be ready to go in the morning.

One of my favorite things to do with a wire twister is take a piece of square wire and wrap it with a ring or bracelet. Simple as it sounds, I love the effect just one piece of twisted wire can add. I also like to make rosettes with twisted round wire and add beads to make elegant necklaces. What are some of your favorite wire twisting projects?

Well, that’s all the scoop I’ve got on our automatic power twisters. As far as our other jewelry making tools, I’ve got my eyes on a new tool kit we’re putting together to review next—I’ve heard it’s got a nice case, a whole set of good pliers, and a ruler. I love being able to measure my pieces as I go, so I love that a ruler might come with the set. As soon as we finalize the set, I’ll let you know all about it!

Summary

3.6V Small Automatic Wire Twister

Twists at 200rpm

• Rotating handle for increased control
• Thumb operates drill (left-handers may use forefinger instead)
• Chuck is self-locking

4.8V Large Automatic Wire Twister

• Twists at 400rpm
• Flat base to rest on table
• Forefinger-operated
• Key operates chuck

Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
February 19, 2010

Question:

If I make my own cabochons out of clay, how do I get them shiny?

Answer:

Are you working in polymer, art clay, PMC or something else? Although I do not work in any of these media, I did some research and found the following links that may give you the help you need. For Art Clay http://www.artclayworld.com/tips_and_techniques.php For Polymer Clay, http://www.polymerclayweb.com/default.asp
and for PMC, http://www.pmcconnection.com/hints.html

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

Have a question? Submit your question here

It’s been snowing heaps along the Atlantic coast recently, as well as in other places, and I wanted to remind you that it’s not too late to enter Wire-Sculpture.com’s 2010 Snowflake Jewelry Contest!

Warm your fingers up, shovel off your workstation, and get out your jewelry making tools . It’s time to get twisting!

This year, we were inspired by the snowflake. No two are alike, and neither are any two wire jewelry makers. Here in Utah, snowflakes aren’t uncommon—in fact, there’s snow on the ground here now. Also, we’re enjoying watching the 2010 Winter Olympics are happening right now in Vancouver, B.C.—but did you know that at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, one of the symbols was the snowflake?

To enter the contest, all you have to do is create a snowflake using wire, crystal beads, and large-holed freshwater pearls, and send us pictures of it! Make sure you name your entry, too, and include step-by-step instructions. You can find a complete set of rules at the contest page, or at the bottom of this article, but don’t let them limit you—use as many cabochons, beads, and crystals as you like.

Speaking of cabochons, I think a sparkling druzy cabochon would make a beautiful center stone in a snowflake—what do you think? I bet you can come up with some neat effects by twisting wire, working with chain maille, or bezeling to create a piece that represents snowfall and winter to you.

Make a hairpin, necklace, ring, even a Christmas ornament—anything that reminds you of a chilly winter snowflake.

We’re excited to see your entries, and we’re also excited to award prizes! The Grand Prize has a $650 value, and the winner will get to be our personal guest at one of our Wired Workshop Weekends. In addition to prizes, two other winners, the Wire-Sculpture Staff Choice winner and the Popular Vote winner, will get a personalized review of their project from Dale “Cougar” Armstrong!

Speaking of Dale, she created her own snowflake for the contest. Check it out:

So make sure that you create, photograph, and enter your snowflake by February 28, 2010 at the contest page. We here at Wire-Sculpture are excited to see your design—we’ve loved the entries we’ve seen already. Stay warm and happy wire crafting!

Note: Please be sure to follow these rules; if you do not follow them completely, we will have to disqualify your entry. To qualify your snowflake design as an official entry, these are the rules to follow:

• You must purchase a selection of large-holed freshwater pearls and/or crystal beads from Wire-Sculpture to use in your snowflake design
• Create your own original snowflake design using only traditional wire jewelry techniques.
• No solder, glue or any type of adhesive is allowed
• Name your entry
• Send us two good pictures, one of the BACK as well as the FRONT
• Include the step-by-step directions, both written and photos as well as a list of the supplies used such as wire gauges and tempers, and any embellishments, etc. Click Here for an example of how the step-by-step directions should be.

Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
February 18, 2010

Question:

When using either tigertail and crimps, or when I’ve cut the extra wire after making a loop, I always seem to end up with an extremely sharp edge, sharp enough to leave punctures!  (in me at least).  How can I correct this?

Answer:

Ok a beader question. My recommendation would be to use a very small and sharp pair of wire nippers and cut the villain off immediately next to the crimp.

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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