Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip for
September 12, 2011

Question:

Can you tell me how to use the automatic wire twister? Thanks.

-Gale in Rockville, Maryland

Answer:

Hi Gale, I would like to direct you to Getting Twisted, an article all about wire twisters and how to use them. (This article is also reprinted in the written directions that come with our Automatic Wire Twister).

When describing how to use tools, sometimes it is easier to show rather than tell. Wire-Sculpture Faculty member Sherrie Lingerfelt did a video tip showing how to twist wire, which you can find here: Extremely Easy Ways to Twist Jewelry Wire. We have another video just on the automatic wire twister here. I hope this all helps!

Answer contributed by Dale "Cougar" Armstrong

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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip for
August 17, 2011

Question:

How do I determine what size of burr cup to buy for the different size wire gauges? For instance, I use 21-gauge wire for making ear wires. What size burr cup would I use? Is there a chart out there somewhere? Thank you!

-Bobbie in Miami, Florida

Answer:

Hi Bobbie, the size of the cup burr you choose should be just a hair larger than the wire you plan to use it on. For example, if you use 21-gauge (which is 0.723mm in diameter) to make ear wires, then you would want to use a cup bur of 0.8mm, or even the next size larger. To determine what size the wire is, check out our Conversion Table – American Wire Gauge to Inches and MM.

Cup Bur Tool

Choosing your cup bur in this manner, you will find that one will fit several wire gauges. Our sister site, JewelryTools.com, has a great selection of cup burs, including some sets! Remember that these are very versatile as they can be used in either a hand holder or in your Dremel or automatic wire twister.

For those of you who may not know what a cup bur is or how to use it, Sonja Kiser made a nice video tip for us called Removing Wire Burrs.

Answer contributed by Dale "Cougar" Armstrong

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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip for
August 15, 2011

Question:

Hi, I’m new to wire working and I purchased the Jump Start series. I also purchased the G10-22 sliding pin vise. I watched your video on using a pin vise, and when I try to do it the wire twists very tightly on the ends and not so much it the middle. I also tried it with my husband’s drill and it did the same thing. What am I doing wrong? Thanks.

-Shirley in Lafayette, Louisiana

Answer:

Hi Shirley, and welcome to our "twisted" world! I am always happy to help folks of any skill level in any way I can. Twisting wire is not very difficult and you are doing it correctly; however, different wires do twist differently. Most precious metals like sterling, Argentium® and gold-filled, as well as some of the base metals, all twist pretty consistently, and there is no "trick" to doing it. If you take a few minutes to read either the article on our blog Getting Twisted or the directions that come with our automatic wire twister, you will find many ideas for twisting wire combinations as well as the answers to questions you may not have thought of yet.

No, wire does not always twist consistently. It is the nature of the product. While you twist a piece of square wire slowly, watch it: the wire twists at each end first, and then in the middle. Occasionally, with lots of practice, you can twist evenly using a drill or automatic twister, but it is a rare event. If you desire a consistent twist, you have to plan for it by adding a half-inch or so to the overall length of wire you are working with and cut the tightly twisted ends off. But remember this is handcrafted jewelry! It is not supposed to "look" like it is manufactured.

I am glad that you enjoy the Jump Start series and I hope it gives you enough information to convince you to go forward with your new wire jewelry hobby!

Answer contributed by Dale "Cougar" Armstrong

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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip for
June 29, 2011

Question:

I have a tutorial that calls for 16-gauge twisted wire. To make it myself, do I fold 16-gauge in half, then twist the two lengths together, or use two lengths of a thinner gauge and twist them so the combined wires are the equivalent of 16-gauge? Thank you.

-Kathy in Waxahachie, Texas

Answer:

Hi Kathy, if I were to read a tutorial that calls for 16 gauge twisted wire and could not contact the tutorial author, I would twist one piece of 16 gauge square wire. I would assume that it is not round, because we know that twisting a single piece of round wire will only make the wire harder, instead of giving a twisted appearance.

The only thing you have to consider is, how detailed is the pattern? If the wire is twisted very tightly, the twisting process will take up a small bit of the overall length, so you may wish to add about 1/4 inch to the required length. If you are only going to twist it a little bit, then using the amount called for in the pattern should be fine.

Here’s an experiment for you. After you have made the design according to the pattern’s directions, try it again, this time twisting double the required length in round wire, in 18-gauge. Yes, fold the doubled length in half first, and then twist it as tightly as you need to form a nice, smooth rope. The results can be very cool!

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