by Rose Marion, Wire-Sculpture.com

Wire Jewelry Idea for
November 30, 2011

Some time ago, Casey Willson left a comment on this popular tip of the day, Prevent Tarnish on Copper and Nickel Silver, mentioning she had a great method for preserving copper wire’s shine, using a generic of Mop N Glo, called Mop N Shine. It wasn’t long before we were flooded with requests for Casey’s secret method!

Casey was gracious enough to share her method with us. While I personally haven’t tried it yet, Casey’s spent the last 9 years developing and perfecting this method. I hope it helps you find a good method of protecting your base metal wire jewelry, too!

Please test this method on scrap wire and spare beads before using this method on your finished jewelry. We cannot guarantee results will be the same for everyone.

Protective Coating for Wire and Base Metal Findings

by P. Casey Willson

Set up items needed:

• Product: Mop N Shine (generic form of Mop N Glow floor polish)
• Newspaper
• Viva paper towels (or other good quality)
• Tray or flat cardboard (optional)
• Long tweezers, crochet hook or old (clean) pliers
• Air tight container
• Water and disposable rag for clean up
• Cotton swabs for cleaning off gems while product is wet.
• Ammonia for cleaning up dried spots on work area.

Advisory:

1. DO NOT get this product on good gemstones or cabochons as it will dry blotchy on polished stones. Treat wire or findings ahead of time or with small paint brush to touch up after finishing item or on high wear spots such as bails or pin backs.
2. Be sure wire is very clean with no tarnish (patina is just fine if you want to keep it!) or dirt at all. This coating is very hard and difficult to remove when cured.
3. Be aware you are working with a polymer and the feel of the wire will be a bit slick. Be sure to include the polymer in your item description. I think it’s a plus, as it prevents tarnish and also reduces allergic reactions to everything except rare allergies to plastic.
4. DO NOT dip spring clasps; paint the outside instead. Dipping can lock up the spring mechanism.

Procedure

Pour at least 1″ of dip into your air tight container. I prefer a 6″ to 8″ by 3″ oblong container or 3′ to 6″ large round one that will hold at least 2″ of dip with a 2″ clearance above the liquid level for safety. With these sizes you can dip a coil of wire without any bends being created.

Place wires or findings in dip without splashing. It can be removed immediately with fingers if you prefer but better with long tweezers, a crochet hook or old pliers. The dip WILL freeze the joint of the pliers if you allow it to dry in the joint so hold them nose down and dry them nose down.

Let excess drip off then lightly drop on newspaper and paper towel lined tray. Stretch your wire coil (or separate multiple findings) so the dip does not dry on two connected items. You want to avoid rough spots this may create. We’re after a smooth, thin coating. Curing time is short. Generic brands cure faster. Allow at least ten minutes for hard curing.

If item being dipped (such as a base metal cab setting) has “holes” or filigree, be sure to lightly blow through the holes to prevent a film from forming.

If dipping a finished base metal piece or chain hang from a pin or hook above your absorbent pad to let any excess drip off. Chains will be a little bit stiff but just run them through your fingers when dry and they will be fine. We work with wire so any of us can make a stand from which to hang these pieces from stiff wire (coil the base, then make an arched rise with a hook on the end).

Touch up (with small paint brush) any places where pliers may have broken through dip coating while you were working with it.

Notes and Cautions

I will also dip inexpensive porous cabochons that I use in practice pieces. It works as a hardener for soft stones such as chalk turquoise and as a color fixer for dyed stone. DO NOT use on highly- polished hard stones or beads!

DO NOT use on any thread if you use thread in your work. It will make the thread brittle so it breaks. DO NOT use on leather. DO use as a sealer on acrylic painted items.

Double-dipping high wear items is a good thing. Be sure coating is cured between dippings.

Always test materials other than wire before using dip.

Product cleans up easily with water when wet. Tools like paint brushes or crochet hooks should be kept in water between uses, then dried when you finish. Avoid shaking wet items excessively as droplets may get on work surfaces and any nearby carpet or even on your clothing, then be missed.

Please practice methods before using on important pieces!!!!

I’ve developed this method over about 9 years of jewelry making in various styles and it has worked for me quite well. I love the fact that with this dip I can wear base metal ear wires! When I make copper or brass earrings I want the findings to match!

I kept this as my “secret process” for almost six years. Now I’m sharing it freely with hopes that you all benefit.

Credits: In “The Art of Painting on Rocks” by Lin Wellford this material was suggested as a paint protective coating. I took the idea further. My thanks to Lin.

P. Casey Willson

Wire-Sculpture does not guarantee any results from this method, and is not liable for any damage caused by this method. Please be sure to test this method and become familiar with it before transferring it to any finished jewelry pieces.

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by Rose Marion, Wire-Sculpture.com

Wire Jewelry Idea for
November 2, 2011

Here at Wire-Sculpture, we cut our wire by the foot for your convenience, rather than shipping you a quarter-ounce, half-ounce, or full ounce of jewelry wire. (Remember: precious metal is measured in ozt, or troy ounces) But what if you’re familiar with ordering by the ounce, as some precious metals are, or what if your electrician friend offered you a couple pounds of scrap copper wire? Is it worth the drive across town?

We’ve collected data on Gold-Filled, Sterling Silver, and Argentium® wires, the most common wires to be sold by weight, and put it in a convenient chart for you. We’ve also included our chart on Copper and Brass, which are often measured by the pound. Please note, all values are approximate.

Download Wire Length-per-Weight Charts (60KB)  |  Download Adobe Reader

Click to Download!

Feel free to bookmark this page, or our other Wire Charts page, and come back as often as you like!

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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip

Question:

I use a lot of copper wire and like the look of high shine on some of my hammered heavy-gauge pieces. I use steel wool and it almost glows. However, the color and shine doesn’t stay on it, even if put away and sealed. Suggestions? Is the only answer a type of coating on it? Thanks.

-Kathleen in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Answer:

Hi Kathleen, ah the challenges of working in base metals. These include the temper and the dreaded tarnish! Yes, copper is pretty when it is clean-pink and shiny. BUT, the nature of this metal is to oxidize and there is NO permanent solution! All possible coatings or treatments are only temporary. Depending on the atmosphere and the amount and type of contaminants in the area, copper will turn all kinds of colors, especially green.

Do you remember when the Statue of Liberty was cleaned for her 100th birthday? A solution of baking soda and water is all that was used! The salt and acids in a human’s skin can cause all types of havoc with many metals, especially copper and brass. We have a new article that I would like to direct your attention to. Found on the Resource Center page under the heading "Caring for your Jewelry", Mary Bailey talks about copper and brass jewelry wire, including how to clean it in "How to Clean Copper and Brass Jewelry Wire."

My advice to you and all of my fellow wire jewelry friends is to "work with the metal"! When you use a wire that you know is going to tarnish in some way, use that feature to its advantage. Design pieces that resemble steampunk, vintage or renaissance styles and embrace the fact that those pieces will constantly change according to whomever wears them in whatever environment they are in.

Answer contributed by Dale "Cougar" Armstrong

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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.

Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip for
July 12, 2011

Question:

Hi! I have recently begun making jewelry after years in between a high school course and have a love for metal work. Although copper is my favorite medium, it has that pesky habit of turning people green. Is there a product or process I can use to stop that?

-Alaina in Robbinsdale, Minnesota

Answer:

Tarnish! Either you love it or you don’t. Alaina, I would like to direct you to several discussions we have had with regards to ways to prevent tarnish not only on copper, but also on brass. As more and more of us are using less expensive wire, I think folks will enjoy rereading these posts, which mention several products like Renaissance Wax, ProtectaClear, and NuFinish, that can be used to prevent tarnish on copper wire. Please don’t stop at the bottom of the posts, though – continue on and read the comments, because many folks have shared their experiments and experiences with all of us.

In the Tip Protecting Copper from Tarnishing no fewer than 8 different products are suggested!

Following the Tip Prevent Tarnish on Copper and Nickel Silver is a huge discussion (nearly 40 comments to-date!) that includes some more natural cleaning methods as well as experiments that didn’t turn out well, and how to counter them.

One comment under Keep Copper Wire Shining talks about actually using the beauty of tarnished copper within a design. Hopefully one of these discussions will help you as well.

Answer contributed by Dale "Cougar" Armstrong

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