Wire wrapping -Q & A or helpful hints and information

[Untwistedsister]

I'm starting this thread so members can post questions and get answers. Or if you have a helpful hint, just post it here.

I'll start with a helpful hint.

Do your pliers leave marks on your wire? If so, an inexpensive solution is to get a fine Emory board from your beauty supply and gently file the edges of your pliers until they no longer feel sharp. This will keep your pliers still precise but reduce those icky marks and burrs.

[Former_Member]

Very nice Terri, thanks for starting this thread!

[Former_Member]

Great advice! Thanks!

[Former_Member]

When tucking wires up and under neath other wires, I use a jump ring crimp tool....with the red handle. Its tucks those last edges up neatly so your wrapped spoil is clean to the eye.

Tho' my wrap is NON traditional, it works for me. When I started wrapping I didn't know there were rules or lapidary styles. I just started teaching myself how to present the stone in the utmost simplest way.

Also, started with craft brass wire and hardware store copper until I could afford the good stuff.....both wire works well in the learning process.

[ARiversideStudio]

Great thread!

Terri, that's brilliant and I would never have thought of doing that but I'm going to give it a try:) I wrap my pliers in masking tape (I think in the US it's called decorator's tape) and that helps. Need to keep renewing it, though.

Crudeco, I'm trying to picture that and wondering if it's similar to what I do. The crimp tool I have is for squishing French crimps when bead stringing to fasten them securely to the wire, it has a round section and a bifurcated (?right word, wrong word, spelling?) section, I use the round section when I've done a wire wrap, to get it to sit neat.

Got to fly soon, be back in the a.m.

[Former_Member]

Anna, yes that's the tool.
It tucks the end wire up and under so nicely.

[Former_Member]

very interesting thread, i know absolutely nothing about wire wrapping in making Jewelry. It makes a great read. Thanks all. :-)

[ARiversideStudio]

Thought that sounded like the same tool Crudeco - I *love* multi purpose tools!

Jerry, wire wrapping is so satisfying; there's something almost meditative about it.

[Former_Member]

That is a trick I will have to try, thanks!

[Former_Member]

Anna Bradley from LindenTreeVintage says

Thought that sounded like the same tool Crudeco - I *love* multi purpose tools!

Jerry, wire wrapping is so satisfying; there's something almost meditative about it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I can relate to this post.
There are days where touching rock and wrapping rock brings me peace.

[SassyDefined]

I love the tips. Especially the one about the marks. Need to get on that ASAP.

[ARiversideStudio]

Crudeco, it does indeed bring peace:)

Well this isn't wire wrapping as such but I'd love to share it because I was so thrilled when I worked it out!

I love making wire spirals but for ages was stumped on how to not get an egg shaped middle as opposed to a completely round middle.

Then I realised that once I've made the first full turn on my round nose pliers, if I take the pliers out and with my flush cutters snip off the *very tiniest end* of that first turn, put those pliers back in and continue turning for *just a very small amount* and then take them back out again and use my flat nose pliers to do the spiraling thing, the result is.....

ta-da - a completely round middle!!!

And I've just realised this could be helpful for anyone who uses wire spirals to encase beads:)

[JanCramer]

A tip on wrapping briolettes:
I never wrap briolettes the way all the books tell you too. They always seem to come out sloppy or off center. Instead I will take a finer gauge wire, slide the brio in the center and bring both ends up above the brio. I slide a bead on to the two wires and then form a wrapped loop using both wire ends using both wires as if it was one.

[Former_Member]

Anna,
You've heard what they say about "idle hands"?

I can't imagine what it must be like for those peeps who have NO hobby, NO creative process or NO handy work to keep their minds fresh.

OF course, there are peeps who read......giggle. Reading puts me to sleep.
Mickey

[Former_Member]

briolettes..............when I was wrapping these for ear drops, I wrapped each as if they were in a swing. So, that when the crystal briolette moved back and forth like a swing, the light to catches its sparkle.

I'm not a fan of blocking even the man-made faceted briolette top portion....like when folks wrap the wire close to the top, coiling at the top. Plus, I'm frugal, it seems like too much wire for such a small pretty crystal.

[JanCramer]

Crudeco - my briolettes still swing and you can see the top. Usually use this with the tiny 9x5 brios and wrapped with 28 gauge fine wire.

[ajjewelrydesigns]

Wow, Janice. Your work is beautiful and amazing! I have a real mind block for the written word. Do you have a picture of one of your wrapped briolettes?

[ajjewelrydesigns]

Oh, my...just visited Terri's shop as well. Gorgeous stuff!

[Former_Member]

Janice,
This is lovely.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/98998170/bruneau-jasper-wirewrapped-pendant?

And Bruneau just isn't that pretty unless its wrapped in gold.
Nicely done.

[SerasiJewelry]

I came across this clever tip on how to keep cut pieces of silver wire from flying all over (in short, she uses a tall piece of tupperware):

http://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/business-topics/discuss/5295165/page/1/?post_id=13831341

[Taurii]

OMG some great artists here, your work is beautiful, I have lots of ideas and love creating but I have got a lot to learn, let's say my technique with the briolettes is more "rustic" but I'm going to try the tuck technique with the crimp tool, I hate dealing with the straggly end! Great idea about the spirals, too!

[Former_Member]

Most of my jewelry has a dirty/rough look to it, so usually my horrible wire wrapping skills aren't too much of a problem.. but I really wish it didn't take me a million tries just to hang a bead on some wire. I either mess up so much that the wire gets too stiff to work with, or I scratch off any trace of coating. I've considered getting some nylon pliers, but that tape idea sounds like a good thing to try.

[ARiversideStudio]

Mickey, yes - I get twitchy if I don't have something to make:)

Rosa, that's great tip you linked to! I have to be careful when I'm cutting wire that I don't injure my left hand or arm (lymphodema) so anything that makes the process safer is a bonus.

And I never knew that about separating plated scrap from Sterling scrap by using a magnet. I'm always careful to try and keep them separate anyway but mistakes happen and I would just be so embarrassed if I took a box of scrap into our local jewellers and they found some plated in it. So I'm going to try it when I have enough to make it worth while:)

[GypsymoonChain]

I found when learning a new pattern or practicing something, use aluminum welding wire. Cheaper, and you won't waste your 'good' wire.

[SerasiJewelry]

Thanks Anna, I like those tip too. I nicked my finger while cutting wire and cupping it with my hand. So the tupperware idea as a shooting target works for me. :)

Gypsymoon, you just reminded me to stock up on practice wire. Thank you :)