How to Make Your Own Wire Wrapping Tool Kit
Wire wrapping is a great solder-free way to create your own accessories. Jewelry makers who use this technique require a range of tools to bend, twist and flatten wire to encase gemstones for pendants or to craft rings, bracelets, necklaces and other jewelry. These tools can be found at bead retail shops, craft supply stores and jewelry supply houses.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- chain nose pliers
- round nose pliers
- flat nose pliers
- wire cutters
- needle file, wire rounder or cup burr
- bench block or anvil
- hammer or mallet
-
-
1
Select wire cutters designed for jewelry making. Side cutters, also called flush cutters, work best, because they allow the user to cut the wire as closely as possible to the jewelry piece, which prevents having a lot of wire overhang. Too much extra wire can snag clothing or even cut into the person wearing the jewelry. Therefore, look for flush cutters that cut as close to your work as possible.
-
2
Choose round nose pliers in various sizes. The tapered ends of this tool allow the wire artist to create loops and curves with wire, which you can use to create designs with the wire or to make jump rings and chains. Look for a pair whose tips line up. Lesser-quality pliers often have ends that are off-center.
-
3
Select a pair of flat nose pliers, which are used to close loops, pushing the wire in place while wrapping, gripping flat objects, crafting flat coils and straightening out wire. The shape of flat nose pliers also often determines how and where the tool is used.
-
4
Purchase a pair of chain nose pliers. Jewelry makers use this tool to open and close jump rings, pick up small items, get into places that flat nose pliers cannot and flattening a crimping bead.
-
5
Buy a hammer or mallet and a steel bench block or anvil. These items come in handy if the project you're working on requires you to harden the wire. Rawhide and plastic mallets will not mar the metal or add texture. Ball pein and other hammers can be used to add texture to the jewelry creation in addition to hardening the metal. Likewise, select a steel bench block or anvil without any scratches or other marks in it.
-
6
Purchase a needle file, cup burr or wire rounded are used to file the ends of cut wire smooth. If you do not have any of these tools, you can use your flat nose or chain nose pliers to smooth out the ends of wire when it is pushed securely out of the way. However, filing the ends is best to reduce the risk that the wire will cut the person wearing the jewelry.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
These tools can be purchased at your local bead store, many craft shops and in most jewelry supply houses. You will also find less expensive versions of all these tools in the hardware store.
Specialty versions of round nose pliers are made for wire wrapping with three steps. Many wire wrappers like these specialty pliers because they make it easy to create three uniform size loops; of course, the limitation of these pliers is that the wire wrapper can create only three sized loops when using the specialty pliers.
Always wear eye goggles when cutting wire.
