Jewelry jigs are very easy to make, if you have wood, a saw and a drill. Jigs make duplicating a wire design very easy. I prefer the home made variety jig since the pegs are stationery and do not wobble when bending the wire.
Materials needed:
4"x4"x2"thick piece wood
1/8 x 1" brad nails
1/4" diameter wooden dowel
20 gauge practice wire
drill
1/4" drill bit
wooden or rubber mallet
anvil or pounding block
saw
graph paper
file or burr cup
round nose pliers
flush cutters
sharpie pen
To begin, find a piece of scrap lumber at least 4"x4"x2" thick. A thinner piece of lumber can be used, but the 2" thickness gives more weight and stability to the jig. This size should be large enough to make several jigs on the same wood block.
Draw the design on graph paper with a soft pencil.
Mark with dots the places to put brads or dowels(for large curves) for bending.
Turn the paper over on the wood block and draw over the design. This will make a light tracing. Another method to duplicate the design (if you have a prototype) is to trace around the piece on the wood block.
We are going to make an ear wire jig as an example.
To place the dowel, drill with a 1/4" bit 1/2" into the wood block. Set a drill press to this depth or mark this depth with tape on the drill bit. Cut the dowel piece 1 1/4 -1 1/2 inch in length. Sand or shave off the edges slightly on one end. Insert the shaved end of the dowel into the hole and use the mallet to wedge it tightly into the wood block.
Mark a cross on the top of the dowel to divide it into four equal parts. (Some designs might use a cross marked on the wood block.) At the 3 o'clock position 3/16" away from the dowel, mark a dot (position 1). At the 6 o'clock position 7/16" away from the dowel, mark a dot (position 2). 5/16" below the last dot and in a parallel line adjacent to Position 2, mark with a dot (position 3). Position 3 gives a slight bend in the end of the ear wire. The tops of the brad nails should be filed or ground to make removing articles form the jig easy. Drive the brad nails in 1/4" at each position. For other designs, smaller dowels can be used with matching diameter drill bits.
To conserve expensive wire when making an ear wire or any prototype, mark 20 gauge practice wire with sharpie in 1 inch increments. With round nose pliers make a loop large enough to fit the brad at position 1. Put loop over brad at position 1 with the loop opening toward the dowel, bend around dowel, then bend between dowel and brad at position 2, then bend to position 3. Cut the wire at position 3. Remove ear wire or prototype from jig.
To flatten the ear wire or prototype, place on an anvil or pounding block, hitting it several times with a rubber mallet. This hardens the metal making it brittle. Never pound where wires cross since the wires might break. Smooth the ends of the ear wires with a file or burr cup.
Determine from the sharpie marks the length of wire used. Mark a line the length plus about 1/4" on the wood block. This will facilitate measuring wire for future projects.
Jigs can be made to make ear wires with beads, a variety of shapes or longer tails. With imagination the possibilities for duplicating jewelry designs pieces made by bending wire are endless.
Although the finished jig looks rough, it works very well.
Peggy Barnette, self taught jewelry designer, webmaster Gemstone Bead Jewelry [http://www.gemstonebeadjewelry.com/]http://www.gemstonebeadjewelry.com/, blog [http://gemstonebeadjewelry.blogspot.com]http://gemstonebeadjewelry.blogspot.com, life long participant in various crafting hobbies, designed, produced and coordinated wardrobe for state beauty pageant participant, BS Institutional Management, MS Nutrition
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peggy_Barnette http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Make-a-Jewelry-Jig---Example,-Ear-Wire-Jig&id=2555905
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Argentium Silver - How Silver is Meant to Be
Argentium Silver is composed of pure silver, copper and germanium. This composition gives Argentium its unique qualities: it is purer, whiter, stronger, harder and more versatile than traditional silver and is highly tarnish resistant.
It will stay bright and beautiful for longer, eliminating the onerous task of regular cleaning and polishing. Silver has been prized for its wonderful lustre for centuries; only now, thanks to the discovery of Argentium, can owning beautiful objects created in silver be truly hassle free.
Argentium Silver has a rich natural lustre that is always evident. Many traditional silver products on sale around the world are surface plated in an attempt to hide the rapid discoloration caused by tarnishing. The problem with this approach is that plating usually consists of the thinnest of coatings that can be easily removed in use thus exposing the ills of traditional silver. Furthermore, the types of plating commonly used create a surface finish that is closer to chrome in looks. This destroys the appearance of silver's otherwise fine lustre. Argentium Silver does not require plating treatments and therefore objects created in this wonderful precious metal retain their distinctive natural colour and warmth.
In the past, traditional silver has presented craftsmen with numerous challenges because of its inherent softness. Through a simple and unique process Argentium Silver can be made harder and stronger than traditional sterling silver. This opens up a world of new possibilities for designers and Silversmiths. Stone set jewellery can be manufactured with the confidence and knowledge that settings will be strong enough to withstand the rigours of everyday wear. Additionally, new and largely unexplored categories for silver goods like wristwatches and interior design are now accessible as a direct result of the argentium's superior hardness properties.
Silver has attracted man's fascination for many thousands of years, marking important historical milestones throughout the ages and serving as a medium of exchange. Today, Argentium Silver is setting a new standard for the way in which silver is manufactured and appreciated in the 21st Century.
Argentium Silver marks the beginning of the Silver Revolution.
Adam Hunter - E-commerce Marketing Manager of cooksongold.com. Cookson Precious Metals offer a choice of jewellery making supplies from over 10,000 products including gold and [http://www.cooksongold.com/Findings/]silver findings jewellery tools, precious metal clay, gemstones and gold and silver sheet - gold, [http://www.cooksongold.com/Argentium-Silver/]argentium silver platinum and palladium plus technical information for jewellers, jobbers, designer, craftsmen, artisans and students.
Contacts
Adam Hunter
E-commerce Marketing Manager
Tel(DDI): +44 (0) 121 212 6491
E-mail: adam.hunter@cooksongold.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=A_Hunter http://EzineArticles.com/?Argentium-Silver---How-Silver-is-Meant-to-Be&id=2554995
It will stay bright and beautiful for longer, eliminating the onerous task of regular cleaning and polishing. Silver has been prized for its wonderful lustre for centuries; only now, thanks to the discovery of Argentium, can owning beautiful objects created in silver be truly hassle free.
Argentium Silver has a rich natural lustre that is always evident. Many traditional silver products on sale around the world are surface plated in an attempt to hide the rapid discoloration caused by tarnishing. The problem with this approach is that plating usually consists of the thinnest of coatings that can be easily removed in use thus exposing the ills of traditional silver. Furthermore, the types of plating commonly used create a surface finish that is closer to chrome in looks. This destroys the appearance of silver's otherwise fine lustre. Argentium Silver does not require plating treatments and therefore objects created in this wonderful precious metal retain their distinctive natural colour and warmth.
In the past, traditional silver has presented craftsmen with numerous challenges because of its inherent softness. Through a simple and unique process Argentium Silver can be made harder and stronger than traditional sterling silver. This opens up a world of new possibilities for designers and Silversmiths. Stone set jewellery can be manufactured with the confidence and knowledge that settings will be strong enough to withstand the rigours of everyday wear. Additionally, new and largely unexplored categories for silver goods like wristwatches and interior design are now accessible as a direct result of the argentium's superior hardness properties.
Silver has attracted man's fascination for many thousands of years, marking important historical milestones throughout the ages and serving as a medium of exchange. Today, Argentium Silver is setting a new standard for the way in which silver is manufactured and appreciated in the 21st Century.
Argentium Silver marks the beginning of the Silver Revolution.
Adam Hunter - E-commerce Marketing Manager of cooksongold.com. Cookson Precious Metals offer a choice of jewellery making supplies from over 10,000 products including gold and [http://www.cooksongold.com/Findings/]silver findings jewellery tools, precious metal clay, gemstones and gold and silver sheet - gold, [http://www.cooksongold.com/Argentium-Silver/]argentium silver platinum and palladium plus technical information for jewellers, jobbers, designer, craftsmen, artisans and students.
Contacts
Adam Hunter
E-commerce Marketing Manager
Tel(DDI): +44 (0) 121 212 6491
E-mail: adam.hunter@cooksongold.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=A_Hunter http://EzineArticles.com/?Argentium-Silver---How-Silver-is-Meant-to-Be&id=2554995
Monday, June 29, 2009
Easy Wire Wrap Jewelry Projects
Wire wrapping can create fantastic pieces of jewelry. You can wire wrap bead or pendents for great looks. This is a technique that takes a little practice, but over time can make fantastic and interesting looking pieces.
With that in mind, it isn't a bad idea to start with inexpensive wire that isn't made of fancy materials. Eventually you may want to move into gold- and silver-filled wires.
For now, you can pick up spools of wire for a few dollars or less and make fantastic interesting pieces.
This article will cover making wire wrapped pieces that can then be hooked together. The technique described is specifically for beads that have been drilled through, but can be used for top-drilled pieces and other types as well.
Step 1:
Cut your wire. It is always a good idea to have too much wire and then trim it after you are done. If working with beads under 10 or 12 millimeters, three to four inches of wire is a good idea. If your bead is larger than that, go for more wire so you can get the look that you want.
Step 2:
Insert the wire into the bead and create a wrapped loop. Insert the wire through the hole in the bead and make a wire wrapped loop. If you are doing this for a top-drilled bead then this will be a wrapped wire loop that will let you add it to the piece, if this is a regular bead you will end up making a second wrapped wire loop, but will want to start with one.
*To Make a Wrapped wire loop-
1) Make sure you have at least 1 1/4" of wire above your bead. Use your chain nose pliers and position them grasping the wire above the bead. This is going to help you form the neck of the wrapped loop and will actually be the place you will wrap the wire around after you have formed the loop. Bend the wire (using your fingers) at a ninety degree angle.
2) Place your round nose pliers on the bent wire (the portion that is at a 90 degree angle) so that it butts up against the "neck" of the piece. Using your fingers wrap your wire around the nose of your pliers. This will make a loop.
3) Reposition your round nose pliers so that the bottom jaw is placed into the forming loop. Finish wrapping your wire around the bottom jaw. You should now see the loop portion of the wrapped wire loop.
4) Position the chain nose pliers so that they are holding the loop.
5) Wrap the wire around the "neck" that you created earlier. You want your wire to look nice, so you will want to go slowly and get it so that each layer is up against the next with out odd looking overlaps.
6) Trim the excess wire (end cutters make this easiest) and press the cut end close to your wrapped wire using your chain nose pliers.
Step 3:
Make a second wrapped wire loop. As long as you are doing a bead you will want to make a second wrapped wire loop on the other side, however you want want to trim your wire. These links will let you connect them to other beads and to findings with jump rings.
If you would prefer, you can make the links so that they link together.
Step 4:
Wrap your bead. This is the creative part. You will want to gently wrap the wire to form loops and designs on your bead. Make sure you go slowly and use your pliers for holding the wire, but your fingers for bending it. You will also want to decide how much of your bead you will want to have showing (after all if using a material that is really pretty or expensive you will want some to show through!).
While this is a fairly simple thing to do when writing it down, it is more difficult when you are actually making the projects. You will find that it can be hard to get the look you really want. Additionally as you practice you will find new techniques that can make great looking pieces. However, this is the basic start for all those learning to make wrapped wire jewelry. If you are wanting to make even better pieces this is a good thing to take a class in because there are a lot of things you can learn to do and having a teacher show you with hands on help can be a great improvement to your style as well as learning caging, wire altering, twisting, and hammer techniques to create truly awe inspiring pieces.
Learn more about this author, Danelle Karth.
With that in mind, it isn't a bad idea to start with inexpensive wire that isn't made of fancy materials. Eventually you may want to move into gold- and silver-filled wires.
For now, you can pick up spools of wire for a few dollars or less and make fantastic interesting pieces.
This article will cover making wire wrapped pieces that can then be hooked together. The technique described is specifically for beads that have been drilled through, but can be used for top-drilled pieces and other types as well.
Step 1:
Cut your wire. It is always a good idea to have too much wire and then trim it after you are done. If working with beads under 10 or 12 millimeters, three to four inches of wire is a good idea. If your bead is larger than that, go for more wire so you can get the look that you want.
Step 2:
Insert the wire into the bead and create a wrapped loop. Insert the wire through the hole in the bead and make a wire wrapped loop. If you are doing this for a top-drilled bead then this will be a wrapped wire loop that will let you add it to the piece, if this is a regular bead you will end up making a second wrapped wire loop, but will want to start with one.
*To Make a Wrapped wire loop-
1) Make sure you have at least 1 1/4" of wire above your bead. Use your chain nose pliers and position them grasping the wire above the bead. This is going to help you form the neck of the wrapped loop and will actually be the place you will wrap the wire around after you have formed the loop. Bend the wire (using your fingers) at a ninety degree angle.
2) Place your round nose pliers on the bent wire (the portion that is at a 90 degree angle) so that it butts up against the "neck" of the piece. Using your fingers wrap your wire around the nose of your pliers. This will make a loop.
3) Reposition your round nose pliers so that the bottom jaw is placed into the forming loop. Finish wrapping your wire around the bottom jaw. You should now see the loop portion of the wrapped wire loop.
4) Position the chain nose pliers so that they are holding the loop.
5) Wrap the wire around the "neck" that you created earlier. You want your wire to look nice, so you will want to go slowly and get it so that each layer is up against the next with out odd looking overlaps.
6) Trim the excess wire (end cutters make this easiest) and press the cut end close to your wrapped wire using your chain nose pliers.
Step 3:
Make a second wrapped wire loop. As long as you are doing a bead you will want to make a second wrapped wire loop on the other side, however you want want to trim your wire. These links will let you connect them to other beads and to findings with jump rings.
If you would prefer, you can make the links so that they link together.
Step 4:
Wrap your bead. This is the creative part. You will want to gently wrap the wire to form loops and designs on your bead. Make sure you go slowly and use your pliers for holding the wire, but your fingers for bending it. You will also want to decide how much of your bead you will want to have showing (after all if using a material that is really pretty or expensive you will want some to show through!).
While this is a fairly simple thing to do when writing it down, it is more difficult when you are actually making the projects. You will find that it can be hard to get the look you really want. Additionally as you practice you will find new techniques that can make great looking pieces. However, this is the basic start for all those learning to make wrapped wire jewelry. If you are wanting to make even better pieces this is a good thing to take a class in because there are a lot of things you can learn to do and having a teacher show you with hands on help can be a great improvement to your style as well as learning caging, wire altering, twisting, and hammer techniques to create truly awe inspiring pieces.
Learn more about this author, Danelle Karth.
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