How to Use a Wire Jig.
This is a Beginners Guide to Using a Wire Jig to Shape and Form Wire
In this article we take a look at how to use your wire jig to make components for unique wire jewelry. By experimenting you'll soon be making beautiful shapes.
Before starting to make complex projects using your wire jig it is a good idea to experiment with different thickness wire. Try arranging the pins in different configurations and bend the wire around in various ways to see how the finished pieces alter in appearance. Very different effects can be achieved simply by winding the wire around the pins in a different sequence. When experimenting use a low cost wire – copper or craft wire is a good option and will allow you to practice and follow your creativity without having to worry about costly mistakes! Jigs often come with example pin configurations that will give some ideas on how to start.
To start, make a loop and put this over the first pin, this will help anchor the wire in place and will let you pull it around the pins. If you don’t anchor the wire well to start – when you go to pull it around the next pin it will simply pull free!
When experimenting with the jig, keep any samples that you like – even if the shapes are not suitable for a project that you are going to imminently work on. These samples and experimental pieces can be handy for future reference. Simply make a note on a label of the wire used and the configuration of the pins. This label can then be attached to your sample piece, so when you come to replicate it you know exactly how it was made.
Tip: Why not keep the sample pieces in a wallet such as a cheap cd wallet, which has clear inserts. You can easily keep the samples and any other information in a single place and handy to reference when looking for inspiration!
When you have completed your shapes, snip the ends of the wire close to the work and remove from the jig. If you have any rough edges on the cut ends of wire, lightly file or sand the ends to ensure that it won’t snag clothes or scratch skin.
If you are using a soft wire the finished shape will benefit from being slightly ‘hardened’. This is known as tempering and will stop the shape from pulling undone or becoming misshapen. Hardening wire is simple to do. You simply need to gently hit it with a jeweler’s mallet (a jeweler’s mallet has a leather or hide head). Don’t worry if you don’t have a special jewelers mallet – you can replicate the process quite happily using a normal hammer and covering the head with a double fold of cloth to literally ‘cushion the blow’! You don’t want to hit the work too hard – so again it is a good idea to practice first, before starting on your precious metal wires.
Using a wire jig to make components for your jewelry is very rewarding, and it can be great fun to experiment with new ideas and shapes.
For instructions on how to make a very simple, but extremely attractive pair of earrings please see the Suite101 article here.
