Tools for Making Wire Jewelry
Only a few key tools are required to make lovely Wire Jewelry.
You don't need lots of specialist equipment to make Wire Jewelry. In this article we look at Pliers and Wire Cutters, two extremely useful tools to start you on your way.
There are two key tools that you are likely to require when starting to make wire jewelry, the first is one or more sets of pliers which will help you bend and form the wire, the second is a set of wire cutters, which are essential for snipping off ends of wire accurately and with out leaving rough bits to snag clothes and flesh!
Whilst normal household tools can be used, it is best to keep tools specifically for jewelry use and not used for heavy household tasks. Tools for making jewelry need to be small and light to handle and as such many household tools are likely to be unsuitable for fine work.
Pliers
There are many different types of plier, each one having a different application. Hence the fact that most wire artists will be proud owners of an impressive range - each one for a different purpose. Pliers come with a range of different ‘nose’ shapes, and also some are fitted with springs to make them easy to work with and to give a greater degree of accuracy. Spring pliers enable you to hold work under tension.
Flat Bed Pliers
These are the pliers with two flat ‘beds’, the nose does not taper and these pliers are handy for holding sheet metal, or thick wire.
Round Nose Pliers
The jaws of round nose pliers are formed into two small circles, making these pliers suitable for intricate bends in wire and making jump rings.
Snipe Nose Pliers
These are similar to flat bed pliers, other than the fact that they taper to a fine end, therefore good for intricate work. The fine ends mean that these pliers are useful for holding small items.
Ring Pliers
Ring pliers have one side made from a semi-circle, the other is flat. These are designed for forming rings and are a handy set of pliers to have.
Nylon pliers are useful as they will not mark the wire. These are available from specialist supplies stores.
Wire Cutters
Wire cutters are essential when making wire jewelry. Whilst it is possible to use an old pair of scissors for cutting thin wire (‘old’ is the key word here as the scissors will become damaged after a while!), a proper pair of wire cutters will soon become essential.
There are two main types, side cutters and top cutters. Side cutters are a good all round wire cutter to use, whereas the top cutter is extremely useful where snipping wire close to your work is required without the risk of cutting or marking the finished piece.
As with anything – you will find pliers and wire cutters available at a wide range of prices and qualities. It is possible to buy these cheaply, and it is likely that these will be fine to start with, however whilst it is not necessary to buy ‘top of the range’ tools, after a while you may find that you get better results by buying better quality tools.
For more information about making wire jewelry see the Suite101 article about choosing wire here.
Further projects: A project for making a lapel pin out of polymer clay and wire can be found at this Suite101 article here.
