Now Blogtoberfest 2013 is over I will be continuing with my Top Tips Tuesday spot.
There will be a mixture of tutorials, information of jewellery making techniques and Top Tips!
I do hope this will be a very helpful resource for the beginner of jewellery making or maybe even for the intermediate jeweller.
Working with Wire ~~ Part 2
Here is my table of wire gauges' information of when to use them and what to use them for!
|
Wire Gauge
|
What and When to use it
|
|
0.2mm
(32g) or 0.3mm (28g)
|
Very
Fine wire, suitable for Crochet or Knitting with wire
|
|
0.4mm (26g)
|
Mainly
used for wrapping, coiling and weaving, all metals
|
|
0.5mm
(24g) & 0.6mm (22g)
|
Used in
wrapping or coiling, great for twisting in Tiara making.
0.5mm
in colour coated wire is great as decoration in weaving and coiling sometimes
comes in 0.56mm
|
|
0.7mm (21g)
|
Tends
to come in the colour coated wire mainly.
Not
always strong enough on its own and can still be a bit weak if used as a base
wire for coiling or wrapping.
|
|
0.8mm
(20g)
|
Very
versatile. Good for making earwires, can be used as a base wire if
wrapped/coiled in earrings or rings. This size is used in headpins and eyepins
but has been stiffened, so will be great for making your own headpins, must
be hammered to strengthen it.
Will pass through most bead holes (pearls would
have difficulty as they have very small holes)
|
|
1.00mm
(18g)
|
Versatile
like 0.8mm, similar uses too. Good
base wire can be used on its own without being wrapped/coiling but will need
to be hammered to strengthen it.
Possibly
will not pass through smaller holes in beads.
|
|
1.2mm
or 1.25mm (16g)
|
Good as
a base wire for most jewellery items ~ rings, bangles/bracelets, pendants,
necklaces, brooches/fibulas/scarf rings, etc.
Can be
wrapped with larger wires such as 0.6mm as well as smaller wires, would be strong.
Can be more difficult to work with as stiffer but can be an asset but
tougher on your fingers.
|
|
1.5mm
(15g) or 1.6mm (14g)
|
Good
base wire for larger jewellery items ~ such as bangles/bracelets, wire
necklaces, brooches/scarf ring base/fibulas. No wrapping necessary. Can be hammered but
if finding difficult to do so may need annealing first to soften the wire so
will make it malleable while working, then hammer to strengthen and stiffen
again once finished manipulating wire.
|
|
2mm
(12g)
|
Very
large and stiff wire, will need annealing first before manipulating. Self supporting, good for bangles or bracelets maybe neckpieces ~ hammer to add decoration
or manipulate it.
|
I do have more tips on the boil but please do leave any comments of things you would like to see me cover! I do love to get comments so please do say hello!
See you next time.
E x
