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Hardening Wire Page 1
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 The
fourth step in making permanent wire components can be to
employ bracing of your component.
In the case of the component
 shown at right, the "V" shaped wire
component would
not have been sufficiently strong to be used as a yoke in a
necklace by itself. When we use a second wire component to
brace both ends of the "V" shaped wire component, the resulting
component is very strong and permanent as shown at left.
The final approach to making permanent jewelry wire
 components
is to harden the piece by hammering it. Wire can be hardened
by hammering it either with a nylon hammer, with a rawhide hammer
or with a metal chasing hammer. Hammering wire with a nylon
hammer or a rawhide hammer will not change the shape of the wire,
but will make the finished wire component stiffer. Hammering
wire with a metal chasing hammer will flatten the wire and will
result in a finished wire component that is much stronger and
stiffer. Here are a few dos and don'ts regarding hammering
your wire components.
-
Do hammer wire that is one layer of wire like the ear wire shown
above.
-
Don't hammer wire where one piece of wire crosses another.
This will cause the wire to break at the point where the wire
crosses.
-
Don't hammer too close to beads. Obviously, hitting the
beads with the hammer can cause the glass to break.
-
Do use an anvil, a bench block, or a jeweler's block as the surface
for holding the wire component that you will hammer. The
smooth surface of the anvil or the blocks will minimize any
marking of the wire.
Hardening Wire Page 1
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