 Step
1: Using your flush cutter, cut a piece of 16 or 18 gauge wire 9
inches long.Step 2: Using your round nose pliers or your fine step jaw pliers, make a loop in one end of the wire. The loop needs to be big enough to fit over one of the pegs in your WigJig Jewelry Making Tool. Step 3: Hold the wire by this loop and straighten the wire by pulling it repeatedly through the jaws of your nylon jaw pliers. Step 4: Add pegs 1 and 2 to your jig as shown above-right. The pattern is shown here on our WigJig Delphi. The same square pattern could be made on any WigJig tool, using four pegs in a square separated by about 2 inches. Place the initial loop in the wire on peg 1 and bend the wire against peg 2 until the wire rests adjacent to the empty hole for peg 3 with no pressure applied. This will require you to push the wire beyond the hole for peg 3 and then remove your grip on the wire to see where the wire will remain. If you use soft wire for making this component, the wire will naturally want to make a rounded bend against each peg instead of a crisp bend. One technique to overcome this tendency is to hold the thumb on your non-dominant hand tightly against the wire about 1/8" from peg 2 on the wire segment between peg 1 and 2 while you push the wire against peg 2 with the thumb on your dominant hand to achieve the bend. Step 5: Add peg 3 to your pattern and push the wire against peg 3 until it rests adjacent to the empty hole for peg 4 with no pressure applied. Step 6: Add peg 4 to your pattern and push the wire against peg 4 until it rests adjacent to peg with with no pressure applied. You will probably need to raise the wire over peg 1 as you push in order to get is to stay adjacent to peg 1 with no pressure applied. Step 7: Wrap the wire tightly around peg 1 to form a loop around this peg. Step 8: Remove the wire from the jig and cut the excess wire. Remember to cut the wire with the flat side of your flush cutter toward the finished piece so that you leave a flat or flush cut on the end of the wire. Close the final loop using your bent chain nose pliers. |