Making an Ear Wire Jewelry Making Finding
Step 7B:
The last step on our jig is to bend the wire against the second regular
metal peg as shown at right. Once this step is completed you can
remove the wire component from the jig.
 Step
8B: Measure about 1/4" from the bend in your ear wire made at
the left most regular metal peg, and cut the wire. This will leave
you an ear wire that appears as shown at left.
Step 9B: There are two steps in finishing your ear wire.
First and most important is to remove any burs or rough spots from the
end of the wire. This is best done with a tool called a
cup bur or bur cup.
This tool is essentially a very small cup on the end of a stick.
The cup contains abrasive compounds and the effect is to file the end of
the wire round when the cup bur is used.
You can view how to use a cup bur here. The last step in
making an ear wire is optional, but recommended especially if you plan
on selling the earrings. This step is to use an
anvil or bench block and a
chasing hammer to flatten and harden the ear wire. You
will want to concentrate your hammering on the rounded portion of the
ear wire, where the wire touched the 5/16" Super Peg. Hammer the
ear wire until you can see that the rounded portion of the ear wire has
started to flatten slightly. At this point you will notice that
the ear wire is much stiffer and more permanent.
This is a very popular style of ear wire.
We also have
free jewelry making instructions for making several other sizes and
styles of ear wires here. When funds are tight, making
your own findings is a good way to save money on jewelry making
supplies. |