3 Stars Jewelry Wire Necklace & Earrings Jewelry Making Project -- Page 4

The next wire component we will make is the top wire component.  This is the largest  wire component and is the most difficult to make.  Because this wire component is larger and more complicated to make than many wire components made on our jigs, we are going to provide a detailed pattern sheet for making this component.  Please select here to view and print our Adobe Acrobat formetted template for making this Top Wire Component.  Please print this sheet to see where to place your pegs in your WigJig Cyclops.  This wire component uses 18 regular metal pegs. 

Step 10:  Using your nylon jaw pliers, straighten a segment of 20 gauge wire about 11 inches long.  (This amount is a rough approximation.  Use 11 inches of practice wire and measure the amount of excess wire you cut off.  Your goal is to have 1/2" of excess wire.)  For this wire component 1/2 hard wire will help to make the finished shape more consistently. 

Step 11:  Cut the 11" segment of wire using your flush cutter.   

Step 12:  Using your round nose pliers or step jaw pliers if you have them, make a "p" loop in the end of the wire with the flush cut. 

Step 13:  Place the loop in the wire on peg 1 in the template and wrap the wire around the pegs in turn.  Use the Spacer Press to push the wire down where there isn't room for your fingers between the pegs.  (It is easier to wrap the wire consistently when you start with two pegs and add a peg as you go.  Unfortunately, with a complex pattern like this one, it may be slightly more difficult to remember where the next peg goes in the pattern.  This is a case where each individual will have to determine whether the complexity of the pattern out-weighs the the advantages of consistency to be gained by starting with just 2 pegs.  By printing the template, you may find that it is easy to place the jig on the template and view where to place the next peg in the pattern.)  Please see the picture at left for how this wire component appears on the jig.  One way to help determine where to wrap your wire is that the wire always wraps around the side of the next peg that is further away from the current peg first. 

Step 14:  After you have completed wrapping the wire, remove the wire from your jig and cut the excess wire.  Please note that for this component, peg 1 is the first and last peg in the pattern.