To Wrap or Not to Wrap; Wire that is...

re: To Wrap or Not to Wrap; Wire that is...

kidsintexas — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 13:51:48 GMT

This is the best illustration of making a loop that I have seen. The wire wrapping part is a bonus. I am self-taught and even though I have tried to follow many instructions for making a loop they still didn't come out the way I thought they should. Seeing the exact placement of the pliers was a great help. I think I finally "get it".

re: To Wrap or Not to Wrap; Wire that is...

Kristal Wick — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 19:34:13 GMT

Thanks to all your comments, I'll be a pro in no time!

re: To Wrap or Not to Wrap; Wire that is...

Sage1332003 — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 15:45:54 GMT

Here is my method.1)Bend the wire over the bead w/ round nose pliers. 2)Hold the bead steady w/ your other hand & without removing the pliers, release your grip & rotate so that one jaw is now on the top. 3)Pull the wire back over the top jaw & push it until it is pointing down. 4)Rotate the pliers again so that one jaw is on the top. 5)W/ chain nose pliers, pull the tail of wire behind the loop so that it is a right angle from the loop. 6)Remove the pliers & rotate the bead until the wire is pointing straight down. 7)W/ another pair of chain nose pliers, grip across the loop while holding it steady. Wrapping is done w/ half turns of your wrist. 8)W/ chain nose pliers, grab the tail of wire at the tip, and pull it straight across & under the loop. 9)Release your grip & rotate your wrist so you can pull the wire straight down. If you want a wrap that looks like a coil, this is how you do it. The next wrap has to be slightly forward of the previous one. And, continue w/ half rotations of your wrist. Three wraps look very nice. For tucking the tail of wire, I use Beadalon's pearl knotting pliers. They have very fine tips & do a fabulous job.

re: To Wrap or Not to Wrap; Wire that is...

Eri3 — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 01:43:08 GMT

Kristal thank you so much for sharing your wire wrapping experience. When I teach an earring class I like to teach 3 techniques, looping, wire wrapping and making a connecting, a wire wrap and a loop. I love to wire wrap and that is mainly what I encourage. I must admit I am horrible at creating loops. So many people are intimidated by wire wrapping and I think it is such an important technique to learn. I usually suggest like you, to use craft wire and I also tell them to do 10 wire wraps in a row. The first one is usually not very good but by the tenth one you are nearly an expert!

re: To Wrap or Not to Wrap; Wire that is...

Shaktipaj — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 20:12:15 GMT

LOL, Lyn!

Couldn't agree more! Sometimes I think the 'primitive' style gained ground because people haven't been taught how to easily turn a neat wrapped loop. And yes- sometimes that style does just look as if the maker said "Oh well - I'm done. I've spent too much time on this already....." not as if it were done intentionally.

Perri

re: To Wrap or Not to Wrap; Wire that is...

Shaktipaj — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 20:11:56 GMT

LOL, Lyn!

re: To Wrap or Not to Wrap; Wire that is...

LynzyS — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 19:59:05 GMT

You left out a very important step in my opinion! On Step 5 use a flat nose plier to hold the loop and use your chain nose pliers to coil the wire below the loop...and Voila! A nice clean wrap! I hate messy wraps! Looks like the beader was in a hurry to finish and didn't care about being neat! I always wrap!

Lyn

www.lynstoll.com

re: To Wrap or Not to Wrap; Wire that is...

diana katerina — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 19:04:16 GMT

I can't help myself. I wire wrap everything if it sits still long enough.

re: To Wrap or Not to Wrap; Wire that is...

Shaktipaj — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:02:55 GMT

Kristal,

This is a basic skill that all newbies need - thanks for writing about it!

As a teacher, I'm noticing a couple of things you do that can lead to wonky wrapped loops for beginners.

1. On Step 3, from your description I'm assuming you took the pliers out of the wrap and reinserted them - this risks not getting the pliers back into the loop exactly - if they go too far back in, that is fine, but if they don't go as far, then the loop will be pulled off round and slightly twisted.

FIX: instead of taking the pliers out, loosen your grip slightly and swing the bottom jaw to the horizontal position, so that the jaws are side by side instead of stacked - then go on to Step 4.

2. Wrapping the shank with your round nose pliers in the loop almost *guarantees* a wonky loop for beginners. (If you are more experienced and do it this way, you have already gone through the frustration of figuring how to do this - but we don't want to wish frustration on newbies, do we?)

Ever notice that first wrap around the shank pulls the whole thing to one side and you have to grip harder to keep it still? Round nose pliers contact the wire at exactly two very small points - add the turning motion of the actual wrap, and the whole thing tries to pivot on those points.

Not only does it skew your loop into a P shape, but it also causes rounded divots in the wire. Both are avoidable, even for a beginner, by changing one thing: use your chain nose pliers to hold the loop *flat* between the jaws as you wrap.

Put as much of the loop *flat*between the jaws as possible on the fatter end, avoiding where the wires cross.

This gives much more contact with the piece for control and fully supports the loop as you wrap, keeping it round. You can also use a much lighter touch - no need for a death grip that skews things. With the loop fully supported, you can concentrate more fully on getting the wraps neat without fighting to keep your loop round.

The 'primitive organic' style hinges on less controlled loops and wire. But in order to make any other style, a 'two tool' approach is a good habit to get into.

I tell my students to think of chain nose pliers first as grippers and second as angle mandrels that can get into tight places. Round nose pliers are circular Mandrels with Handrels - and should almost *never* be used as grippers unless filing out divots that were avoidable is a passion for them.

There are lots of little tweaks and fixits for wonky loops - but avoiding the problem if you can is always preferable in my book. :^D

Thanks for the wonderful addition to my inbox in the mornings,

Perri Jackson

re: To Wrap or Not to Wrap; Wire that is...

cisray — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 14:46:09 GMT

Kristal, Here are a couple additional tips I give my students to add to your list.

1) Practice with 22 or 24 gauge craft wire. Thicker gauges will be harder to manipulate and thinner gauges are more likely to get distorted while you're wrapping. Both should be tackled once you've gotten the basic technique mastered.

2) I have my students switch to chain-nose or bent-nose pliers for your step 5. There's less chance of the piece shifting while your wrapping and loops retain their shape.

3) Use a Sharpy to mark the position of the loop size you like on your roundnose pliers to help keep them consistent.

4) Try working with 3 wraps, at least to start. Mark your chain-nose pliers at the position on the jaw that would leave just enough of a 'neck' for the 3. As in my #3, this will keep the 'necks' consistent in length. This also helps when making chain links to keep the wraps on either side of the beads at a consistent length.

5) Using the outer jaw of crimping pliers will also help when tucking in that last bit of wire into the coil.

re: To Wrap or Not to Wrap; Wire that is...

DianeS@104 — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 14:45:39 GMT

I love wrapping the loops and have a lot of practice. I use the crimping pliers to tuck the tail; it does a great job! Unfortunately, I am 70, and my hands aren't very good at wrapping without pain.

re: To Wrap or Not to Wrap; Wire that is...

JanineB@7 — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 14:01:46 GMT

That is too funny...For years I hadn't wrapped my loops and now, unless I am using a heavy gage wire I ALWAYS wrap my loops.

Even if I feel confident that the wire will be secure....Sometimes it only takes a two loop to finish my project and knowing that my work will last is a good feeling....

Janine