Tips for Perfect Crimps

re: Tips for Perfect Crimps

prabha111 — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 01:57:12 GMT

Noone has mentioned the screw- in crimps, also called scrimps. Has anyone used these? PL. give you feedback. Thanks.

Prabha

re: Tips for Perfect Crimps

gabrielschmerler — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 11:14:55 GMT

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re: Tips for Perfect Crimps

KarenH@140 — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 02:50:08 GMT

Excellent post and comments. Thank you!

re: Tips for Perfect Crimps

Maddie McEwan — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:18:56 GMT

Wow I learned so much reading these comments! I had no idea there were different sizes of crimping tools. No wonder I have trouble with the small wire and crimps. Does the fancy crimping tool that makes the crimp into a bead work on the smaller wire with the smaller crimps too? Thank you so much for all of this great information.

Maddie

re: Tips for Perfect Crimps

Loriel13 — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 03:59:27 GMT

This article has spawned the BEST comments EVER!!!

I too like the new criming pliers that turn 2x2 crimps into little ROUND beads. I just can't find a tool that will work on LARGER CRIMPS that I use for my thicker wire (.024). I need the thicker wire b/c I make bigger beads and the designs just call for it.

Is there any way to order the Tornado crimps other than from Via Murano? There website to so odd and difficult to navigate - and everything seems so extra expensive on there. My favorite suppliers are Artbeads or Fusionbeads, with the occasional foray into a eBay seller or two if their shipping isn't astronomical. I know people mentioned Rio Grande - but their shipping charges are outrageous! There has to be a way to get these twisted/tornado crimps from somewhere that doesn't cost more than the piece you are making! I see they offer wholesale opportunities so SOMEONE out there must be selling these and giving us little guys a break. Anyone know of any? Thanks in advance! Lori (CBL)

re: Tips for Perfect Crimps

kgailb — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 19:17:46 GMT

I've been using tornado style crips for years and never, never use - or consider using - any other crimp. If you don't want the metal crimps work harding and failing, these are the only crimps to use. Also, I use a crimping plier with these beads. It make a really nice sturdy round crimp. If I can't slip a bead over it, I use a large whole sterling bead to cover the crimp.

When crimping, I use both a medium crimper and a mini crimper on all my crimps no matter the size. The medium starts the crimp and the mini gets it nice and tight.

I also use an accent bead between the crimp and the clasp. It reduces stress on the wire. In addition, I save the 6 largest holed beads for the ends. Then the wire/beadalon/whatever, returns back through the accent bead + crimp + 3 beads of the necklace. I pull the wire and then cut, so the end slides up into the last bead.

re: Tips for Perfect Crimps

miracatta — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 20:11:23 GMT

Instead of crimping directly to a clasp, I crimp the beading cable to a split ring, and the cable/clasp to the split ring. Then, the stress from clasping goes to from the clasp to the ring, with less activity around the actual beading wire. I also like the look of the additional ring. I've used rounds and tubes, and tubes seem more stable. I am going to investigate the tornado crimps. Never heard of them before now---glad I read the article and comments!!

re: Tips for Perfect Crimps

roseytheriveter — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 12:14:32 GMT

Thank you for this; I have had problems with my jewelry falling apart after a few wears. Embarassing! One thing I have started doing is double crimping, or using 2 crimp beads if my beads are big chunky beads. Also, I just cannot seem to be able to use the crimp covers.

re: Tips for Perfect Crimps

PeggyBeads — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 10:36:13 GMT

Deb, don't hate that instructor too much. She, like me, has likely been beading long enough to remember when there WAS no such thing as a crimping tool, when the only plastic-covered steel-cable stringing medium was tiger tail.

I remember the first time Scott Barkey showed me his new invention, the crimping tool, at his Chicago bead showroom, and thinking, "How cunning!" Good job for beaders the world over that Scott was an engineer long before he entered the world of beads!

By the same token, I had a friend, who used to string fabulous high-end beaded necklaces on fishing-line -- fishing-line!?! -- through the 90s, well into the early years of this century, until she retired to some remote part of AZ. She wrote and published two books about her heretical beading technique. She was even highly a sought after speaker and teacher for bead societies and all the BIG bead show. Go figure!

re: Tips for Perfect Crimps

mangiCj — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 09:26:59 GMT

There are 3 more crimping tools out there. I prefer Beadalon crimps. On the tube it tells you what wire to use and what size crimper to use. This way you can never get it wrong and the guessing game is over. Plus you are guaranteed a good crimp. If you go on to JTV.com and go into Jewell School, they have great sales on crimps with the tools from Beadalon. Can't beat their deals anywhere.

re: Tips for Perfect Crimps

studioarthead — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 21:45:19 GMT

Hello-

Do you have any suggestions for what crimps to use for extremely heavy stones. For years, I have been using very bold heavy stones (large slabs of agate, turquoise, and labradorite, etc) and I usually have to get pretty creative when it comes down to string ing and crimping. Sometimes the Beadalon wire requires crimp tube #4 which I can never find. I end up wire-wrapping my large stones and attaching them to chain. But if any has any suggestions for crimping & stringing large stones please let me know.

Thanks!

re: Tips for Perfect Crimps

daeidre — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 06:15:49 GMT

I'm fairly new to making threaded jewelery and particularly with crimps. It took me a bit of fiddling around to realise that the particular crimping pliers I have don't make the U shape particularly well anyway (as someone else mentioned, I got the opened up diamond shape doing the second step), so I tend to start off with that, then carefully and gently bend the crimp into more of a U over the very end edge of the pliers. It keeps the crimp nice and tight around the wire too, which was the other problem I was having using solely crimping pliers. I also agree with the suggestions to tighten the closed crimp that little bit by flattening it with either the unused space on the crimpers or other pliers.

re: Tips for Perfect Crimps

dholmberg — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 03:26:02 GMT

When I first started beading years ago the shop owner who taught me how to use the crimping tool explained it this way: if you look at the closed tool you will see a "c" and an "o", always use them in alphabetical order. This is an easy way to remember which well to use first.

re: Tips for Perfect Crimps

janedean — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 23:46:41 GMT

I love the extra heavy 2x2 tube crimps from Art Beads. They are so reliable! They ALWAYS work for me.

re: Tips for Perfect Crimps

cnoble2001 — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 23:46:01 GMT

I fully agree with you about matching the crimp to the wire. I wouldn't dream of putting silver wire and gold crimps. But I have one other suggestion to reduce wear and tear on the tiger tail or beading wire. I use a wire guard when I can, I also found a few other styles of bead crimp covers.

Jerilyn Noble