Power Crimping and Other Crimping Tips

re: Power Crimping and Other Crimping Tips

SeB@5 — Sun, 24 May 2009 21:27:14 GMT

Am I the only one that thinks the first two photos are wrong??? Kinda important to see them Please fix !!!

re: Power Crimping and Other Crimping Tips

minnie@15 — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 23:41:32 GMT

Two of the tips are gold!!! 1) use the front end of the crimp to make an oval before making the notch. 2) add a bead before the crimp tube to keep the wires uncrossed. Best tips on crimping and I LOVE the results I'm getting!

re: Power Crimping and Other Crimping Tips

lai2 — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:15:30 GMT

No one has mentioned that the first crimp bead is easy since you can move the beads down to make sure the two wires are not crossed, but when you do the opposite end, there is no extra room to make sure the wored are not crossed, It's almost impossible to uncross them.

re: Power Crimping and Other Crimping Tips

lai2 — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:15:26 GMT

re: Power Crimping and Other Crimping Tips

Beadyfab — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 07:15:31 GMT

I so enjoy Jean's articles! I'd never thought of using the first notch in the crimping pliers to pre-shape the crimp. Brilliant! I've tried the magical crimper with 2mm sterling silver crimps but ended up with some sorry looking little dried prune-shaped beads lol! I also have to use the smallest sized magical pliers, otherwise the pliers overhang the crimp and I end up mashing up the beads on either side of the crimp. I would readily use sterling silver crimps for "normal" crimping, but I'm too worried the metal would be too soft. Can you recommend "high end" i.e. top quality base metal crimps? I end up throwing away so many with raggedy edges. By the way, this was such a good read, I've finally subscribed to Beadwork! (…and letting lapse my subscription to B&B…). Keep up the good work Jean! and thank you so much for a brilliant read :)

Beadyfab

Salisbury, GB

re: Power Crimping and Other Crimping Tips

Wanda.Harvell — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 01:34:04 GMT

I am happy to hear that there is another way to use the crimping tool. I tried using the double notch first and then trying to round it and it breaks the crimp. That has happened every time I have tried so I stopped. Has anyone else had that problem.

Wanda

re: Power Crimping and Other Crimping Tips

Cindale — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:54:11 GMT

Your instructions on crimping failed to mention one of the most important elements of crimping successfully. For a “fold” crimp to work & hold properly, the first fold must be between the 2 segments of the wire. The easiest way to accomplish this is to put a bead (any bead that works with your design) between the crimp bead/tube and the ring.

After you loop through the ring & run it back through the first bead, the wire always crosses over itself (it’s a physics thing which I can’t accurately explain). When the wire crosses it creates an “X” inside the first bead. If your first bead is a crimp, you will be folding onto the “X” which actually starts a cutting action on the wire. By putting the crimp as the second bead, the wire stays straight and is easy to separate so your fold is always between the wire segments.

Crimping is actually a 3-step process (4 if you use the front notch first as your article states). The last step to proper crimping is to place the folded & closed crimp in the flat portion of the tip of the crimping pliers (with the fold facing the tip of the pliers) and give it a light to medium squeeze. “Why?” you ask. The crimp pliers “notches” are sized to accommodate a wide range of stringing wire diameters. To ensure that your crimp is going to properly hold on the size of wire you are using…just give it a little squeeze.

Once we started using the above techniques, over 8 years ago, we have never had a crimp fail. BTW, we always use a single 2x2mm sterling or GF crimp on each end, no matter how heavy the beads and this technique always works.

Allen White

Cindale Beads

Smithfield, NC

re: Power Crimping and Other Crimping Tips

Pat K.T — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:14:07 GMT

Crimpity! I have not seen an important step in insuring a secure crimp that I always do. Make sure the wires are on top of each other (not side by side) when you make the first crimp. This will give you a really secure, non-slip, simply "crimpity" crimp!

Creatively,

Pat K. Thomas

re: Power Crimping and Other Crimping Tips

Rebecca@98 — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:45:17 GMT

Thanks so much for the tip on the correct way to use the crimper, look forward to see what the difference will be.

re: Power Crimping and Other Crimping Tips

Judy Wyatt — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:38:49 GMT

JudyW re: Power Crimping and other Crimping Tips

I live in Australia and have been beading for 3 years. I am mostly self taught as we don't have the classes, etc. available to us here. I bring all my beads, findings, etc. in from the U.S. I have always used a crimping tool and I am very fussy with my crimps - I always think how terrible for one of my purchasers to lose their strands in the middle of the shopping mall or worse).

The secret to using a crimp cover successfully, I think, is to use the first notch on the crimping tool to place the crimp cover over the crimp. This leaves what looks like a silver bead. The main thing is to make sure that the wire is centered in the center of the cover ( open side facing front)

and when you gently squeeze the cover closed do not get the wire caught in the crimp cover. It is a gentle process - it cost me a few wasted crimps before I got the hang of it. I also repeat the process after another bead has been added for extra strength as I mostly work with gemstones.

I love this chatter.......yes, I'm a bead junky !

re: Power Crimping and Other Crimping Tips

BeBe of tucson — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:08:14 GMT

Im sorry I got the thread wrong......its the ,where can I find.... by Donna, in the forum board........BeBe of tucson

re: Power Crimping and Other Crimping Tips

BeBe of tucson — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 01:58:29 GMT

There is a post on the forums board in the, how do I, board. Someone there gives exact instructions on how to properly use the magic crimp pliers and correct wire size and crimp size. Use only the ss and gf 2mm crimp tubes. There are two sizes of the magic pliers and the correct sizes are posted there.

I have been using the black crimp beads and am breaking many more then are successful. They told why this is and it does make sense, those are plated crimp beads and thus are weaker and break when crimped.

I too have enjoyed this thread and have been using the crimping tool wrong all these years. How does one know this if we are following the manufacturers directions that came with the tool? So they are wrong too? What else is the industry wrong about? lololol

I have also used more then one crimp to hold something heavy, it just makes more sense to relieve the stress at that point. BeBe of tucson

re: Power Crimping and Other Crimping Tips

MaureenR@12 — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:37:21 GMT

I think all these tips are great. I have a jewelry business and dispaired at how many times I could not get a good look on a crimp. I would resort to crimp covers, but that can get expensive. I switched to tornado crimps. They are larger but at least have a uniform look. I also tried a micro-crimper on smaller crimpers.

I can't wait to try the 'correct' way to use the crimper.

Thanks so much for Beading Daily. It keeps my beading addiction in check. Almost! he.he.

re: Power Crimping and Other Crimping Tips

Assetmaker — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:01:16 GMT

I can get good crimps with only one size of tube, a #2. Seems I need a pair of "mini" and also "maxi" crimpling pliers. Anyone know where these can be purchased? All I can find are "standard" crimpling pliers.

They only work well (for me) on #2 size crimp tubes. (I gave up on trying to use crimp beads... they just don't work!)

re: Power Crimping and Other Crimping Tips

AGJ — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:38:17 GMT

I have been obsessed with secure crimping, since I started beading trying to fix someone else's handiwork. What works for me is matching the correct size cable wire with corresponding crimp. Multi-strands fit snuggly anchored, with possibly two or more separate crimps gathered on an eyepin, covered inside a deep cap, tube or cone finding. I will definitely adopt the front end crimping to my steps, which include the dab of Hypo Cement. I learned the secret to crimp covers is to use the very tip of the crimp tool to lightly press on the gap of the open edges to get them as close together as possible.