Now showing at the BenchTube (beta)
Chain maille bracelet
Nice Chain maille bracelet including making the clasp - finishing…
Part 1
Runtime: 6m 9s
http://www.ganoksin.com/benchtube/video/165
Part 2
Runtime: 9m 56s
http://www.ganoksin.com/benchtube/video/166
http://www.ganoksin.com/benchtube/video/165 http://www.ganoksin.com/benchtube/video/166
I’ve tried the method for sawing jump rings which is shown in the
video. But unfortunately, the vice either doesn’t hold the coil tight
enough to allow sawing, or if it is tight enough, it distorts the
coil. Any suggestions would be welcome - as I’d love to get more into
chain making but am struggling to find an efficient way to cut my
coils and I can’t afford one of these gadgets available on the
market. Oh, I’ve also tried cut off wheels in the flexshaft, but they
just break apart and fly in my face (thank goodness for safety
specs!) and they are too thick to make a nice cut anyway.
Helen
UK
I have been making my jump rings by hand, but hard to get that flush
cut. Recently IJS (Indian Jewelers Supply) in Albuq demoed their jump
ring maker. If you have a flex shaft, it is great! Entire kit
included the coil maker, the metal chambers to hold your coils while
cutting them and NO flying rings! $150 not a bad price. I priced the
individual pieces and it would cost much more.
Helen,
I often use a nice metal shears. I cannot cut through too many rings
at once, but I rarely have to do more than a quick stroke with a
barette file on the ends before laying them out to be fused. I do
tape the coil, however, so that moving it and cutting leave me with
consistent sized coils.
Just one idea…
Kim
Helen - I have one of those fancy gagets for jumpring making because
I make so much chain - it’s great! BUT-I just got it and before I
had it I would make a coils with different size bolts stuck into a
cordless drill. I would just tape the end of the wire to the bolt.
After the coil is made I put a pencil or dowel in the coil (that
keeps the cut jumprings from flying all over) and masking tape the
entire coil-spiralthe tape down and back so the coil is completely
secure in the tape. Then I masking tape the entire coil to a small
block of wood and make sure each piece of tape overlaps alittle.
Then I would cut the coil down the center with a diamond wheel on my
flexshaft - becareful-wear gloves. I tried cutting the coils with
thin cut-off wheels but they just snap like potato chips. After coil
is cut you peal open your cocoon of tape and you have a handful of
jumprings.
That is how I have done it for a few years and I just made it up
because I needed so many jumprings - It made me crazy to coil the
coils by hand and saw them by hand - it took so long. That way I had
hundreds of jumprings in all different sizes in a half hour. I would
be interested to read if someone else does it someother weird way.
Hope it helps. Best wishes- Joy Kruse
I highly recommend the Koil Kutter available from Dave Arens, 3649 N.
Pellegrino Dr., Tucson AZ 85749 520-749-2413, gemstonesetc at
. It fits on a Delmel and several other
rotary tools. Costs around $80.00. I’ve used one for about 5 years
and I cut thousands of rings a month. I’m sure if you email him he
will send you his product sheet.
Cheers.
John Fetvedt
www.bijoux-de-terre.com
Any suggestions would be welcome - as I'd love to get more into chain making but am struggling to find an efficient way to cut my coils...
Coil your wire around a chopstick (or a dowel of desired size).
Weasel the coil down to the end and saw into the wood (which holds
the coil in place). Keep pushing the coil down as the jumprings are
cut.
Judy Bjorkman
Hi Kim,
I often use a nice metal shears. I cannot cut through too many rings at once, but I rarely have to do more than a quick stroke with a barette file on the ends before laying them out to be fused.
I used to use cutters/shears to cut jump rings but I didn’t like the
pinched ends and it’s impossible with tiny JR’s. When making lots of
jump rings, having to file the ends is not really something I want
to have to do, and it could round off the ends rather than having a
nice flat cut. I love the neatness the jeweller’s saw gives when
cutting jump rings but it’s so slow and awkward.
Your tape suggestion is a great one though, so many thanks - I’ll
try that because I do tend to lose a fair few JR’s when they ping
across the room, and since I’ve moved my studio upstairs, I can’t
find anything on the new floor!
Helen
UK
Hi Barbrie,
That’s a little too pricey for me at the moment but thanks for the
suggestion. Dave Arens has told me about his product, the Koil Kutter
and that’s much more reasonably priced so I’m going to try to budget
for that next month or the one after.
Thanks again.
Helen
UK
Then I would cut the coil down the center with a diamond wheel on my flexshaft - becareful-wear gloves. I tried cutting the coils with thin cut-off wheels but they just snap like potato chips.
Aha! Diamond wheel - must get some of those! Yes the cut-off wheels
do snap like potato chips and very quickly too. The taping is a
great idea too so thanks.
Helen
UK
I cut most all of my jumprings with the ever popular Joyce Chen
scissors.
Linda Lankford
I highly recommend the Koil Kutter available from Dave Arens, 3649 N. Pellegrino Dr., Tucson AZ 85749 520-749-2413, gemstonesetc at gainbroadband dot com.
I highly recommend the Koil Kutter available from Dave Arens
Thanks John, Dave did contact me yesterday and I am seriously
considering the Koil Kutter because it is much more reasonably
priced than other such gadgets. Thanks for the recommendation.
Helen
UK
Helen,
I find it easier to cut coils from the inside, out, when using a
jeweler’s saw.
Wind short coils - I use different diameter copper tubing as
mandrels, drill a hole in one end to thread an end of the wire
through to hold it in place as it’s winding, and chuck the other end
of the copper tube into the a cordless drill, and wind away.
Use the mandrel to place a short coil into a vise, and tighten, then
pull out the mandrel. I use strips of self-adhesive velcro- the
plush side, not the loop side- as liner for the jaws of the vise. It
will hold your coil tightly without marring, and also has enough give
to keep the tight ened vise from mishaping your jumprings.
Thread the blade in the jeweler’s saw backward- the teeth of the
blade will face the back of the saw. With one end of the blade
secured in the saw, thread the other end through the coil, secure
that end of the blade in the saw, and cut away, moving towards you as
you cut through the top of the coil. It’s a quick, easy way to cut a
lot of jumprings with basic tools.
Nancie
If I need many identical jump rings, I make a coil with a metal or
wooden dowel spinning dead soft wire on my flexshaft. Then I hold the
coil in a wooden or rubber holder that I place in a vise and cut,
using a very small diamond saw wheel. I make my holders by using a
1x2 (approx.) piece of material. I have small, med, and lg. sizes. I
drill the length of the piece (3-5 in, drill press) parallel to and
almost at the edge of one of the 1 inch sides. Then I cut the length
of the slot, almost through to the other 1 inch side with a thick
blade and file the two long sides slightly so they taper towards the
back 1 inch side. When I close a vise on this it will clamp the first
slot shut. Cut a second slit beside the first, but only maybe 1/16
deep and clear out the chips and you have a rip fence that will use
the screw on the sawblade mandrel as a guide. Slots must be parallel.
If using wood, a second drilled hole (wider than the slot) drilled at
the bottom of the deep slot will help keep the wood from splitting
under repeated clamping. Rubber doesn’t need the relief hole. Either
rubber or soft wood has enough give to hold a coil of rings firmly
without marring them. Also, dropping down a little before filing
sides will create a small lip that helps holder not slip down into
the vise (most annoying).
Alternately, I used double-stick tape to attach a couple of rubber
pads to the vise jaws. I had small v-notches cut to the inside far
enough down that my jump rings would not protrude above and once the
coil was clamped I used the same tape to attach my guide which was
one metal ruler with a wide slit in it glued to another metal ruler
with a thinner slit in it. The top slit accomodated my mandrel top
and screw, the bottom slit just a bit thicker than my blade.
Either holder is positioned in the vise so it is a little above the
surface, and is thin enough not to bump my flexshaft. Either holder
still requires you to use your own hand skills to keep the blade
running parallel to the slot. These holders also work fairly well
using a jeweler’s saw, especially if you have a vise that tilts,
such as a Pana-vise. Basic and ugly, definitely nothing automatic
about it, but it doesn’t cost much and does the job.