Coil cutting pliers

The Kingsley North, and several other suppliers, has coil cutting
pliers for $19.95. They say you can quickly cut multiple jump rings.
I don’t make enough jump rings to warrant the purchase of the more
expensive Jump Ring maker but the process I use, winding wire around
a wooden dowel, is a chore I really dislike. I’m wondering if these
pliers might make the job easier. I can’t tell if any mandrels comes
with this. I don’t think so. Has anyone used these pliers with any
ease or success or are they a waste of money?

Beverly

Making jump rings is one of the basic skills for us metal workers.
cutting them off a coil with snips isnt tha best way for the
following reasons.

Jump rings come in contact with skin, snipping them leaves a sharp
burr which will catch, and the customer will complain, meaning more
reworking for you,let alone your reputation.

Also when closing the jump ring you wont be able to get the 2 ends
to line up so well.

The best way is to cut them with a jewellers saw supported on the
rod you wound them on, preferrably a wooden dowell.

Especially if your making jump rings or any rings for that matter, a
close fitting joint is so much easier to solder up. Use a tiny piece
of silver solder foil between the wire ends. flux all over heat.
youll get a perfect joint every time. Especially important if your
working in gold and silver.

when your making thick wire jump rings say 50/1000 in with a 1/4in
bore, for heavy pendant use, then sawing is the only way. As for mas
production of jump rings.

when you have made a minature circular saw bench, with say a 2in dia
by 20/1000 in hss slitting disk, you can cut a coil of say 30 rings
in seconds, using bees wax as a saw lubricant. Also wrap the coil in
sellotape to support the rings once cut.

Mind you fingers tho!!.
Ted
In
Dorset UK.

I just bought the pliers myself, after cutting rings manually for
chain last year. The theory seems simple enough. You wind the coil
on the mandrel, transfer it to the inside of the pilers, hold the
pliers steady to the table, and then use a jewelers saw. I’m very
much looking forward to trying it this year!

You don’t always need to use solder when creating chain.

I cut my chains last year out of fine silver. I suspend the rings on
a thick aluminum wire mounted on a 3rd hand jib, after matching up
the edges I dab a tiny bit of PMC slip, and then a little gentle
heating with a butane pencil and some gravity do all the rest!

Have fun,
Andrew Jonathan Fine

Beverly,

I don’t know what pliers you are talking about, but I did try one
pair and sent them back because the limited length an width just did
not allow enough variation nor could you make custom sizes. Just
something to think about;

brenda

Brenda,

Thank you for that. I was wondering if they were limited because -
well, they are pliers - not much variation possible. So for now, I’ll
just stick with the annoying chore of cutting jump rings on a wood
dowel.

Beverly