Difficulties with beadalon and crimp beads

Jewelry Discussion
1

has anyone had difficulties with beadalon and crimp beads? Or
success? I just had a necklace come back with a failed crimp. I have
a show and I was going to use beadalon but now Im afraid of crimp
failure. Help please! Mary

2

Crimp bead failures are usually the fault of the crimp bead itself
and/or the crimping method, not the stringing material.

I had crimp failures when I first started stringing. Here’s what I

  1. Crimp tubes hold better than crimp beads.

  2. Use good crimp tubes, especially if you are selling your work:
    solid sterling, not plated. Plated ones will break more often. Spend
    the extra couple of pennies.

  3. Make sure the size of the crimp matches the size of your
    stringing material. The beading wire spool should be labeled with
    which size of crimp to use.

  4. Make sure the size of the crimping tool matches the size of your
    crimp. And yes, use a crimping tool rather than just squishing it
    flat with regular pliers. (I’m particularly fond of the Magical
    Crimping Pliers and the pretty little ball it makes. It’s less picky
    about technique than a fold-over crimping tool, and I think the
    result is prettier while being just as strong. But you definitely
    have to use solid sterling crimps with that, and you’re limited in
    the wire sizes and crimp sizes you can use with it. And you should
    still learn to make a fold-over crimp.)

  5. Good crimping technique makes all the difference. Get some
    scrap/cheap wire and cheap crimps and practice, practice, practice
    until you can make a good crimp without thinking about it.

  6. Don’t overwork the crimp. Overworking it fatigues the metal, and
    it will break. Two squishes for a fold-over crimp tube; two big
    squishes and just a couple gentler ones to round out the shape for
    the Magical Crimping Pliers.

  7. If the wires get crossed inside the crimp tube or the crimp gets
    messed up somehow while you’re making the crimp, carefully cut it
    off and start over with a new crimp. There’s no salvaging a bad
    crimp.

  8. Sometimes crimps just fail for no apparent reason. Or the
    customer has a baby who likes to tug on necklaces. Or they caught
    their bracelet on a doorknob and didn’t tell you that. Don’t let
    yourself get down about one failure. Fix it and move on.

Hope that helps!
Lori Paximadis

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3

I use a double crimp on heavier necklaces was it a heavier necklace
that came back? I also use the crimper that forms the little balls I
love that thing because it keeps me from using too much force and
breaking a crimp bead my fingers are just too strong

Teri

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4

Maryfrances. When you pull to tighten, do you try to have the "dip"
of the butterfly cinch (the first cinch), go down in between the two
wires? If you try to do that, and then also do an extra squeeze over
the finished crip, so it’s flat, you will never get any necklaces
back. A crimp cap will make this triple crimped unit look nice. Also,
it helps if you use least number of stranded wire with lighter beads
and the heaviest 49strand wire with heavier necklaces. I assume you
already know that!

Have fun designing,
Mary Jane St. Amand

5

Thanks all! Dont have the original crimp that failed, so not sure
what happened but all your advice is great! M

6

I really like to use the magic findings instead of a regular crimp
bead or tube. I find that they result in a much more professional
look and I think they are easier to use than a regular crimp. They
are more expensive, but definitely worth it.

Bernadette Johnson Designs

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