Ear ring posts

This week end, I had to make some ear ring posts by hand, as I
didn’t have any “store bought” ones around. No big deal to
solder on some wire. But then I got to the part where I wanted
to make that little notch all the way around the wire-- the
notch that sort of holds the earring nut. I used a triangle file
all the way around, but I wasn’t too happy with the results. Is
there a better way, a better tool to make this little notch?

Cheers

Virginia Lyons
Metalsmith

Hello Virginia, Use wire cutters to make a slight dent in the
wire. Work your way completely around;it just takes a second. Tom
Arnold

Virginia,

Just an easy solution here. Cut your earwire posts to the length
you want …normally 10mm. Then install each one in your
flexshaft and at about the 2mm mark use your triangle or 3 square
file to make the notch by turning the post in the flexshaft.

Good Luck!

Russ

Dear Virginia, you were close. Instead of using a triangular file
which cuts too sharp and deep a groove, use a fine round needle
file. The groove doesn’t have to be all that deep in order to
locate the springs of the butterfly clip. Hope this helps and lots
of luck. Rex from Oz.

  No big deal to solder on some wire. But then I got to the
part where I wanted to make that little notch all the way
around the wire--

You might try putting a length of wire of the gauge you prefer
in the handpiece chuck holding the handpiece steady, touch the
wire with a knife edge or triangular file as you rotate the wire,
and you should wind up with the desired notch. You would then cut
off the length you use for ear posts and then solder it on. Hope
this works for you. Joe Dule

   ...I got to the part where I wanted to make that little
notch all the way around the wire-- the notch that sort of
holds the earring nut. I used a triangle file all the way
around, but I wasn't too happy with the results. Is there a
better way, a better tool to make this little notch? 

Virginia, use end cutting dikes. Not the fancy flush cut types,
but the normal ones you can find in just about any hardware
store. Put the dikes over the end of the wire, about 1/8" from
the top. Squeeze the handles with just a little pressure while
rotating either the dikes or the earring. Practice with some
scrap wire to determine how much pressure is needed. Cheap and a
lot easier than filing with a triangle file. K.P. in Wyoming

V, Lightly grip the posts with end cutters or side cutters, and
gently turn the studs. Presto- fine groove.

Virginia, One of the quickest ways, I’ve found, is to use my
cutting pliers to make the notch, then dress it down with a
craytex wheel in the flex shaft.
Curtis

    to make that little notch all the way around the wire--
the notch that sort of holds the earring nut.  Is there a
better way, a better tool to make this little notch? 

Howdy Virginia,

I use an old pair of snips that are too dull to cut wire but are
just perfect for this. Hold the earring post wire with the snips
and turn the wire. The snips will leave an even groove around
the wire.

Ketarah

Hi Virginia You can make a notching tool for your hand made
earring posts out of an old pair of cutters…File a slight
depression on both jaws in a manner that they align properly…
insert wire… squeeze and you now have a notch in the wire. If
you have a fine enough Dia Burr… this also can be used to make
the notch. and when all else fails… you know … that piece of
wire that put that little dent in your cutters the lastime your
husband /son/ daughter/friend used them… same concept… find
that piece of small hardened wire…(you may need to clean the
burrs off the cutter).

Daniel Grandi
Visit the workshop
http://racecarjewelry.com/page03.html

Hi Virginia,

  I wanted to make that little notch all the way around the
wire-- the notch that sort of holds the earring nut. I used a
triangle file all the way around, but I wasn't too happy with
the results. Is there a better way, a better tool to make this
little notch?<< 

Another way to do this is to mount the post (or piece of wire
before cut to post length) in the chuck or collet of a flexshaft
hand piece or motor tool. Let just a short length protrude.
While running the tool, lightly hold a file or other suitable
sharp object against the protruding wire until a groove the
desired depth & width is reached.

This same scheme can be used to cut tubing. Place the tubing in
the chuck or collet & use a saw instead of the file. The
resulting cut will be square.

Dave

I too agree with using the wire cutters to make the groove.
It’s quick and works very well.

Rebecca.

I crimp twice with round nose pliers close to the end at 90
degrees to each other. This makes a square cross section with a
concave rounded surface which fits the curls on the earnut well
and the earnot will snap into place. Tom Kruskal

Virginia, Using a pair of cutters is a quick and easy way to
create the notch on an earring post, but if you are not careful
you may cut all the way through the wire. I have taken an old
pair of cutters and ground a notch in the steel with a diamond
burr, so when I pinch the pliers completely together it only
notches the wire, not cutting it. If a diamond burr is not
available cutting a steel wire that is hardened to a higher
temper will leave a dent in the cutting face that you can use
also. Although I recommend only using an old or cheap pair of
cutters for this, my father still reminds me of the pair of his
pliers I destroyed 15 years ago.

		Good luck,  Mark

Virginia,

When the commercial ones are made, the notches are burnished in
by rolling the post wire between two round edges, pressing the
notch in all around as the post is rolled along. You can do
almost the same thing…

The easiest way I know to make that notch in an earpost is to
use your round nose pliers. Pick a spot on the jaws where the
diameter of the round nose jaw is slightly less than the diameter
of the little loops on each side of a friction nut. Squeeze the
wire with the pliers, leaving a dent on both sides of the wire.
Rotate the wire a little, and squeeze again. Repeat this about
four to six times, and you’ll have a sort of rough, facetted
approximation of the notch you need. Now, hold the pliers just
lightly shut at that point, and instead of releasing the pressure
on the jaws to rotate, just twist the wire in the jaws, squeezing
lightly enough that the wire slips/turns in the jaws. It will
burnish that lumpy notch into something that looks identical to
the store bought. Takes about ten seconds, or less, to do an
earpost that way.

I make almost all my own earposts. Doing this gives me the
option to choose slightly longer post lengths when the design or
weight of the earring suggests it to be a good idea, as well as
using slightly heavier guages of wire if I wish, either for
comfort or strength reasons. (Thicker wire is sometimes more
comfortable with a heavy earring. The wire normally should be
about .8 mm in thickness, but you can use .9 or 1 mm wire is you
need. This can be of particular use with softer alloys. In a
few cases, it’s required to enlarge the hole in the nut to fit
the larger wire. Usually, I stay within the size wire that the
nuts I use can fit without modification.

One other trick. Often, commercially made ear posts are made of
alloys designed to keep their hardness sufficiently when soldered
on, so the solder joint isn’t a limp flexible thing. When you
make you’re own, this is often not the case. So when you make
your own, you can combine the operation of burnishing in that
notch, with squeezing the pliers a bit harder on the first
squeeze or two and then twisting the wire, which then twists the
softer wire near the solder joint instead of allowing the notch
to slip and burnish itself. This restores some stiffness to the
wire near the solder joint.

Also, after notching the wire, don’t forget to round over the
end of the wire for comfort. I usually do this with a rubber
wheel, instead of the commonly used cup burr. Cup burrs
sometimes leave a bit of a sharp spur still in the end of the
wire, especially when they get a bit dull… A rubber wheel
won’t do that, and you can be sure of a nice smoothly rounded end
with no surprises to the wearer.

Hope this helps.

Peter Rowe

Hi - Similar to the flexshaft approach - the wire could also he
hand held in a pin vise - to help guide the file in cutting the
groove. cynthia

try useing a worn metal nippers if you find the right or try to
cut a piece of steel it will leave a small divot. thats a good
spot to twist the metal in the divot cutting a groove…
The Ringman

To make a safety stop on your earring posts, slowly work your
way around the top end approx. 1/16" down from the top, with your
nippers, or flush cut pliers, til the post is completely
encircled. This is easier than filing, after you get used to it.
Good Luck! Helene