I’m in the habit of making my own earwires, sometimes right in front
of the customer when I’m at a show. Just a tiny loop in one end to
hold the jump ring, and bent around a ballpoint pen, trimmed and
smoothed, toss the pair into a tumbler and it’s done.
However, I much prefer to have the little loop closed solidly, which
I can do at home by fusing or soldering it, if I feel like spending
the time.
I got lazy last week and decided I didn’t want to bother, so I
beaded the ends of a pair of wires, smashed the beads flat, and
drilled them. Instant loops, no problem. I can thread a jump ring
through the hole, or the wire from an earring as it is being made,
and it works out fine.
Note that the picture is blown up considerably. The wire is 0.030"
in diameter. I went on to make a couple dozen more of them, for
later, and to see how easy they were. You have to be careful,
drilling, 'cause if the bit catches in the hole it will wind up the
rest of the wire around it really fast.
Thanks, Loren, for that tip. Great idea. I also make my own ear
wires, and that’s one of those “d’oh, why didn’t I think of that”
things. That could be good for clasps, too.
You have to be careful, drilling, 'cause if the bit catches in the
hole it will wind up the rest of the wire around it really fast.
Gee, is that tip perhaps from some personal experience?
Wow, yes, I hadn’t thought of the clasps, but they do have a closed
ring at one end, some of them.
Experienced the spiral thing several times, as a matter of fact.
Another tip: anneal it again after you squish it flat, so it’ll be
easier to drill. Then place the drilled hole over a peg or something,
anchored to the bench, and grab the other end to pull it out
straight, and stretch it a little ways. This hardens the wire as well
as straightening it, and it also weeds out the weaklings. If it pops,
just toss it into the scrap and grab the next one. I have a mark on
the bench to show how far I usually pull them, for consistent
results, based on breaking the first good one.
