A question which is lurking around in my mind for a long time. I’ve been making lately necklaces with pearls a view times. To start and end the necklace I use french wire. Ik know that one can buy it or go for another option instead of french wire but I love to make everything myself.
Now, the smallest size of wire in Argentium of regular SS that ik can draw is 0.4 mm. For gold it is the samen size.
Has someone an Idea to make thinner wire then this and how is it done ?
Is this maybe the smalles size one can go handmade? If it is, why making drawplates with even smaller sizes?
French wires are a nice finish and it also protects the cord on which you are stringing. I appreciate your wanting to make everything. I suffer from the same desire, but there is a practical limit. You can buy a lot of French wire for less than $10 and it would take a long of time to draw and coil it. Then there is the trick of annealing very fine wire. If it were me, I would buy it. I know that I have draw down to 28 gauge, possibly 30. It is a chore to form the taper to get it to pass through the draw plate hole, but it can be done…Rob
I had not heard the term French wire, my mother always called it jewellers gimp. There are many places to buy it in the UK too. FYI Embroiderers use a very similar material when doing goldwork and it comes in some amazing colours.