Spring ends ... Help Please

[Petal]

I've been practicing these on and off for a couple of days now and its driving me :(| I either get the spring ends too small, then I can't fit my thong into the end, or they are too large and when I press down on the spring to secure it - it looks cr!p... I imagine its just more practice, or am I squishing on the end too hard??? If I've missed a vital tip, I'd really appreciate it.

Here's the pics of my awful ends....

346

347

As usual, honest feedback please.

Thanks

[Solunar Silver Studio]

I've never done these before...but have just bought the multi looping pliers from Cooksons...which look like great fun. I had a play last night with a scrap of fine silver wire and can see they have great potential.

I don't know what I am talking about...but what gauge wire are you using? I was wondering if you would get a less flattened looking crimp to the end of the coil if the wire was a bit more robust...also - would it be possible to sort of turn the end of the coil wire in a bit before you squish so that it sort of impales the thong or lace as well as hugging it!!??

[Petal]

oooh thanks for the quick reply Bee ! I hadn't thought of turning the wire in before squishing! Do you like my techy terms there! Its .8mm wire BTW.

I think the air of desperation is because I've got 3 days to go before my next event and a lot of these to make =:-O - or not if they don't look any better than the one here...

[Petal]

I've just re-read a reply that Boo gave me when I originally asked how to make these.. and have realised that's exactly what she suggested #-o

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Do you mean like on the ends of this necklace of mine:

necklace6053f on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

On those I used 0.8mm copper and don't glue, just squeeze the last coil into the thong to grip it - I both bend the cut end in so that it snags in, but also contract the whole last loop so that it's tight on the outside too, before it sinks into the thong.

I don't glue (I rarely glue anything) because if I want to shorten it for a customer, I can cut the last half loop off, shorten the PVC and re-attach it. I've done it enough times at craft fairs to not be inclined to glue.
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Last edited by Boo; 25-09-2009 at 10:56 AM. Reason: Spellos!

Apologies for asking a question that's already been answered - oops

[Solunar Silver Studio]

Ah! Great minds!!:D It sounds like she also graduates the size of the last couple of rings so there isn't so much of a squish needed as well! There is no doubt that it pays to talk to people who know!! ...they have all the clever little tricks!! I've just been making my own variation of Boo's Fat Ball Bucket budget photography set up...and it is looking good so far! She knows a thing or two that girl!!:Y:

[Petal]

Boo is an absolute star, isn't she! Yes, I too will be having a go at making my own photography 'tent' in the next couple of weeks. Her tips and photos are excellent. Mind you, I have had bits of copper flying all over the place this afternoon and there's been a bit of a blue tinge to the air too! :D (It always gets this manic this close to 'event' time for me, and my OH has a resigned air about him (he's a bit of a jewellery/beading widower!)....:-D

[Boo]

Ladies please, I'm blushing. I tend to learn by doing - and finding out for myself. If I don't know how to do something, I fiddle until I figure it out.

The fat ball bucket is a derivative of an idea I've used for years and I can't take any credit for - although writing up how I made my own from a fat ball bucket is my own variation. The original idea was using a translucent mixing bowl and the idea was in one of the books by amazing natural photographer John Shaw in his sections on improvising macro photography equipment. For years I've used both a mixing bowl and a cone of drafting film with foil on one side. I needed something larger and more robust once I started taking jewellery photos regularly. And I'm both hard up and tight, so won't pay for anything I can improvise for nothing.

[Emerald]

hi Boo did you have a good break x

[Boo]

We're still away, am for next week too - but having alovely time thanks. My husband had to attend a meeting today as he was close to the client (and they're thinking of spending a lot of money), so I did a bit of work in the peace too.

I'm just distracting myself at the moment as he's talking his mother through retuning her digibox - it's rather like remotely landing a jumbo jet.

[Di Sandland]

glad to hear you're having a good time - think you need it, eh?

[Ominicci]

Ooh, I've been practising Boo's spring ends too! Will post pics when I've finished matching earrings (without spring ends!).

[Boo]

Just a post-by as I needed to come on-line to check something. I've put my technique with the photos I previously posted into a tutorial on my blog - it needs a once over and spell check, so I can't claim it's error free yet:

Boo's Jewellery: Tutorial: wrap your own cord ends (http://boojewels.blogspot.com/2009/09/tutorial-wrap-your-own-cord-ends.html)

[Petal]

Oh Boo, I can't thank you enough. [] You've been an absolute gem! You've also timed your tutorial perfectly to coincide with the arrival of my looping pliers this morning!

no blushing now. You are a gem!

[amazingbabe]

:cool::0to+: but i have thought about doing these so glad of this thread now ....

[Bigwol]

I also make spring ends, but out of Sterling silver, as I think it gives more spring and resilience.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/DaveWallisPics/SpringEnds/IMG_3497Spring.jpg

In this example, the Greek leather thong measured 1.7mm so I used a 1.7mm mandrel to form the coil, - drawn down from 2mm silver wire, this is the short silver 'stick like object' in the front of the above image.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/DaveWallisPics/SpringEnds/IMG_3505Spring.jpg

I use a jewellers wooden ring clamp to keep the silver under tension - so it winds tightly on to the mandrel.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/DaveWallisPics/SpringEnds/IMG_3508Spring.jpg

The silver wire used to form the coil was drawn down to 0.7mm, and the end threaded through the hole (drilled in the 1.7mm mandrel) before winding on using the hand drill - keeping the tension constant to ensure even, tight winding of the coil.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v470/DaveWallisPics/SpringEnds/IMG_3525Spring.jpg

Forming a loop on one end, and a hook on the other - the end coil on the spring end is screwed onto the leather thong - it is a tight fit even before crimping, and unlikely to escape. A notch filed in the nose of one side of the pliers helps grip the wire in these operations.

[Boo]

My technique can just as easily be used for Sterling or brass (I make them in all metals) - the photos I had to hand of finished pieces, just happened to be in copper and it photographs better for tutorial photos, so I often use it for that reason.

I'm not sure I would put the hook and loop directly on the end of the spring in the same piece of metal (especially as fine as 0.7mm) as they need to be fiddled with to fasten to wear and this has the potential to put stress on the metal and where it bends, so I prefer to put a double loop at the end of the spring and fix my 'clasp' to that, so that the clasp itself is fluid and easier for fastening.

[Petal]

Wow, that's one helluva way to do coils! Thanks for the tip on using the same size mandrel as the thong, I was wondering how to work that out. Yes, it was sterling coils I am making too.

Thanks for that.