Filing wire???

[Boo]

I just store my wire as it came, in a coil (or on a spool) in a marked ziploc bag, then inside an airtight box. All my silver in one box, copper in another, everything else in another. I just take each one out as I use it, then put it back as it was.

I can't help with the eyelet chain loops, I just wasn't sure what shape you were working. But I do a lot of wrapped loops and thing I get them pretty neat. There is some really atrocious workmanship out there and some of the tutorials seem to promote sloppy technique too. Once you establish a good technique, it will become second nature - you get into a rhythm and always do it exactly the same way.

The best tutorial I saw in the very early days - the one where the penny dropped for me, described the loop as a little stick man - he has a neck (the length of the wire through the centre of the bead), a little round head, perfectly perpendicular over this neck, then you wrap a scarf around his neck.

When I'm making a chain of beaded wrapped loops, I tend to make the first loop, pop my bead on, put my flat pliers against the bead and bend the wire over it ** - you need a neck of about 2-3mm to accommodate three wraps of your wire. Obviously a longer neck the thicker the wire. I tend to do 3 wraps each side of the bead. ** My habit is to bend this second loop at 90 degrees to the one below the bead - I think the resulting chain is less likely to kink in wear if the loops alternate in direction.

I'm going to do you a quick diagram of how I do a wrapped loop as I think it gives consistently neat loops and I don't have time for photos at the moment. Back shortly.

[shelliem]

Thanks Boo

[Boo]

Right, I hope this will make sense and I apologise for the crappy quick drawing, but I think it explains it - the black lines are your wire and the solid grey shapes are your pliers.



At least, this is how I do it:

1. You start your first loop by making a bend in the wire about 1½" from the end and just less than 90 degrees. Then place your round nosed pliers onto the shoulder of that bent wire at a place along the pliers that will give you the size of loop you want and wrap the wire tight right around the pliers to come out the other side. I always work with 2 pairs of pliers, I don't think you have enough control and firmness using fingers. Whenever I've see someone who does sloppy loops, they've used their fingers.

2. As you take the pliers out of the loop, it might not now be perfectly perpendicular over the neck of the wire, so kink it back so that it is - it's your chappie's head over his neck. I tend it just flick the pliers back towards me a little after making the loop to bring it back in line. It should look the shape in fig. 2.

3. For me, this is the key stage to neat loops - if you start to wrap his scarf now, it will skew your loop from circular and the wrap will not sit nicely - so at this point, I put my thumbnail against the point where his scarf is extending under his chin ready to wrap, and kink it downwards slightly, so that there's a shallow bend at the intersection/overlap of the wires and the scarf is now angled downwards slightly.

At this point, I'd grab the loop in some flat soft edged pliers in my left hand and the end of the wire in pliers in my right hand and wrap three loops of scarf around his neck - tightly (but light of grip or you'll skew everything) and controlled. Each wrap should nestle against the last.



Once I pop my bead on, I place my flat pliers against the bead and bend the wire over them, just like fig.1 above - and then repeat that process, bringing the last loop of the scarf tight up against the bead and tucking the end right in. The amount of that neck you allow above the bead will come with practice, but it needs to be the same amount of distance as the wraps you did on the other end, so each side of the bead is the same.

I think you can see in this bracelet how the loops are at 90 degrees to each other at the opposite ends of each bead:



Oops, best hit the shower!!!

[shelliem]

Hi Boo

Thats really helpful thanks. I can see what you mean about having the loops 90 degrees to each other and I can see how it would make it flow better.

I best hit the shower too, then later I will practise.

I have one more question which is about supplies for good quality beads - I notice you use lots of lovely beads, if its not against Cooksons rules could you advise me on suppliers please. I have been googling them but not turning up much to be honest and reluctant to spend unless they seem like a quality supplier.

Have a good day!

[Boo]

I'm surprised that you can't find bead suppliers, there are masses of them.

I'm just not going to give away all my secrets in public, but these are well known bead suppliers that I've had good service from and happy to recommend, I'm sure other posters will add many more.

The Bead Shop - International Mail Order Beads, Nottingham. Index Page.

Empire Beads UK Limited

Grove Beads UK, Swarovski Crystal Beads , Swarovski beads wholesale, Crystal Pearls, Gemstones, Jewellery making supplies.

Beads Direct UK - your best value Bead Supplier

Beads UK - Beadsisters


And some independent UK sellers on Etsy (haven't bought from these):

AA & AAA Gemstone Beads Faceted Briolettes by TheCuriousGem

Sandstones Beads and Jewellery Making by sandykidd on Etsy

the one I was looking for is closed for holiday. But that should keep you going for a while.

[shelliem]

Hi again

I have found bead suppliers but there are so many and I'm not sure as yet what to look out for so I thought if I could have some recommendations then at least I would feel confident enough to spend some money!!

Thanks for all of your help.

[Di Sandland]

Michelle, I found out the hard way and not without a bit of instruction from MizGeorge that wrapped beads lay much better if you put a jump ring between the wraps. I don't like to see the loops at 90 degrees to one another, I much prefer the symmetry of both sides being exactly the same and this can only be achieved with the inclusion of jump rings.

As for your beads - what type are you looking for and I'll see what I have on file. Are you wanting to use:

• semiprecious stones
• Swarovski crystals (don't use so won't be able to help here)
• Handmade lampwork
• Mass produced

[mizgeorge]

I don't turn my loops to 90 degrees. It's all very well attaching wired components directly to one another, but this makes adjustments or repairs more time consuming, as well as a potential waste of wire. I keep all the units lined up with one another, and link them with a jump ring (or two if it looks a bit 'mean' with only one). This lets the whole thing drape better, and gives a space for adding charms or twiddles if you want to.

As for gemstone bead suppliers, I try to buy in person whenever possible - it's worth getting to a bead fair or two for this alone. You also get to meet the sellers, and that makes a big difference in my experience.

For online, I'd happily recommend the curious gem for high end stuff The Curious Gem | Faceted Gemstone Beads, Briolettes, Rondelles, Semi-Precious Stones
And for everyday, I've had good quality from Home page (from China, but with stock held here in the UK).
In addition, Sandstones, for all your Beads and Jewellery Making needs! ::, A dazzling array of beads for you to choose from that include; pearls, turquoise, jade, crystal, glass beads, gemstones and jewellery making components which will inspire you to create yo are good for pearls.

I also buy from Affinity Gems, and from various etsy sellers on a pretty regular basis.

It is worth finding your own suppliers though, we all like different things, and it's nice to develop a relationship with people you are happy working with.

[Di Sandland]

LOL - writing at the same time George.

Couldn't agree more about the personal relationships with suppliers. It works well for both parties. Also, I have no problem in letting folk know who I buy from - if somebody is particularly good at something it seems to me that other people should get to know about it, thus growing hte business of that particular supplier. Excellence, I think, should be rewarded.

We could use exactly the same components and come up with something completely different, so I don't care particularly if you use the same suppliers as me

[shelliem]

Thank you both

I'm going to have a play around with the wires tonight and see if I can perfect the twisting business. I'm going to try all of the suggestions and see which ones work for me but if I could just perfect the twisting I'd be happy!!

Thank you also for the references to suppliers - I think I do need to meet people in person but I'm not patient enough to wait until a bead fayre at the moment

I guess to hear about bead fayres I can google or read jewellery magazines etc.

I was more concerned with semi precious stones as I don't want to buy rubbish and also I bought some beads from Ebay and they didn't look too great (great for practising with though so it wasnt all a waste).