1 of the necessary steps in making filigree is the forming of the wire. It is made past twisting very tightly 2 pieces of very small silver wire and then flattened. Either sterling or fine course argent wire may exist used. Fine is preferred, even though it is a flake more than expensive but because it is more resistant to fire scale and needs much less annealing than sterling.

To begin, measure off near eight feet of your 26 gauge wire, double it. Put the two ends in a vise and place the loop finish in a screw hook which has been inserted in the chuck of a hand drill.

Start winding; if afterward 15 or 20 turns of the drill, the wire breaks, it indicates the wire yous purchased had not been annealed properly. Retrieve the wire and amalgamate it over again. To exist safe, information technology is a adept idea to anneal the wire each time you brainstorm to make filigree wire. Don't forget yous accept the option of using a Foredom tool instead of a manus drill. If, for any reason, yous stop winding or are finished winding, don't save the tension on the wire. Keep the tension and release the wire by removing 1 finish from the screw hook. Not following this procedure will allow the wire to get tangled.

Start winding carefully, taking care non to put too much "tension" on the wire. Check the length which will shorten as you air current until the wire measures nearly twoscore″ in length with a diameter of twenty-21 approximate. At this point, it is necessary to amalgamate the wire again which has hardened from the twisting. To anneal, scroll the wire tight in a coil (1½"-2″ in diameter). Bind it with binding wire. Using a propane torch carefully, oestrus the roll in a not so vivid expanse until you lot can come across simply a small scrap of ruddy ruddy. At this point, quickly drib the coil in a pyrex dish of water. Be sure you lot have thoroughly heated the coil of wire. Uncoil your wire, put one stop in the vise and pull the wire until it is about 47 to 48″ over again. Pull the wire carefully; from experience, you will acquire past experience how much length you have gained. Don't pull besides hard and try not to get too much stretch because you may snap the wire. This volition do no harm merely will cause you extra work. At this indicate, the wire should mensurate approximately 21 approximate with a length of 47″ to fifty″.

You are now ready for the next step to flatten the wire. There are two ways to do this. Using a fairly heavy ball peen hammer, flatten the wire by hitting it with steady, even blows on a vise or steel plate. Try to keep the thickness and width as uniform equally possible. Finish often to check your dimensions. The width should exist between 18 and 21 ga. and the thickness should be 29 to thirty ga. These dimensions are non too disquisitional. The important thing is that the coils of wire you have assembled should be close to the same dimension. A amend fashion to flatten the wire is to utilise a rolling mill. This is a tool that is not bachelor to many of u.s.a.. Hopefully, the Gem Club in your vicinity will have i. It is also possible that you may be able to find a supplier of filigree wire to convalesce the deadening job of making your own wire.

If you are using a manufactory to flatten your wire, gear up the mill using a .006″ thickness approximate. Run just a brusk length of wire through the mill and bank check its dimension before continuing. When the wire has completed its run through the mill, it should measure xxx ga. for thickness and 17 or xviii ga. for width and be approximately lxx″ in length. At this signal information technology is of import to know if your wire is properly annealed. To bank check this try to brand an chemical element as shown in a later chapter. If you have difficulty winding the element information technology is an indication your wire needs annealing.

Every bit noted above, the dimensions of the completed grid wire should be 29-xxx ga. for the thickness and 17-18 ga. for the width. If you would similar a more frail look to your completed filigree jewelry, you lot may form your wire as small as forty ga. for thickness and 21- 22 ga. for width. When you accept checked and are satisfied the wire should exist pickled and neutralized.

The completed length of wire now should be coiled around a ¾" or 1″ dowel, making sure the wire lays flat. Hold the wire in place by drilling small holes through the dowel.

It would be advisable after making several lengths of wire and you are satisfied with them to make a sample carte

simple card for filigree wire

Take a 3 or iv-inch length of the wire at the various stages in making the wire and glue them to a filing carte. Refer to this card to insure uniformity every bit you lot keep. To complete the making of filigree wire, it is necessary to pickle and clean the wire as volition be explained shortly.

Equally an aid when twisting the wire, brand a hand control if using a Foredom or Dremel tool which will eliminate the utilize of a foot control. The centre of the controller is an ordinary lite dimmer switch available at any hardware shop. The unit of measurement tin can be housed in an ordinary electrical outlet box with an electrical plug-in socket in another box or both the controller and socket can exist housed in i larger box. Since you volition be on your feet and moving around quite a chip, this hand control unit volition be advantageous to have.

Read also:
  • Making a Grid Jig
  • Making an Culling Filigree Jig