F.A.Q.
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Q. How do I straighten my wire, it has bends and does not lay right when I try to make it into a bundle.
Unroll a few feet of the wire. Start small until you get the hang of this, just enough for one
ring. We do about 6-8 feet at a time but we have done a mile of it.
Hold one end of the wire either in a vise or, with a helper, in a pair of pliers. Run the length of the
wire making sure it is not twisted. We use nylon jawed pliers, but it is unlikely you have a pair. You can
substitute a couple craft sticks or two soft but firm surfaces to run down the wire. Just make sure one
side is up the entire length, or you will be setting in a twist. Grab the second end with another pair of
pliers and pull to stretch. This work hardens the wire slightly. Store in larger coils. Then as you cut
small pieces for a ring, make sure they are laying the same direction as they come off of the coil. A slight
curl is OK, as long as they all have the same curve.
The wires you have already cut can be salvaged. If just one or two are a mess, first try turning those wires
end-for-end to see if they fit better. If they don't, what I do is gently run the wire between thumb and
forefinger, gently bending toward straight. Use a paper towel or napkin to help the wire slide easier. When
the wires get close to coming together (for rings, close is good enough, they don't have to be perfect), grab the bundle
with the flat-nose pliers and hold flat. loosen your grip on the wires enough to squeeze them tightly together, then
wrap securely with tape or temporary wire. Repeat in the middle and opposite end, so the wire is snug together
in a couple places. mark you center and locate where the bundle wraps are to go. Just make sure those area
are snug by wrapping nearby with tape.
When making rings, the only two places that the wire must be snugly together is where the bundle wraps will go.
Everywhere else can be wonky because you will be bending or twisting them as you make the ring.
After I bend the bundle into a U shape, the ring is way too wide for the cabochon. What do I need to do?
The first steps involve creating a bundle of wires that will form the ring shank. After wraps are placed on the bundle, it is bent over a mandrel to form a 'U' shape. What is left out of the video is that the mandrel needs to be close to the width of the stone. For example, in my first ring, the stone I chose was a 13mm by 18mm cabochon. The diameter of the mandrel needs to be close to 13mm. The mandrel can be anything from around the house. I use a ring mandrel, but parts from a socket set, felt tip markers or wooden dowels also work.