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Daily Wire Tip Jan. 13: Storing Unused Wire

By on January 13, 2010
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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
January 13, 2010

Question:

How do you store unused wire to stop kinks?

Answer:

Hi folks. Well, this comes down to a bit of organization and preparation.   If you recall back in September 2009 Sherrie Lingerfelt gave us a great video tip that showed us how she stores and organizes her wire. This little tip will keep you from getting the dreaded “wire kinks” in the first place.   Watch that video here.  “Organizing ALL of Your Jewelry Wire“

So, get those unused wires organized in a bag, in your envelopes and store it in a case. Don’t forget we have another video that shows you how to straighten wire with your fingertip. Watch that video here: “Straightening Your Jewelry Wire”

Perhaps soon we can discuss in video on how to address a wire that is truly kinked.  Do we cut it out and throw out the kink or do we get creative?  To be continued…

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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One Comment

  1. avatar

    Janice Fingado

    June 14, 2012 at 8:57 pm

    If you are speaking about rather fine guage wire, (26 or 28g silver or GF) which you might me using for knitted or crocheted projects, keep in mind that you can usually remove the kinks fairly easily using nylon-jawed pliers to run the wire through, straightening it out. You can also do the “poor-man’s method” of running the kinked wire over a no. 10 knitting needle holding the wire with your thumb. HOWEVER, if you intend to re-use the wire in knitted or crocheted projects remember that you have work-hardened it in the un-kinking process, and I have had fine silver wire break as I was knitting with it. Work-hardening it is the same as metal fatigue: when it it sharply bent, it will snap in two. The only way to prevent that from happening is to straighten the kinks, loosely coil the wire, and anneal it before proceeding to work with it again.