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Keeping Wire “On the Square”

By on October 22, 2014
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by Judy Ellis, Wire-Sculpture.com

Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
October 22, 2014

Keeping Wire – “On The Square”

This week I found another great question in our older posts that I think is well worth revisiting – Keeping square wire “on the square” Maybe you’ve had this same question as well.

Question:

I’m fairly new at this and am having difficulty keeping the square wire “on the square” when wrapping around a bundle of wires. How does one keep the wire from twisting or tweaking when wrapping the bundle?

Answer:

When you are wrapping a bundle of square wires, think of it as a plank, which has 4 square corners. Therefore whether wrapping with half-round or square wire, the wire wrapper needs to make a right angle at every corner, which keeps square wire ‘on the square’. Using a good pair of flat nose pliers such as Swanstrom makes a major difference for a lot of folks.

The first DVD in my beginner series features my absolute favorite class for learning how to wrap with square half-hard wire (as well as how to easily straighten any wire, bundle and a great way to tape it all together.) The All Wire Unisex Bangle Bracelet will be able to help you in all of these areas.

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

Ultimate Tool List:

If you are just getting started and need some guidance as to what tools to purchase -take a look at our Ultimate Tool List. It will help give you some ideas. Below is a quick reference about pliers with some examples.

First: A pair of crimping pliers, most often used by beaders, can also be used by wire wrappers to tuck the end wire in on a wrapped loop. Chain mail artists often use two pairs of wider tip chain nose pliers. One pair is sufficient for a wire wrapper, who also likes to have a pair of needle nose chain nose pliers to make tiny loops at the very ends of wire.

Second: Folks who do a lot of round wire designs use almost any pair of flat nose pliers, but wire wrappers who work mainly in square wire need a pair that have perfect angles (with no dips or bulges on their sides). Some people like pliers that have extra cushion on their handles; others) think the extra bulk is difficult to hold for long periods of time. Then there is the choice of longer handles. I am a firm believer that all pliers need to have a good spring hinge of some sort, so you don’t have to constantly open pliers while using them.

Wire Working Education

If you are interested in learning more about wire work take a look at the many Instructional DVDS and Wire Jewelry Books that we have available. A few suggestions might be our Jump Start Beginner Series, Intermediate or Advanced Series or even Coiling and Weaving Series.

Happy Wrapping!

 

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4 Comments

  1. avatar

    DeeCee

    October 22, 2014 at 5:49 am

    I have noticed that square wire is not exactly square when seen through a magnifying glass. One side is ever so slightly narrower than the rest.
    I have also noticed that if I am able to keep the narrower side facing the same direction of a bundle it lays better with less twisting.
    Hope this tip helps.

    • avatar

      Laura

      October 25, 2014 at 9:39 am

      Thank you for the great tip! Wonderful time-saver!

  2. avatar

    Jane Elizabeth Duke

    October 22, 2014 at 7:05 am

    I remember when Dale first entered my brain with this information that I received from one of her delightfully instructive DVDs. It may even have been one of the free ones! Thinking of the wire as having four sides was a ‘aha’ moment for me! Thank you Judy for repeating this info and thank you Cougar for explaining it to us!

  3. avatar

    Kitty

    October 22, 2014 at 10:49 pm

    I invested in a pair of parallel action pliers which hold all the wires evenly.