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Live from Tucson – Getting Rid of the “Tail”

By on January 30, 2015
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Daily Wire Jewelry Tip January 30, 2015

Live from Tucson 2015

If you’ve been following our blog, you know that we are partnering with our sister company JewelryTools.com and offering over 100 classes in Tucson at the JOGS Gem & Jewelry Show this year. We have a very impressive list of instructors offering myriad of techniques.

We’ve asked our instructors to give us a few quick tips that we could share with all of you. Today I wanted to feature a tip sent to us from Rhonda Chase. Rhonda is teaching several classes in Wire Wrapping. Her  tip is on how to “Get rid of the Tail” when wrapping wires.  take a look below!

Rhonda Chase

Getting Rid of the “Tail”

When making wrapped loops and you have that annoying little “tail” left sticking out at the end of the last loop, get out your crimping pliers. Rhonda demonstrates her tip on her pendant from her Wire Wrapped Bead Pendant class.

Wrapped loops before the ends are trimmed and shaped.

 

1. Use the rounding part in the front of the pliers to wrap the tiny bit of wire with rest of the loops into a perfect circle.

Dangles with wrapped loops on an antique glass bead pendant.

2. Use the round tip of the crimping pliers to gently shape the wrap ends just like you would shape a crimp.

This is especially helpful with heavy wires. Your wrapped loops will look great and no more scratchy bits!

If you’d like to see more about Rhonda Chase and her Tucson classes this year – CLICK HERE!

A Special Thanks to Rhonda for the Live Tip from Tucson!

Happy Wrapping!

 

6 Comments

  1. avatar

    Marilyn

    January 30, 2015 at 7:01 am

    Fabulous tip…thanks so much for sharing!

  2. avatar

    judith nowak

    January 30, 2015 at 11:00 am

    GREAT TIP !

  3. avatar

    jfisherbear

    January 30, 2015 at 11:43 am

    Thank you. I have had a problem getting the ends worked in so they don’t snag. This tip will help a lot.

  4. avatar

    Teresa Dalton

    January 30, 2015 at 11:01 pm

    Wow! I’ve been working with wire for quite awhile and that is such an awesome idea! I had that problem just last night. So cool! Thanks guys!
    Teresa

  5. avatar

    Catitude

    January 31, 2015 at 9:11 pm

    Thank you ever so much! I have been wire wrapping for about 30 years & had never used crimping pliers. I am excruciatingly careful about wire ends but occasionally I encounter a few that become problem children :)
    The first Wire Wrapped Pendant I ever saw was given to me as a gift 30+ years ago. About 20 min after putting it on I stumbled on a staircase & in catching myself on the banister I was left with bloody gouges from the unfinished steel wire ends & tears in my new white shirt… that is also the last time I ever wore a white shirt! :)
    I knew, with zero training, recycled copper wire & some ratty old pliers I could & would do better then that!
    Finished ends has been my OCD focus on every piece since then.

    Thanks so much for the tip :)

  6. avatar

    Brenda Caudill

    February 3, 2015 at 10:37 am

    I have been wire wrapping ~4 years now, and I think I would benefit more from an actual video of the step by step process she used. I agree it is a good way to finish off those pesky raw ends I’ve been tucking up and under to hide or folding back on itself and pinching together, then rolling it up into a coil. Actually seeing a technique done, and then doing it myself, solidifies it in my brain! Thanks for coming up with it!