Home   >   Free Wire Jewelry Videos   >   Straightening Your Jewelry Wire

Straightening Your Jewelry Wire

By on September 21, 2009
Print Friendly

Straightening Your Jewelry Wire

By: Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

To View Our Large Selection of Instructional DVDs – Click Here

12 Comments

  1. avatar

    Dita

    September 21, 2009 at 10:41 pm

    Thank you so much. I used to use a plastic coated tool to do this. I’ll try this new technique.

    Some time ago I read in your blog post about traveling with wire tools that are allowed in the air lines. I am trying to find that out.

    Could you please give that info one more time. I am a fan of your blog and let my other friends know about you too. Warm regards. Dita.

  2. avatar

    freddie adkins

    September 22, 2009 at 9:58 am

    I love your new web site.

  3. avatar

    Cindy Lietz, Polymer Clay Tutor

    September 23, 2009 at 5:07 pm

    How about when there are actual kinks in the wire? What method do you use to straighten the wire then?

  4. avatar

    Dale/Cougar

    October 30, 2009 at 3:51 pm

    Dita, you can read the the Flying with Jewelry Tools article here: http://wire-sculpture.com/jewelry-making-blog/1392/flying-with-jewelry-making-tools/.

    Cindy, we have a new video just for that: Rescuing Kinked Wire.

    Thanks so much!
    Dale/Cgr

  5. Pingback: How To Not Get Kinks In Wire

  6. Pingback: Straightening Jewelry Wire | Jewelry Making Instructions

  7. avatar

    Valerie

    June 13, 2011 at 6:09 pm

    I’ve been trying to learn how to straighten 16 gauge wire for my new job. I’ve had no luck until I stumbled upon this simple video. Thanks a bunch for your help! It took only the time of the video to understand what I needed to do and now I’ve done it. Thanks !!!!
    I just started working at a Mardi Gras Costume shop. I’m learning how to make the costumes for the king, queen and krewe. They also want me to learn how to do the wire work of the harnesses that hold the elaborate plumes and decorations of the costumes. I will be using 16, 14, and 12 gauge wire. This will help me so very much. Thank You !!!

    • avatar

      dalecgr

      June 13, 2011 at 9:14 pm

      How totally cool Valerie! You never know just where a seemingly simple technique can take you. I am so glad to hear your news! Have an extra piece of King Cake for me next year : )
      Dale

  8. avatar

    Dixie Ann Scott

    May 1, 2012 at 3:11 pm

    I have the same question as Cindy, how do you get the kinks out of a small spool of heavy gauge wire? 14 ga. is pretty tough on the fingers. Would you use a nylon jaw pliers in this case?

    • avatar

      Rose

      May 1, 2012 at 3:25 pm

      I would use nylon jaw pliers then, Dixie! Nylon jaw pliers are great for “Wire First Aid.” I’ve had a lot of luck using them to save wire – even wire that I’ve coiled around other wire, bent up and down, and wavy – just slid it through the jaws a few times and it was very usable – when I re-coiled it again on the wire, you couldn’t tell anything was amiss. That was 24-gauge, in that example.

      On 14-gauge, I would probably clamp down with the nylon jaws in the middle of the biggest kinks or bends, and then work outward. When the wire starts looking flat again, instead of wavy, you can start pulling the jaws along the entire wire length. I’ve used them on 12-gauge wire occasionally and while the heavy gauges do take a bit more grip/wrist strength, it is certainly doable! Good luck Dixie :)

  9. avatar

    Yvonne Angus

    October 14, 2014 at 7:24 am

    Dale, I watched both videos on straightening wire, but I believe I have a different problem. I have very high gauge, thin wire that I purchased, that unspooled on its own, and it got \"fold over\" kinks. In other words, it folded, then folded back, leaving very sharp knot like kinks. Please help me figure out how to salvage this wire.

  10. avatar

    Ilene Unterman-Zimmer

    June 6, 2017 at 1:56 pm

    Hi Dale,
    I am glad I found your video on straightening wire. I have the technique of making a bezel for a cabachon. However, my greatest challenge is straightening the wire. It’s like fighting the great white whale. :-) I’m sure it doesn’t have to be that difficult. I noticed in your video that you work off the “spool” and that you don’t cut the wire first. I am assuming that makes it easier to straighten both ends. Is that correct? I think you, folks at wire-sculpture.com are fabulous. Very helpful! Thank you!
    Ilene Unterman-Zimmer
    Schenectady, NY