Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings

by Judy Larson

In jewelry making, there's rarely just one "right" way to do things, and that's part of the art. In the second part of this four part series, Judy Larson shares different methods for cutting coils into jump rings, highlighting the tools, techniques, and materials that influence each choice. It's a practical reminder to keep experimenting, stay safe, and find the approach that works best for you.

Jump to Each Lesson in the Jump Ring Series

#1 Coiling Wire for Jump Rings

#2 Cutting Coil into Jump Rings

#3 Opening & Closing Jump Rings

#4 Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing

Instructions

Jewelry making rarely has strict rules, and most tasks can be done in several ways.

New tools are always emerging, sometimes making work faster or easier, sometimes not.

Keep an open mind, try different methods, and always follow safety precautions.

Because I mainly use Argentium and fine silver, my approach may differ from those working with base metals, sterling silver, or gold

The following steps and information for cutting coils into jump rings gives you an idea of different ways to cut coils into jump rings and my reasoning for using or not using each.

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings

Cutting Rings By Hand

Shears:

Shears can cut rings from coils, but they are not a good choice for making jump rings. Since neither jaw makes a flush cut, the ends are not flat and the rings will not close tightly without light showing through. Some shears do make cleaner cuts than others.

Lindstrom shears can work for cutting larger rings, especially if the seam will be hidden in the finished jewelry piece. I often use them when I don't want to set up a saw. The seam is never invisible, but the ends line up reasonably well.

Be aware that shears tend to cut slightly sideways, particularly on bigger coils. This can distort the coil and leave you with rings that are not perfectly round or consistent in size.

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - Cutting Rings By Hand, General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, Cutting Rings By Hand

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - Cutting Rings By Hand, General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, cutting coils with pliers

Flush Cutters:

When used correctly, flush cutters create fairly flush cuts on both ends of a jump ring taken from a coil. However, it is nearly impossible to achieve a perfectly seamless join every time with this method.

Most seams will still be visible once the jump ring is closed.

This method also creates waste, since the leading edge of the coil must be trimmed to remove the pointed end left after cutting a ring.

In my old Byzantine chain notes, I found that a machine- or saw-cut coil (3 inches long, 3.5mm ID, 18 gauge wire) produced 3 inches of chain. The same coil cut by hand with flush cutters only made 2.7 inches of chain.

As I mentioned earlier, there are rarely hard and fast rules in jewelry making.

The number one rule:

To make a clean cut, the jaws of your cutter must be in good condition with no nicks.

Replace cutters as soon as they show signs of wear. These clearly do.

They are inexpensive enough to replace often, but always choose a quality tool instead of a cheap hobby store variety.

A good cutter saves time during the clean-up and finishing stages of your jewelry.

Damaged cutters are still usable, just not when a precise cut is required.

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, close up of back part of cutters

The flat underside of the flush cutter jaw MUST be parallel to the length of the coil and at a 90° angle to the wire when making any cut.

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, flush cutters front view

The leading edge of the coil must be flush cut to remove any pointed metal.

Use only the tips of the flush cutter to make the cut.

Keep the flat side of the cutter parallel to the coil and at a 90° angle to the wire. Trim away the excess cleanly.

Be careful not to snip into the next coil with the cutter tips.

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, flush cutters holding coil

The second cut:

is made with the cutter flipped so the flat side faces the opposite direction of the first cut. Place the cutter tips right next to the flush wire end on the coil.

Hold the cutter parallel to the coil and at a 90° angle to the wire. Use only the tips of the flush cutter to cut the next wire on the coil.

Be careful not to snip into the next coil with the cutter tips.

Next: Repeat the steps until the entire coil has been cut into jump rings.

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, flush cutters gripping coil

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, cutting the jump ring away from the coil

Machine Cutting

Preparation of the coils:

This is my method for preparing coils for machine cutting.

I like using tape because it keeps the jump rings together after cutting. That way, I don't have to search for them across my desk or, worse, on the floor.

A 2-inch wide painter's tape is usually wide enough for most coils.

Lay the coil along one edge of the sticky side of the tape, with one end of the coil even or slightly in from the cut end of the tape. Press it down to hold it in place.

Cut the tape to match the length of the coil.

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, cutting the painter's tape

Encase the coil by rolling it across the tape.

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, Preparation of the coils

Find the start and end of the wire coil.

Use an ultra-fine point retractable Sharpie to draw a cutting line along the coil, positioned between the cut wire ends.

Make sure the line is placed so you can cut the coil in a way that produces the maximum number of jump rings.

Pro Tip: If you're making multiple coils in different sizes, label them with the wire gauge and mandrel size to avoid confusion later.

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, sharpie used along the coil

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, examples of taped coil

Run cut lube over the line on the tape several times.

This will help lubricate the cutting blade, making for smother cut as well as help lengthen the life of the cutting blade.

Cutting the coils:

Before cutting with my system, I always check that the blade is aligned with the centering marks. It has never shifted, but with power tools it is always smart to confirm.

The blade must sit in the center of the long, narrow opening of the coil holder base cover.

Be sure to watch the online video that explains how to safely use the tool.

The only change I make is wrapping the coils with painter's tape, which makes the process easier for me.

There are two different coil well depths on opposite sides of the base.

Choose the one that best fits the size of the coil being cut.

The cover has a coil stopper ledge. When the coil is placed in the well and the cover is loosely secured, push the coil toward the stopper. Then tighten the cover, but not so much that it bows at the end where the tool starts cutting.

When cutting, remember these important steps:

Insert the blade into the cover opening on the end opposite the ledge stopper.

Push the blade housing down flush with the cover secured to the base.

ONLY THEN CAN THE POWER BE TURNED ON!

Pull the cutter toward the ledge end of the base, keeping it level and pressed down on the coil cover.

BEFORE LIFTING THE CUTTER, THE POWER MUST BE TURNED OFF AND THE BLADE FULLY STOPPED!

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, covering the coils

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, adding the covers after the coils

When the coils are removed from the base, cutting dust will be left behind. This dust can be reclaimed.

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, multiple coils in painter's tape

You will know the cutting blade needs replacement when you see burs on many of the jump rings after removing the tape.

Most of the time, tumbling the jump rings will remove the burs.

It is better, however, if the burs are avoided in the first place.

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, group of jump rings

Cutting Jump Rings With A Saw

There are many ways to use a saw to cut jump rings, and all of them work well. Personal preference, along with the first method you learn, often shapes how you cut coils into rings.

I don't enjoy cutting jump rings with a saw, but when I only need a few, I won't set up machine-cutting equipment. Since coils are too hard for my arthritic fingers to hold and cut from the outside in, I use a different method.

Most people do not use a wrapped coil when cutting with this method. For me, the tape makes it easier to hold the coil in place while sawing.

Mark a cutting line on a short wrapped coil so you know which side faces down or away from you. Slide the coil onto the correct saw blade size for the wire gauge. Tighten the blade as usual, then lubricate it.

Brace the wrapped coil at a slight angle on the bench pin.

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, bracing the coil on the bench pin

This angle allows the saw blade to cut through the coil, making several jump rings at once.

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, finished cut coil on bench pin

Track Your Coiling for Consistent Results

Each of us has different coiling tensions and likely uses different tools, which can lead to variations in results.

Keep track of the wire gauge and lengths you use for making a specific size jump ring, along with the number of rings produced.

This simple chart is worth keeping. Notes taken alongside a tutorial make it much easier to replicate the piece later.

Since I create many different chains but do not make them often, it would be difficult for me to remember all the details without notes.

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, template for coils

Here are the notes I kept when making my Foxtail Chains:

Five-foot lengths of 20-gauge dead soft Argentium wire were cut.

Each length was wound on a different size mandrel.

Mandrel Size	Coil Length	Rings Cut From Coil
12mm	1-1/8"	34 rings
10mm	1-2/8"	41 rings
8mm	1-8/16"	52 rings

View the Foxtail Chains Pattern Here

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, foxtail chain

Jump to Each Lesson in the Jump Ring Series

#1 Coiling Wire for Jump Rings

#2 Cutting Coil into Jump Rings

#3 Opening & Closing Jump Rings

#4 Closed Jump Rings Soldering vs Fusing

Judy Larson's Cutting Coils Into Jump Rings - , General Education, Jump Rings, Jump Ring, Making Jump Rings, close up of jump ring between two pliers

Materials

Wire - Wide variety of gauges, tempers and metals

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Tools

Lindstrom Multi-Purpose Shear, 5-3/4 Inches

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C.H.P Milano Italian Flush Cutter, 5 1/2 Inches

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Scotch 0.94 Inch Painters Tape for Taping Wires Together

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Basic Sawing Kit

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Cut Lube

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7 Inch Coil Cutting Jump Ring Making Plier with PVC Comfort Grips - Pack of 1

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20 X 15 Inch Padded Work Mat

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Category: General Education
Technique(s): Making Jump Rings

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Judy Larson

My philosophy has always been "I will never live long enough to learn everything I want to learn, go everywhere I want to go and see everything I want to see!" So, what I make and how I create it is always changing and evolving. I was born shortly after WWII to parents who grew up during the Depression. They always had a "we can do it, we can make it" attitude which rubbed off on my two younger brothers and me. My brothers are amazing and can make and do ANYTHING! When I was a little girl, my mother gave me an old carved cigar box, which I cherish, filled with pop beads, wooden beads and yarn for stringing. That was the beginning of my jewelry making journey.

On a visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a young woman, I was fortunate enough to help a Native American silversmith sand cast my first silver bracelet and bezel set a large turquoise nugget on top. I was in love, hook, line and sinker! While working full time and having a family here in northern Minnesota, my artistic endeavors slowed down but never stopped. I am an artist, scrapbooker, seamstress, woodworker and jewelry artisan. Now that I am retired, I am able to indulge in all my hobbies. However, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all, but I try!

I have been teaching community education beginner and intermediate jewelry making classes since my retirement. Many of my students have been bitten so hard by the jewelry making bug that they say I have turned them into monsters-they just can't get enough. Making jewelry, seeing something take shape from small bits and pieces, is so rewarding that I hope it brings out the "monster" in you, too!