QuestionQUESTION: Thomas,
Hello, and thank you for answering all these questions on here! I am making stitch markers for knitting and also earrings, and I am using head pins that range in 0.025 to 0.027 thickness. I have found out this translates to around 22 gauge. What I am wondering is, how do I get the little disc on the silver wire?
Here are the head pins that I am trying to replicate with the hard 20 gauge wire I bought.
Could you please tell me how to get that disc on the end? Do I need to buy a torch?
Thank you for your time.
Sandra
Here is a link to the headpins:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=009&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT
ANSWER: Sandra, I suspect you will not be making head pins just like the ones shown in the link you kindly provided. That is, not unless you get a torch, silver solders, pickle pot, polishing equipment and all that is needed to solder silver and restore the polish.
The ones shown are likely made with a machine that stamps or forces the disc shape onto the end of the wire.
Crafts work with a torch can allow a much more simple but less refined sort of head pin: The silver wire is fluxed and heated just at the tip of the wire, melting and balling up the wire. Then the silver is cleaned and polished or even filed to shape first, the ball providing a "stop" for items placed on the wire just as a head pin does.
A slightly less involved and really quite lovely way to make a wire hold things with out slipping off is to take round nose pliers and form a small bit of the wire into a coil, a flat coil of about 2 loops. This gives a good end to the wire and is quite attractive. The coil is made by bending some wire at a right angle to the long piece then carefully forming a coil which is bent to stay at a right angle to the main wire.
The disc would need to be soldered on or made from a ball of silver melted on the wire.
Let me know if you need more info. Thanks again. : )
God Bless and Peace. Thomas. June 2, 2007 3:26PM
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QUESTION: Thomas,
I have tried to do the little curly thing on the end, but it snags the yarn :(
I am making stitch markers. Here is a link to what I am making:
http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=368334&image=50527742&ima
http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=368334&image=50527638&ima
So if I am going to make these (stitch markers), on a regular basis, and I am spending $50.00 on 200 2" 0.27 thick, it is costing me around a quarter for the really nice thick ones. I can get the thinner ones cheaper. Is there anyway, I could get a torch (used most likely :) and a pickle pot (used), and the polishing equipment, and make my own for a price per piece for lower than that?
I could make the head pins with the little silver balls on the end, that way I do not have to "flatten" the ends out, and I would not need to add the extra silver ball before adding my crystal... maybe??
(Can you tell I am really ambitious with my under takings? :)
Thank you for you time!
Sandra B
ANSWER: Follow up to Sandra: Sandra, I will follow-up tomorrow. Right now I am ready for zzzzzzzzzzland after a busy day. I am glad you got back to me and now I understand why the coils or flattened wire will not do for you. I will be back. Sweet dreams.
God Bless. Thomas. June 2, 2007. 11:05PM
Sabdra, unless you plan on making a few thousand of these head pins the jewelry equipment will not even break even in cash output. For now, perhaps to purchase the pins would be the most economical way to do it.
To see prices of jewelry equipment, try one of these sites and be surprised:
www.contenti.com
http://www.gesswein.com/catalog/home.cfm?CFID=1131894&CFTOKEN=7095386
(use the jewelry category to begin search of items on the gesswein site)
Getting set-up for torch work is an entire process including a need for a space to do it safely.
Get back if you need to. I should be here.
God Bless and Peace. Thomas. June 3,2007 3:18PM
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QUESTION: Thomas,
I think I am going to take a beginning jewelry class at my local Community College. I am actually very interested in this. Thank you for your help in this, you have been very helpful, thank you.
Sandra B
Answer__________________________________________________
Follow-Up, June 4,2007.
Sandra, thanks for the kind comments. I must answer this comment since if not answered, the "machine" at allexperts thinks I have an unanswered question pending and will jump on my case. Comments are best made in a "rating" or "thank the expert" place.
Thanks for this kind comment and may your know that I started with a two week, three day a week class at a local art center. I was the only one who used his own design for the first project. That class was the start. Now, I have by far passed the instructor who did this work as a hobby but cannot thank that man enough for getting me going in the right direction.
I believe learning to use a torch an other tools will open a creative door you would have a hard time imagining. With such skill, with time given to learning how to correct your miscues along the way, you can let your creative side go anywhere in jewelry you desire.
As your get into jewelry work, please feel free to get back to me. Actually doing the "hands on" work is my real expertise, from design to repair and from scratch creation. As long as I am around, I am willing to help you with that pursuit.
Best wishes in the class and in your future jewelry work, I mean that.
God Bless and Peace. Thomas. June 4,2007 9:16PM
