new wire questions - 7/25/2003

I can see why they use square. When the wires are wrapped, they aren't able
to turn around and move because the flat faces are butted tightly against
one another. I've wrapped round wire in a similar configuration to that in
the project you want to do. The only way I could stop them from moving
around was to solder them. I wouldn't definatively state that it can't be
done with round but you may have to experiment to find a way to stabilise
the wrapped wires.

--
Marisa (AU)
ESBC



http://www.wag.on.ca/sampleproject.html

i subscribe to Wire Artist Jeweler [i always thought it was Journal,
until i read the fine print!]

probably 95% or more of their projects are done with square wire.
why square???

could the project above [just happens to be the one they have on their
site] be adapted for use with round wire?

there's just something about square wire i don't like - at all. do
they use it just to make the wrapping easier?


-----------
@vicki [SnuggleWench]
(Books) http://www.booksnbytes.com
(Jewelry) http://www.vickijean.com
-----------
The Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.
Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.

I think you could do a similar design with the round on this project but
most of the time if it calls for wrapped square wire you need to use square
for the strength of the wrap. Structure stability and strength are the main
thing to consider. I also noticed that they had instructions for twisting
square wire. You can't twist round wire and get a faceted look. If you
want to twist round wire you must twist two wires together or you get
nothing but round wire. I would use half round for wrap wires rather than
round for the strength yet in keeping with the round look. I would also use
a heavier HR for strength.

Susan W

"vj" wrote in message
news
http://www.wag.on.ca/sampleproject.html

i subscribe to Wire Artist Jeweler [i always thought it was Journal,
until i read the fine print!]

probably 95% or more of their projects are done with square wire.
why square???

could the project above [just happens to be the one they have on their
site] be adapted for use with round wire?

there's just something about square wire i don't like - at all. do
they use it just to make the wrapping easier?


-----------
@vicki [SnuggleWench]
(Books) http://www.booksnbytes.com
(Jewelry) http://www.vickijean.com
-----------
The Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.
Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.

Not so much the strength, but the stability, which in turn contributes to
strength. Like someone said, the corners and flat surfaces bind together in
such a way that things won't twist or slip.

Tina


"vj" wrote in message
...
vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Steve & Susan Wright"
:

okay - bear with me - i understand about not being able to twist round
wire . . . but :

]if it calls for wrapped square wire you need to use square
]for the strength of the wrap. Structure stability and strength are the
main
]thing to consider.

]I would use half round for wrap wires rather than
]round for the strength yet in keeping with the round look. I would also
use
]a heavier HR for strength.

why does the wire being square have anything to do with it's strength?


-----------
@vicki [SnuggleWench]
(Books) http://www.booksnbytes.com
(Jewelry) http://www.vickijean.com
-----------
The Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.
Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.

I wonder if Scotch magic tape would be enough to temporarily bind the wires?
I use it to mask of areas in my paintings and it leaves no residue (and
doesn't lift off paint).

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Lisa"
:

]I use round wire quite often. Use masking tape to tape the wires together
]or use temporary wires to hold them together whiled you wrap...telephone
]wire or those twisties from bread, etc work well.

ah! will the residue from the tape come off?
do you tumble them to harden them?

thanks!


-----------
@vicki [SnuggleWench]
(Books) http://www.booksnbytes.com
(Jewelry) http://www.vickijean.com
-----------
The Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.
Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.

I think it is used because several wires lie beside each other without
shifting the way round wires would. They kind of brace and stabilize
each other.

But I feel similarly trapped by how many designs seem to insist on
square, not round ... which is cheaper and much easier to come by.

Makes me wish I was equipped to draw my own, but I don't have what it
would take to anneal it for that process, and am loathe to buy more
equipment just now.

Deirdre

On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 21:50:07 -0700, vj wrote:

http://www.wag.on.ca/sampleproject.html

i subscribe to Wire Artist Jeweler [i always thought it was Journal,
until i read the fine print!]

probably 95% or more of their projects are done with square wire.
why square???

could the project above [just happens to be the one they have on their
site] be adapted for use with round wire?

there's just something about square wire i don't like - at all. do
they use it just to make the wrapping easier?


-----------
@vicki [SnuggleWench]
(Books) http://www.booksnbytes.com
(Jewelry) http://www.vickijean.com
-----------
The Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.
Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.

Ah, official confirmation of my theory. It is nice to see my instincts
verified, but sad to see that the more expensive stuff is necessary
for some designs.

Anyone know of a source of square copper wire that isn't exorbitantly
priced?

Deirdre

On Sat, 26 Jul 2003 05:54:38 GMT, Marisa Cappetta
wrote:

I can see why they use square. When the wires are wrapped, they aren't able
to turn around and move because the flat faces are butted tightly against
one another. I've wrapped round wire in a similar configuration to that in
the project you want to do. The only way I could stop them from moving
around was to solder them. I wouldn't definatively state that it can't be
done with round but you may have to experiment to find a way to stabilise
the wrapped wires.

I have looked for square copper and the only place I found it was Preston
Reuthers page. You might ask where you usually buy wire and see if they do
have it since sometimes they have items in stock but not in their catalog.
I found that the copper square I got work hardened very quickly to a spring
hard. I was teaching wrapping square with square.

Susan W

"Deirdre S." wrote in message
...
Ah, official confirmation of my theory. It is nice to see my instincts
verified, but sad to see that the more expensive stuff is necessary
for some designs.

Anyone know of a source of square copper wire that isn't exorbitantly
priced?

Deirdre

On Sat, 26 Jul 2003 05:54:38 GMT, Marisa Cappetta
wrote:

I can see why they use square. When the wires are wrapped, they aren't
able
to turn around and move because the flat faces are butted tightly against
one another. I've wrapped round wire in a similar configuration to that
in
the project you want to do. The only way I could stop them from moving
around was to solder them. I wouldn't definatively state that it can't be
done with round but you may have to experiment to find a way to
stabilise
the wrapped wires.

In article t, "Steve & Susan
Wright" writes:

I found that the copper square I got work hardened very quickly to a spring
hard. I was teaching wrapping square with square.

Is there any way to treat copper wire so that it retains the copper color? I
love it, fresh off the coil, and coating it with nail polish or such doesn't
stay if done before wrapping, and fills in the spaces between wires if done
afterwards (and can mess up beads).
I've tried the non-tarnishing copper colored craft wires-- color is mostly
retained, but it is a bit too soft.
Kaytee
"Simplexities" on
www.eclecticbeadery.com
http://www.rubylane.com/shops/simplexities

acetone (nail polish remover), goo be gone, wd40 -- any of those remove the
tape residue nicely.

--
This is a post-only address.
Send replies to e_lewis AT bellsouth DOT net
(with the obvious corrections)
"vj" wrote in message
...
vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Lisa"
:

]I use round wire quite often. Use masking tape to tape the wires
together
]or use temporary wires to hold them together whiled you wrap...telephone
]wire or those twisties from bread, etc work well.

ah! will the residue from the tape come off?
do you tumble them to harden them?

thanks!


-----------
@vicki [SnuggleWench]
(Books) http://www.booksnbytes.com
(Jewelry) http://www.vickijean.com
-----------
The Bill of Rights - Void where prohibited by Law.
Regime Change in 2004 - The life you save may be your own.

It was Monsterslayer. I bought one pound spools of several weights of
round wire. The fact that it work-hardens quickly is another argument
for being able to anneal/draw my own.

Metalworkers, any suggestions for a person without a torch or a kiln
when it comes to annealing copper without too much of an investment?

Deirdre

On Tue, 29 Jul 2003 13:53:55 GMT, "Steve & Susan Wright"
wrote:

You might ask where you usually buy wire and see if they do
have it since sometimes they have items in stock but not in their catalog.