Silver wire weights and uses

I used up my craft budget for this paycheque yesterday purchasing a wire
instruction book and some silver wire. I spent last night at the store making
simple eyepins and using them to string together MOP beads. I think I'm coming
along well enough now to move on to the next skill, although the consistency
isn't completely there yet.

There was only one weight of wire in stock at the bead store, 22 gauge half
hard. I was under the impression that was mostly used for earring wires and
ornamentation, and I suspect it is a bit too light to use to string beads
together. The necklace may go up for sale, although I might end up taking it
apart or reworking it until all of the wire eyes are completely uniform. The
technique and material combined might not make a very durable necklace,
although I might get away with it using MOP because it is very light.

From my reading I have gathered that generally speaking, 18 gauge or heavier is
used for findings, 20 is a good general purpose weight, and 22 gauge is sort of
on the borderline. I'm going to try to do a silver buy at the jewelry show for
both myself and the store in a couple of weeks and would like to hear your
recommendations.

Dora

I use 24 guage head/eye pins for wirewrap earrings, and 22 guage wire
for bracelets and necklaces. I don't know from "soft, dead-soft,
half-hard" etc. I get what's available at my LBS

For *practicing*, though, I'd recommend buying inexpensive artistic wire
rather than sterling silver.

I'd also be interested in more info about using wire to make my own
findings. I've tried 20 guage, for example, for S-hooks and they always
look too big for the piece I want to use it on; and smaller doesn't seem
sturdy enough.

Cheers,
Carla

Bungadora wrote:

I used up my craft budget for this paycheque yesterday purchasing a wire
instruction book and some silver wire. I spent last night at the store making
simple eyepins and using them to string together MOP beads. I think I'm coming
along well enough now to move on to the next skill, although the consistency
isn't completely there yet.

There was only one weight of wire in stock at the bead store, 22 gauge half
hard. I was under the impression that was mostly used for earring wires and
ornamentation, and I suspect it is a bit too light to use to string beads
together. The necklace may go up for sale, although I might end up taking it
apart or reworking it until all of the wire eyes are completely uniform. The
technique and material combined might not make a very durable necklace,
although I might get away with it using MOP because it is very light.

From my reading I have gathered that generally speaking, 18 gauge or heavier is
used for findings, 20 is a good general purpose weight, and 22 gauge is sort of
on the borderline. I'm going to try to do a silver buy at the jewelry show for
both myself and the store in a couple of weeks and would like to hear your
recommendations.

Dora

The higher the gage number the thinner the wire. I like dead soft wire which
I can harden when I need to. If you start out with hard or half hard and you
work it too much it will need to be annealed to rework later. It easier to
harden the wire then making it softer to work later.
"Bungadora" wrote in message
...
I used up my craft budget for this paycheque yesterday purchasing a wire
instruction book and some silver wire. I spent last night at the store
making
simple eyepins and using them to string together MOP beads. I think I'm
coming
along well enough now to move on to the next skill, although the
consistency
isn't completely there yet.

There was only one weight of wire in stock at the bead store, 22 gauge
half
hard. I was under the impression that was mostly used for earring wires
and
ornamentation, and I suspect it is a bit too light to use to string beads
together. The necklace may go up for sale, although I might end up taking
it
apart or reworking it until all of the wire eyes are completely uniform.
The
technique and material combined might not make a very durable necklace,
although I might get away with it using MOP because it is very light.

From my reading I have gathered that generally speaking, 18 gauge or
heavier is
used for findings, 20 is a good general purpose weight, and 22 gauge is
sort of
on the borderline. I'm going to try to do a silver buy at the jewelry show
for
both myself and the store in a couple of weeks and would like to hear your
recommendations.

Dora

Dora -- I use 22 gauge for almost all my wire-work. Use the smallest gauge
that will stand up to the pressure, for two reasons: 1) It will save your
hands. The smaller the gauge, the less pressure it takes to turn it, and 2)
the smaller gauges will go through more beads. Semi-precious beads (pearls
especially) often have to be hand-drilled with a diamond bead reamer in order
to get the wire through at all. You will learn.

I use 20 or 18 only for hand made clasps.

Good luck!!!


Becki
"In between the moon and you, the angels have a better view of the crumbling
difference between wrong and right." -- Counting Crows

Oh yes. I use dead soft. Again, for saving my hands.

I started out wire-working using 20 gauge black wire from the plumbing
department at K-Mart. I still have that necklace. It about killed me to make
it, LOL.


Becki
"In between the moon and you, the angels have a better view of the crumbling
difference between wrong and right." -- Counting Crows

Carla


For *practicing*, though, I'd recommend buying inexpensive artistic wire
rather than sterling silver.

Thanks. I got some this afternoon. As it happens, my cat retrieved an injured
bird from my neighbor's garden and the emergency clinic is one block from my
favorite LBS.

I'd also be interested in more info about using wire to make my own
findings. I've tried 20 guage, for example, for S-hooks and they always
look too big for the piece I want to use it on; and smaller doesn't seem
sturdy enough.

I was thinking of drawing out the sizes I needed and using that to set out
dowling pegs on a board to help me shape them. Do you think that sort of
approach would help with restraining your clasps to a suitable size?
Dora

Thanks. I've been having a good time with it. I got some 20 this afternoon, so
I'll try making clasps with it later on. I think I'll feel better with the 22
once I work with it a bit more, and get into wrapping a bit more. I don't think
of eyepins (or jump rings for that matter) as being that secure. I'm looking
forward to doing carbachons too.

Dora

(BeckiBead)

Dora -- I use 22 gauge for almost all my wire-work. Use the smallest gauge
that will stand up to the pressure, for two reasons: 1) It will save your
hands. The smaller the gauge, the less pressure it takes to turn it, and 2)
the smaller gauges will go through more beads. Semi-precious beads (pearls
especially) often have to be hand-drilled with a diamond bead reamer in order
to get the wire through at all. You will learn.

I use 20 or 18 only for hand made clasps.

Good luck!!!


Becki
"In between the moon and you, the angels have a better view of the crumbling
difference between wrong and right." -- Counting Crows

I started out wire-working using 20 gauge black wire from the plumbing
department

Me too, Becki, back in the late 80's. I still have some of those pieces, keep
them as reminders, LOL! Back then I used copper and brass, and aluminum wire as
well. Used to strip all sorts of electrical sand telephone wires for the wore
inside too! Now I favor 18-22 gauge, and dead-soft or half-hard sterling or
gold-filled wire. Thanks for the memory tripper, Becki.

Annie
or
AnnieBee's at http://www.anniebee.com

Hi Dora,

I mostly use 20 ga, and 18 ga for findings, and 22 ga for most wrapped
loops, but sometimes smaller. At this point I use dead soft. For Fine
Silver I use one step larger -- 16 to 18 for findings, etc.

Tina


"Bungadora" wrote in message
...
I used up my craft budget for this paycheque yesterday purchasing a wire
instruction book and some silver wire. I spent last night at the store
making
simple eyepins and using them to string together MOP beads. I think I'm
coming
along well enough now to move on to the next skill, although the
consistency
isn't completely there yet.

There was only one weight of wire in stock at the bead store, 22 gauge
half
hard. I was under the impression that was mostly used for earring wires
and
ornamentation, and I suspect it is a bit too light to use to string beads
together. The necklace may go up for sale, although I might end up taking
it
apart or reworking it until all of the wire eyes are completely uniform.
The
technique and material combined might not make a very durable necklace,
although I might get away with it using MOP because it is very light.

From my reading I have gathered that generally speaking, 18 gauge or
heavier is
used for findings, 20 is a good general purpose weight, and 22 gauge is
sort of
on the borderline. I'm going to try to do a silver buy at the jewelry show
for
both myself and the store in a couple of weeks and would like to hear your
recommendations.

Dora

And for practice, the closest thing to how sterling behaves is brass.

Tina


"Christina Peterson" wrote in message news:...
Hi Dora,

I mostly use 20 ga, and 18 ga for findings, and 22 ga for most wrapped
loops, but sometimes smaller. At this point I use dead soft. For Fine
Silver I use one step larger -- 16 to 18 for findings, etc.

Tina


"Bungadora" wrote in message
...
I used up my craft budget for this paycheque yesterday purchasing a wire
instruction book and some silver wire. I spent last night at the store
making
simple eyepins and using them to string together MOP beads. I think I'm
coming
along well enough now to move on to the next skill, although the
consistency
isn't completely there yet.

There was only one weight of wire in stock at the bead store, 22 gauge
half
hard. I was under the impression that was mostly used for earring wires
and
ornamentation, and I suspect it is a bit too light to use to string
beads
together. The necklace may go up for sale, although I might end up
taking
it
apart or reworking it until all of the wire eyes are completely uniform.
The
technique and material combined might not make a very durable necklace,
although I might get away with it using MOP because it is very light.

From my reading I have gathered that generally speaking, 18 gauge or
heavier is
used for findings, 20 is a good general purpose weight, and 22 gauge is
sort of
on the borderline. I'm going to try to do a silver buy at the jewelry
show
for
both myself and the store in a couple of weeks and would like to hear
your
recommendations.

Dora