PROJECTBEGINNER | WIRE

Wire Bail

Use basic wire-wrapping skills to

show off a focal bead.

by Colette Kimon

Ahead pin is the secret to securing my

custom bail to its focal bead. I used

20-gauge (0.8 mm) wire to make my

own extra long head pin, but you could use

a prefab one if you prefer. A couple of pairs

of pliers and a few pieces of round and

half-round 20-gauge (0.8 mm) sterling silver

wire are all you need to make the bail.

Whether you’re working with wire for the

first time or have miles of experience, it’s

always fun to make a quick project that’s

ready to wear tonight.

A contemporary wire capture and bail show off a coin bead. 35 x 21 mm (13 ⁄8 x 13 ⁄16 in.).

Wrap a Quick,

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©2011 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.

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Head pinIf you’re using a premade 20-gauge (0.8 mm) head pin, skip to “Bail and Capture.” I make my own head pins because it’s economical and I can customize each pin’s gauge and length.

Use flush cutters to cut a 6¼-in. (15.9 cm) piece of 20-gauge (0.8 mm) sterling silver wire. Flux one end of the wire, and use a handheld butane torch to ball up that end.

NOTE: In order to hold your focal bead securely, the ball of the head pin must be larger than the hole in the bead. If it’s not, you can slide a decorative bead on the head pin before you add the focal bead to keep the focal bead in place.

[1] Use flush cutters to cut a 6-in. (15.2 cm) piece of 20-gauge (0.8 mm) half-round sterling silver wrapping wire. Use a fine-tip marker to mark the wire about ¼ in. (6.5 mm) from one end. Using chainnose pliers, grip the wire at the mark, and bend the wire 90° so that its flat side is on the inside of the bend.

[4] Cut the wrapping-wire tails. Use nylon-jaw pliers to press the tails against the core wires.

[2] Cut two 20-gauge (0.8 mm) 2¼-in. (57 mm) pieces of round sterling silver wire, and stack them; these are your core wires. Hook the wrapping wire over the core wires ¾ in. (19 mm) from one end of the core wires.

[3] Make ¾ in. (19 mm) of tight wraps around the core wires. Mark the core wires ¾ in. (19 mm) from the end of the wraps. Cut the excess core wires at the mark.

Half-round wire

materials ■ Sterling silver wire:

■ 20-gauge (0.8 mm): round, dead-soft, 41⁄2 in. (11.4 cm) (core wires)

■ 20-gauge (0.8 mm): round, dead-soft, 61⁄4 in. (15.9 cm) (head pin wire); or premade sterling silver head pin

■ 20-gauge (0.8 mm): half-round, dead-soft, 6 in. (15.2 cm) (wrapping wire)

■ 20 mm coin bead ■ Decorative bead: small (optional) ■ Chain or cord

additional tools & supplies ■ Head-pin-making setup: torch, flux, insulated cross-locking tweezers, fire-resistant surface (soldering pad, firebrick, or charcoal block), pickle pot, pickle

■ Fine-tip marker

suppliers ■ Coin bead, wire (Monster Slayer, www.monsterslayer.com)

■ Coin bead, wire, tools (Rio Grande, www.riogrande.com)

Bail and capture

¾ in. (19 mm)¾ in. (19 mm)

¾ in. (19 mm)

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[7] Bend the assembly over one jaw of the pliers, creating a U bend in the wrapped segment; this is your bail.

[8] Insert your head pin through your bead. Using the tips of chainnose pliers, grip the head pin above the bead and bend the wire 90°.

[9] Center the bail over the bend in the head pin so that two core wires are on each side of the bead. Using the head pin, make one tight wrap around all four core wires at the base of the bail.

[5] Use your fingers to slightly spread the ends of the core wires. [6] Use roundnose pliers to grasp the midpoint of the wrapped wire segment. Don’t grip too hard, or you could deform the wraps.

Head pin

[10] Continue making wraps around the bail, leaving about a ½-in. (13 mm) tail.

[11] Using the tip of the roundnose pliers, make a small loop with the head pin tail.

[12] Use the roundnose pliers to make loops with the tails of the core wires so that they mirror each other. Use your fingers to press all the loops against the bead.

NOTE: The front of the pendant will have three decorative loops and the back will have two.

String your pendant on a sterling silver chain or a cord.

Colette Kimon is a proud mother of two and an IT professional who loves to relax by making jewelry. She has been creating jewelry for over seven years. Contact her at www.colettecollection.com.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

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Process photos by Colette Kimon.