Hello! I'm Karina Formanova. Welcome to Evrazhka Studio.
In comments of «Jellyfish» tutorial you let me know that handmade clasps tutorial is very interesting for you.
So today I will show you how you can make these simple hooks and rings.
Full list of all necessary materials and tools is in the description below, as usual.
You can take copper wire from usual cables and remove plastic wrap with a stationary knife very easily.
Similarly, you can find copper and brass wire in craft stores.
I take surgical steel wire for silvery accessories.
It is more rigid than copper wire, not oxidized and does not cause allergies.
Unfortunately, I have not found it in Russian stores. Only wholesale.
If you know a shop where you can buy the wire by the meter, please leave a link in the comments, I'd appreciate it.
I bought my wire in the States in store Firemountaingems. The link is in the description below.
Also there is a copper wire with a silver coating on sale.
The one that I bought peeled and darken very quickly, so I will not recommend it.
Also I don't advise to take aluminum wire, because it is too soft, and a clasp will be unreliable.
It is better to take the wire with a diameter from 1 mm to 1.3 mm for clasp.
Clasp will be sufficiently stiff, but not too thick.
So, cut a piece with the length of 7-8 cm.
Cutter pliers left ugly cut on wire, which can cling to clothes and scratching the skin, so it should be smooth.
You can make it with ordinary needle files or coarse sandpaper.
And you can use a mini-drill with a special nozzle with a concave cup. It forms neat round tip on the wire.
Now bend a small tail with a round-nose pliers. And compress it.
You should get a loop like this.
Take a round rod with a diameter of 6-7 mm.
And fold a loop at a distance of approximately 2 cm from the edge.
Cut off the excess wire, leaving a tail of 3-4 mm longer than the previous one.
Make a flat cut with a needle file. Check with your finger to avoid scratching.
Bend a loop with pliers.
Be sure compress tails close to each other. The closer the tails, the more secure clasp.
Also it is very important that the loose tail is at least 3 mm longer than the ring which you will hook to a cord.
Then the clasp will not unbutton during wear.
However, if you leave it in this form, it can stretch, as the wire is soft enough.
To make it more hard, beat it with a hammer.
Of course, it is best to beat it with a special jeweler's hammer.
It has perfectly flat and smooth surface.
But if you don't have it, you can beat it with a usual hammer.
It leaves some irregularities on wire, but you can remove it with fine sandpaper.
You can use a special bench block for a base.
But you can use a smooth side of another hammer.
Importantly, the surface should be smooth, sleek and durable.
Beat it slowly and carefully, without haste.
Initially beat the hook at the bend. This place is most vulnerable, so it should be very hard.
You can see how the wire becomes wider and thinner in this place.
Be careful. If you will flatten the wire too much, then clasp will just break.
Then beat little loops on the ends.
Friends, if you like my videos, please support me on Patreon.
It will allow me to continue to maintain and develop the channel, to delight you with new ideas
and reveal the subtleties of working with polymer clay and not only with it.
In addition to strength, hitting with a hammer makes a clasp's line more smooth and beautiful.
The loops open a little during hitting, so close them again and give the clasp its final shape.
Tools leave a dent on the wire. Remove it with fine sandpaper.
At this stage, remove traces of a hammer, if any.
Here's a clasp turned out.
If you want to get more interesting surface you can make small notches with an edge of a hammer.
Hold a hammer at an angle that it is in contact with the wire only edge. Don't forget about the back side.
We have got such surface.
In this hook the ring for attaching chain or cord is in the same plane as the hook.
If you want to rotate it, then firmly grip the hook at the base of the loop with a chain-nose pliers, and rotate it 90 degrees.
Then pull that loop to place it symmetrically on the axis clasp.
Here's how hook turned out.
The place of the loop depends on the method of its further attachment to the cord or chain.
You can make clasps from surgical steel steel in exactly the same way.
Pick up rods of the desired diameter for rings.
It could be spokes, handles of tools, stacks, and so on. I like to use these rods.
It is the usual disassembled telescopic antenna. The rods made of metal, but hollow and therefore very light.
I make mounts for pendants with them in my videos. The diameter of the selected rod will be the internal diameter of the rings.
Wrap wire on a rod.
Try to make rounds close to each other, so the rings will be more accurate.
You can cut rings with cutting pliers. The method is fast and simple, but wire ends turns out chamfered, and the ring looks less neat.
A more time consuming way is to saw with a jeweler's saw. Saw and saw blades are sold in shops for jewelers.
You can keep the spring in your hands during sawing. It is very uncomfortable, but for lack of gripe I had sawed that way.
Long, hard, but possible.
Can clamp the spring in a gripe. This process is faster and more convenient. Cut jumprings in any way.
To get the oval jumprings, you need to take two rods of the same diameter.
Wrap wire on the both rods.
It turns out that such an oval spring. The process of rings cutting is absolutely similar.
Close each jump ring to the end.
Beat rings. Very mild, with just a few light bumps, so they are become a bit tougher.
A little squeeze from the sides to remove a small gap.
Rings are ready!
You can use them one by one as the second part of the hook clasp. And you can assemble them to an extender chain.
Don't forget that the rings are always opened as if you stretch a spring.
Then they will not lose shape and will be perfectly round.
That's what I made. The hook and extender chain for it.
Copper oxidizes rapidly without a protective coating. And you have two ways.
The first is to leave everything as is, allow it to become dark itself.
The second way is to make patina.
To obtain a patina, you can use the simple sulphur ointment from the pharmacy, ammonia, or a special liquid.
Sulphur ointment is very thick and oily, and is applied simply with a brush.
Note that it is very difficult to wash the brush, it is better to allocate a special.
Completely coat the entire surface. It is immediately evident copper begins to darken.
Leave for a while, and then wash it thoroughly with water and soap or liquid for washing dishes. Wipe remaining ointment with a napkin.
For patination in pairs of ammonia, wet cotton pad in ammonia and put it in a sealed container together with the clasp.
Leave it till you like the color.
Apply a special liquid with a brush,
and as soon as it get the color we want, wash off excess with water.
Copper becomes slightly different shades with different methods of patina. Which method you choose is up to you.
In order the copper not to change color and not to dye the skin during wear,
it can be covered with a transparent varnish, which is suitable for metal.
I use this varnish for air-drying clay, but it is well kept and on the metal.
Cover hook and wait for complete drying.
I do not cover with varnish clasp made of surgical steel, as it does not change color or dye the skin.
Such clasps can be used in different jewellery.
They are reliable and not open during wear.
Extender chains made of such thick wire look rough, but it fits in perfectly with the ethnic style and boho.
And by the way, these locks are good even for bracelets.
If you have any questions, welcome to comments.
Be sure to subscribe to the channel and look for me in Vkontakte, Instagram and Facebook not to miss new videos.
All my patrons, thank you for your support. And today I say goodbye to you.
Thank you all for watching and bye!
No comments:
Post a Comment