One of the things I like best about learning a lot of jewelry-making techniques is that I can switch between working with PMC one day, wire work the next, and make a quick stringing project the next day. I also find that I start almost craving working with certain techniques if I haven't done them in some time.
Earlier this week, I really wanted to do some wire work, specifically coiling, and tried something new when making this pendant and earring set.Usually, when I coil, I create the base form first, then coil my thinner wire around the form, adding beads to the coil as I go. While this technique works well for larger pieces, smaller forms (like my earrings, which are less than the size of a US dime) get tight, and the coils aren't as consistent as I'd like.
With this project, instead of coiling directly on the form, I used a section of straight wire in the same gauge as my forms. I coiled 26g wire, adding beads every 5 coils, making sure that the beads were all on the same side of the coil. I had measured the forms to find out how long the coil needed to be, and when the coil was long enough, I slipped it off the straight piece of wire and onto the curved form.
You do have to be very careful not to crush or distort the coil when removing it or putting it on the form. Using a slight twisting motion will help, as will holding on to one end of the form with a pliers after the entire coil has been slipped on the form.
After completing the coiling and finishing up the wire work, these pieces were oxidized, using Liver of Sulfur.
Labels: coiling, earrings, jewelry making, Liver of Sulfur, oxidizing, pendant, wire working
