Make Your Own Headpins Using a Butane Torch
I like buying bulk wire and making my own headpins. It saves money, and I find it fun and relaxing. The process is easy, but you'll need to take a few safety precautions first!! Because fine silver melts easily and doesn't require pickling or fluxing, this is a good project for those who are just starting out with a torch.
Level: Intermediate
Materials
Fine silver wire (I use 22g for most headpins)
Cutting pliers
Heat-resistant pliers
Butane torch (get them at any hardware store, just the little one!)
Clean and straighten wire using a polishing cloth.
Cut several lengths of wire in approximately the same length — I like to cut about 2". It seems to be about the right length to give me enough wire to work with after I've "balled up" the end, without too much waste. I generally do at least 2 dozen headpins in one sitting...since it takes very little time, I will even go up to 100.
Prepare your working area
Keep safety in mind — tie back hair, wear clothing that won't accidentally fall into the flame, protect your eyes, and have some water nearby!
You'll also want to have a small cup of clean, cool water to quench the headpins in after they've been torched.
I have a firebrick under my work area, just in case I drop a headpin or heaven forbid, the torch falls over.
Time to get started
Once you are ready, go ahead and turn on the torch, using the setting to keep it running hands-free.
Using the heat-resistant pliers or tweezers, hold one headpin by the end. Place the opposite end directly in the flame, just at the tip of the blue part of the flame. Hold the wire horizontally, so the flame covers a good portion (if not all) of the wire. If you hold it vertically, the metal won't get hot enough to melt.
Very quickly, the wire will start to glow — don't blink! You'll see a tiny ball start to form at the end, and it will begin "chasing" down the length of the wire. When it's the size of a small BB, remove the pin from the flame, and immediately drop in the cup of water.
Continue until you've done all the headpins...I hold about 6 in my left hand, sort of fanned out so that I can grab one as soon as I'm ready for it. Less butane wasted when you can move quickly from one headpin to the next!
Make them Superman Strong!!
After quenching, you'll need to strengthen your headpins — they will be very soft (too soft!) after being annealed in the flame. I toss mine in the tumbler with stainless steel shot, water, and blue Dawn dishwashing liquid overnight. After removing from the tumbler, I straighten using a nylon-jawed pliers (hold just above the ball with a chain-nosed pliers, pull the rest of the headpin through the nylon ones). If you don't have a tumbler, just pull through the pliers several times.
You now have some *fine* headpins!!!
