Читать книгу Wire-Wrapped Jewelry Techniques - Lora S. Irish - Страница 12

While you can, of course, buy wire through jewelry supply stores and craft stores, copper, brass, aluminum, and stainless steel wire are also commonly available at your local hardware store or from online hardware suppliers. You can also purchase large quantities of wire (in 1-pound spools) online through marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay. All four of these types of wire make wonderful jewelry while remaining inexpensive enough that you can freely practice, experiment, and play before moving on to work with more expensive wire like silver or gold wire.

Copper wire is considered a soft wire and can easily be bent using just the pressure of your fingers. After the link is created, it can be tempered by lightly tapping the link for about one minute with a no-mar hammer. This example uses 18-gauge copper wire for the link with 24-gauge copper wrapping wire.

Brass wire is very hard and needs even, strong pressure to create smooth bends. Brass does not tarnish and retains its bright yellow tone for years. Try using 18- and 24-gauge brass wire, as shown in this example.

Aluminum wire is available in a range of hardnesses, from very soft craft wire to harder hardware wire. This example uses exclusively 20-gauge aluminum wire.

Stainless steel wire is a hard wire that can be bent using jewelry tools and a little extra pressure. The metal does not tarnish over time, retaining its bright appearance. The example shown here uses 18-gauge stainless steel wire for the link with 24-gauge copper wrapping wire.

Copper

Brass

Stainless steel

Aluminum