Echoes of Ela

Artistry in metal, stone and glass

You are here: Home / Archives for jewelry tools

jewelry tools

By

Why I love my disc cutter

Few things are more exciting than getting new tools – that is if you are as obsessed with creating jewelry as I am:)

But some of those tools can be a little pricey. So if you are sitting on the fence about whether or not it makes sense for you to buy one of your own, let me tell you why I decided to purchase my disc cutter and why I now cannot imagine my shop without it.

I had discovered the usefulness of ordinary copper washers as jewelry components a while back, but if you know me, I like nothing less than running out of a certain size component whilst being in creative mode, as detailed here. And copper washers, I have found, can be difficult to come by.

Not every hardware store carries them and then they are frequently sold as assortments – speak, you get some in the size you need and want and a whole bunch you don’t. Ordering through jewelry supply companies was cost prohibitive for me. Besides, buying all of these ready-made components goes against my make-everything-yourself-if-possible grain. And I prefer US copper.

At one point I purchased a little disc cutter from a local craft store on impulse. Don’t do that. It was $$$ not well spent and had to be returned on the double.

After researching my options, I decided on taking the middle road and ordered the Pepe Tools disc cutter from Contenti. Would I have loved the Swanstrom one? You bet. But budgetary constraints are a bit of a factor. If you are up for a solid investment and have the funds, l’d say go for the Swanstrom.

So, why do I love this tool so much? One word: versatility.

Here a summary of some of the benefits of using a disc cutter:

  • – consistency
  • – allows creation of professional quality components like discs, washers, bead caps etc.
  • -can create a number of different shapes
  • -time saver
  • -saves money by letting you create many different items from more reasonably priced sheet metal
  • -requires no special training

Not only does it allow me to consistently produce high quality discs in gauges up to 18 for non-ferrous metals and 22 for stainless steel (if using a mallet or hammer), but also lets me cut my own washers. I use the smaller dies for cutting holes into pendants, take advantage of various size holes to add interest to components, such as these in my mixed metal bracelet. Certain diameters also match up with copper tubing, which makes it a very useful tool for riveting.

Here are a few examples of discs I cut:

disc-cutter-blog-post1

And other shapes…

disc-cutter-blog-post2

If you plan it just right you can accomplish two things at once, create a fun cuff and cut circles to use for other projects, as I did here.

copper-cuff-swiss-cheese-texture1

My half moon designs like this bracelet,

mixed-metal-bracelet-half-moon1

result in little leaf shapes that I have chosen to use as tags for my bracelets and necklaces. But bigger leaf shapes can be filed and stamped and used as organic elements in their own right, as I did in this fun bracelet:

copper--bead-leaf-bracelet3

I’ll leave you with one more example of bracelets I couldn’t have created without my trusty disc cutter.

disc-cutter-blog-post3

Do you have a disc cutter? Have you been wondering if it’s a worthwhile investment? Are you using one to create unusual shapes? I sure would be interested in knowing if you like yours as much as I do mine!

START

Karin

 

*disclaimer: I was not reimbursed in any way for the statements made in this post and all opinions expressed are my own.

By

Stamp your little heart out!

Have you seen the cool stamped jewelry that is all the rage lately? I love the look and figured it would be fun to add writing to some of my jewelry. So I figured it would be worth to give it a shot – I am always eager to learn a new technique.

Getting stamping straight and even and equally deep is not for the impatient. Argh. Practice, practice, practice… folks that is the only way – you have to stamp your little heart out!

I had previously bought some inexpensive aluminum and brass stamping blanks at my local craft store to get used to stamping on metal. But I have to admit it was a bit frustrating. And I wasn’t exactly in love with the font on the stamps, pretty plain.

It seemed no matter how meticulously I lined up my stamps, even with the help of tape, the letters still looked wonky. Looking for something to practice on, I spied some copper washers and decided to practice various letters on them. I wrote about my love for copper washers here and here.

Diligently hammering away, stamping the letters in circles, I realized that this would be the perfect way to give the copper washers all kinds of different textures! So I began to experiment with various letters, first the W, then an O, S, V etc.

Here are the very basic tools needed:

  • stamping hammer
  • letter stamp set
  • copper washers
  • not shown here: a bench block or anvil

Optimized-DSC_0252

Here are some of the designs I created from various letters in this simple upper case stamp set:

Optimized-DSC_0245

Pretty cool, huh? You can fill in as much space as you like, I decided I liked the entire washer textured the best.

Here are the washers lined up with their respective letters:

Optimized-DSC_0246

Optimized-DSC_0248

Now, I love my plain hammered textures as much as the next gal, but being able to introduce new textures into my designs just gets the creative gears going!

I decided to use my trusty hole punch tool and turned them into an interesting bracelet.

Optimized-DSC_0256 (1)

Optimized-DSC_0255 (1)

The patina really adds a whole new dimension to the textures and gives them a pleasing aged look as well as added depth. And because I want the various textures to “do the talking”, I opted to keep this a pure metal bracelet.

Not that beads don’t add that little something extra!

Optimized-DSC_0241 (1)

The textured surface of the copper washer, the patina and sparkling crystal beads are such a pleasing contrast. Here is a slightly different view of the same bracelet…

Optimized-DSC_0257 (1)

So what do you think? I am a big fan of using tools for more than one specific purpose. I can’t wait do some more experimenting and creating with this technique!

While this technique would be much too tedious to be used on a larger piece, it is absolutely perfect for smaller pieces like these!

Is there a technique or a little trick you have discovered that has opened new possibilities? Or have you bought a piece of jewelry and wondered about the various techniques used to create it?

Share your thoughts! I love hearing your comments and stories!

Karin

Disclaimer: I have not received any form of compensation for statements made in this post and all opinions stated are my own!

By

Whiskers on kittens…

Whiskers on kittens are one of my favorite things. If they are not one of yours, I’m not sure I want you to read my blog;)

But as much as I love talking about cute little fuzzy creatures, this post isn’t really so much about kittens and puppies. It is about – you guessed it – because you are so smart, my favorite things. And to be more specific, my favorite jewelry making tools. You may have read this post of me gushing about a handy little doohickey that enabled me to expand my designs. And, since I had a hard time trying to figure out what I really, really needed in the very beginning, I thought it might be a good idea to feature my favorite, go-to tools that I use all the time.

I began making little jewelry creations from a cheap kit that I bought at a craft store on a whim. But as much as I liked stringing beads, I quickly became bored and wanted to up my game a little. After I took a wire wrapping class at the local Art Center, I knew I had found my medium. So I began exploring all things wire and metal jewelry, read pretty much every book our library had to offer and then set out to create my own high quality jewelry.

Ever the cheap skate I didn’t really want to spend a fortune on tools and equipment that I didn’t really need. So after much research, trial and error, an expensive miss, that is beginning to redeem itself a little bit (a story for another time), here are the tools I use daily and could not live create without anymore.

As a dedicated wire worker/chain mailler the sun rises and sets on pliers and cutters for me. A good set of chain nose pliers are an absolute must. I have two pair and a spare, because I simply cannot go without. The ones I use the most (the red ones you see here) are relatively inexpensive – Made in Germany- precise and comfortable, the second pair hails from a craft store. Michael’s has a fairly decent selection of beginner jewelry making tools. And if you use one of their 40-50% off coupons from the ad, they wind up being a steal. That is how I aquired many of my tools. Even though I own a number of different cutters, the black ones pictured here are the ones I love to use the most.

pliersoptimized

Next up is my jewelers saw. I foolishly (hindsight is perfect) resisted getting one of these and actually cut jump rings by hand(!). The saddest part is that by doing that I wasted a tremendous amount of time and energy while still not ending up with nice, flush-cut rings. A jewelers saw is a handy, low tech tool that makes it simple to cut your desired number of rings whenever you need them. As an added bonus it is cheap, as are the saw blades. Both are a major plus because I have chosen to make my own jump rings and I need so many of them and in so many different sizes, that I could not possibly keep up on ordering them. Together with my jump ring maker here I can cut as many rings as I need from a variety of different  metals and wire gauges.

sawoptimized

Up next are my ball peen hammer and stainless steel bench block. I have other hammers and a small anvil, but find myself using these two the most, especially since I can just keep them right beside me on the work table for the many quick little taps.

 Optimized-DSCN3451 (1)

The final set of must-have-tools-for-the-beginner I want to talk about today is files. Not the hanging paperwork kind, although they come in mighty handy with the business end. You set out to create something beautiful to wear only to find out it scratches and snags your favorite cashmere sweater! Not when you use these before you turn your designs loose! Yes, a simple set of metal files will insure comfortable wear. And the bead reamers pictured here allow you to increase the hole size of a apparently too small bead – there appears to be one on every strand – another little simple gadget to make your life as a jewelry creator simpler.

filesoptimized

If you made it through this entire post and still have a hankering for whiskers on kittens you can swing by my friend Julia’s blog who writes a weekly Living Pretty with Pets feature. And check out her gorgeous designs while you’re there! Just tell her Karin sent you!

Karin

The opinions in this post are my own. I was not compensated for any of the statements I made in this post!

By

Poor (Wo)man’s jewelry tools

Maybe you are filthy rich and in the enviable position to furnish yourself a fantastic jewelry studio with the most expensive tools, in a quaint little cottage on your estate, complete with daybed, fire place, a dreamy porch to linger or a gorgeous English flower garden in which you can take leisurely strolls to gather new inspiration for your creations.

Or maybe you are on a tight shoestring budget, because everything is getting more outrageously expensive ($4.99 for a pound of cherries – really?) and you are not only not getting paid more, but maybe not at all.

But you want to get from bare wire to a pretty piece of jewelry anyway…

creating with copper

Fret not! There is absolutely no reason to break the bank or feed the kids Mac and Cheese to save up for tools. You are in luck, because I had to read several books to learn what I am about to share here. And I plan to make this a regular feature, because there is no need to waste money needlessly!

I admired the fancy little tool caddies you can find in just about any jewelry supply catalog, even toyed with the idea of ordering one, but one day…

simple-storage-solutions

Low and behold, as I am cleaning odds and ends out of my studio, it dawned on me that I could use this little pot to hold my pliers and cutters – works like a charm! You could be fancy and use separate ones for different tools – it even looks pretty on the shelf!

As you are starting out you will find some of the most basic jewelry tools are ones you may already own:

everday items jewelry making

That little file does an awesome job on the ends of copper!

Even though some tutorials insist that I need all kinds of special implements, I often find myself coming back to the same trio:

basic jewelry tools

While it is perfectly alright to start out with those offered in the large craft stores, here is the one area where I would suggest something of higher quality. Still, you need not break the bank here and even my best chain nose pliers didn’t set me back more than $20 – they had me at “Made in Germany” – me being a Kraut and all. For a good deal on these you can look at sites like Contenti.com or firemountaingems.com. Moving on:

jewelry tools

These are a few of the more “specialized” and surprisingly indispensable items in my tool caddy. A pin vise for twisting wire etc, and a de-burring thingy that takes the OUCH off the end of the ear wire that actually goes through your ear. The bead reamers (in lavender) have come in handy plenty of times. Sometimes I think they use a different drill for each bead in the batch! I would like to share one other resource with you today, a site that I only found recently, but contains a lot of useful information and that is jewelrymakingjournal.com. Lots of great info there!

Since I mentioned a few companies above I want to let you know that I am not getting paid by any of them to mention them here in my blog.

%d bloggers like this: