Mass Making Earwire Findings
Had another fellow craftsman/woman ask me how I mass make earwires for earrings. I like to make them for the entire season at one time. I make a zillion sizes and shapes that I enjoy from oval hoops, to square to dainty little hooks. I load them on a piece of stainless steel wire in pairs so you don’t have to hunt for them in the tumbler. Now, I have a GI-Normus vibratory tumbler so my loop of wire is big. You can down-size this to fit the tumbler you own. The tumbler stiffens the earwire to be nice and sturdy and de-burrs the cut ends of the wire to they are nice and smooth. Go ahead and patina some too if you wish and toss them in the tumbler for a good 20 hours plus. Do not put anything else in your tumbler with these or a tangled up ball is the result.
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Will a rotating tumbler work as well? Every time I’ve tried putting ear wires in they come out deformed. Am I doing something wrong?
When all I had was a very small rotary tumbler I put about 6 pairs of earwires in it at one time — 12 pieces and they have to be loose or they get to snarled up. Also I used 20 sterling wire that I hammer just a little bit around the curve of the earring so it stays stiff and in better shape… I did not forget about doing a tutorial for the headpins. I will get on it for you!!!!
Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. I will try hammering them to spring hardness before putting them in the rotary tumbler. I would love to have a vibratory tumbler but they are quite expensive. I’ll give small numbers of (more) work hardened ear wires for now.
Just made the head pin video. Hope it helps!
Love it! But can you share how you shape so many? You must have jigs, right? I have tried to make a few jigs … with little success. I’m not sure why. I used wood, nails, nylon washers. Would you mind sharing your mass method?
I use a very fancy jig…a sharpe marker. I also use a half flat half round nose pliers for the smaller loop. I make two at a time so the pair of earwires are exactly the same. I cut 2.5 inches of 20 guage wire, two pieces. I make the small loop first with a half flat/half round nose pliers, mark your pliers with a marker so you make the loop the same size everytime. After the small loop is made I bend the wire in a ‘U’ shape around a sharpe marker. Each pair is a little different so I don’t want them free floating in my tumbler ~ you would have to match each one together after that. Hold them up on the sharpe marker together and snip the ends so they are equal. All done!
thank you for sharing this joy! this looks like my set-up when I make ear wires, but I never thought to pair them up and put them on a wire before they go in the tumbler. great idea!