How to Correct Common Jewelry Making Mistakes

In the loop on the left, the wrong end of the wire was used. When cutting wire with a flush cutter, the cut wire will have one sharp end and one flat end. Always use the flat end of the cut for your starting loop as shown at right.


Open Loop In the loop at left, the loop is not fully closed. Frequently, we will find a loop like this in a wire component after we finish the component. Sometimes you can use round nose pliers to close this loop using the same approach that you used to make the loop. Sometimes because of the location of the loop, this is not possible. In many cases, using Bent Closing Pliers will help close these open loops with minimum marking of the wire. These Bent Closing pliers have grooves in the jaws to help grip the loop without slipping.


Springs Apart When making components with our WigJig tools, frequently people find that when they remove the component from the jig it will spring apart. The loops made on the same peg will not align. This is especially true when using 1/2 hard wire. This problem can be overcome after the fact by "hand finishing" the piece, bending it gently with your fingers until everything is aligned. The better solution is to solve this problem before removing your wire from the jig. This is done by only using the pegs you need at that time, and always bending the wire beyond where you want it to end up, letting it "relax back" into its finished position. After every step, remove your hands from the wire and check its final position. In concept, the jig should provide a pattern, but not any force to hold the wire in shape.


In the wire component shown at left, the wire segment at number 1 is not straight. This is an intentionally exaggerated example to illustrate the point. For every wire component that you make, one of the first steps needs to be to straighten the wire by pulling it repeatedly through the jaws of nylon jaw pliers. You must start with straight wire.
As you continue working the wire around pegs making a wire component, you need to keep the wire straight. The easiest way that we have found to accomplish this is to guide the wire with your dominant hand, keeping it straight as you go, while you move the jig with your non-dominant hand. This is counter-intuitive, but what works best is holding the wire essentially stationary (lifting it over pegs when required) while you move the jig to create the wire components. Holding wire with your finger tips as close to the pegs on the jig as possible also helps. Don't hold the end of a long piece of wire, hold the wire near the pegs that you are working on.

In the wire segment shown at left, the wire at position 2 is not flat. There is a separation between the two crossing wire segments. This problem is relatively normal and easy to solve. To close the gap in the wire and to flatten the wire component, finish the piece by squeezing the wire in your nylon jaw pliers. Hold the wire in the jaws of the pliers at several different orientations and give it a firm squeeze with the pliers. This will flatten the wire component and harden the finished piece.


The loop shown at left is not round. This is a common mistake that can be overcome with practice. The cause is simple -- when making the loop at left, the wire was grasped in the round nose pliers too far from the end of the wire, leaving a long straight wire segment before the loop started. The correction is to grasp the wire in your round nose pliers closer to the end of the wire. This takes practice because if you grasp the wire too close to the end, the wire will slip and you won't be able to make a loop.


The wire shown at left was grasped and held with round nose pliers. Round nose pliers almost always mark the wire where they grip the wire. In most cases these marks are at a loop where they aren't obvious because of the bend in the wire. In a straight segment of wire these marks are obvious and should be avoided. Always use bent chain nose pliers to grip straight segments of wire.


There are many common errors in making wrapped loops. One is where the wrapped loop is not centered on the wire, but is offset to one side. Another is where the wrapped loop is distorted and not round. Another common error is where the wire wrapped around the stem is loose or has gaps. The skill involved in making a good wrapped loop is one of the more difficult skills in working with wire. We describe this skill in detail in our online books, "Wire Design Basics" and "Wire Design Basics Book 2". These books are our best source for detailed information on how to complete a wrapped loop. In short, the corrections to the problems shown here are 1. Check the loop to ensure that it is centered before wrapping it closed and adjust as necessary. 2. Grasp the loop in your bent chain nose pliers as you wrap it closed to preserve the round shape of the loop, and 3. Keep the wire tail perpendicular to the wire you are wrapping around as you wrap the loop closed.