Hammered Wire Spiral Clasp

Learn to create a sturdy, unique wire clasp finding to use on your homemade jewellery. 

The clasp can be made in petite sizes or large, bold sizes depending on the wire gauge used.  Smaller clasps can be made on 1 mm (18 gauge) round wire and larger clasps made on 1.5 mm (14 gauge) round wire.  I would not suggest using any smaller than 1 mm (18 gauge) round wire as the wire becomes too thin to remain sturdy.

The wire used for this clasp is continuous wire, a commodity usually kept by wire artists.  The clasp is easily created once the technique is learned, readily available in the workshop and low cost compared to commercially purchased bold clasps.

The clasp works equally well in brass, copper, silver and gold wire.  The clasp allows construction straight from the wire spool to minimize metal waste. 

I recommend practicing the clasp in copper or brass for the first time before using silver or gold.

This is a perfect first wire project to learn a few new techniques such as:
Work hardening
Hammered Texture
Basic Loop creation
Spiral creation
Flattening wire
Filing
Sanding

Step 1

Tools required for this tutorial are:

Round Nose Pliers
Wire Cutters
Ball Peen Hammer
Metal File
280 and 400 grit sandpaper
Steele plate (or other suitable surface, see step 8 notes)

Materials required:
10 cm of 1 mm (18 gauge) to 1.5 mm (14 gauge) round wire in Copper, Brass, Silver or Gold

Comments

[TwistedJack]

What is this for??? i would like this alot more if i knew what to do with it.

[amandajewls]

These clasps are to use instead of store bought clasps for necklaces or bracelets where the piece is heavy enough to keep the piece weighted down.

I use these clasps on the wire bracelets I make like this one:
http://www.web4business.com.au/amandasjewellery/images/bracelet_wrap_brass_green.jpg

[Ysabeau]

I wonder if we couldn't attch the straps of a bag with such clasp using more important gauge wire. This will be beautiful.

[amandajewls]

The one trouble with using thicker gauge is it becomes a lot harder to bend into the spiral.

but I don't see why not!

[rimar2000]

Interesting, and very detailed instructable. Surely you knows this method to straighten a wire. I discovered it years ago, doing some clasp pins for my wife; the thin brass wire was too soft for that use but with that twist method I could use it.

Smashing if also effective and fast when one want reinforce a wire hook.

[amandajewls]

HI! Yea I've made my own pin stick once by using that method. I like to use the drill for twisting two wires together into twisted wire for wire working as well. Would be lost without the power tools! Thanks for the kind words and the cross reference.