Today, I would like to bring you to a basic technique: How to make jump rings! Tought it's easy to buy perfect pre-made jumps rings, sometimes I might like to make my own jump rings using diffferent types of materials such as brass, copper, steel, and colored wires. In this case, I do not need to stock up a lot of ready made jump rings of the different materials. Here are some tips how to make them...
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Take a mandrel that is measuring about 0.8cm in diameter. In this case, I am using the pliers’ holder as shown in the picture.
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I used to use a long metal dowel that I drilled a hole through at one end...on the other I wrapped a wad of duct tape and then clamped on a pair of vice grips. I would stick the end of the wire in the hole then hold the dowel at an angle and start flipping the vice grips around to spin the dowel.. I got pretty fast at it...I used regular wire cutters to cut the rings. I found that for the wire that I was using bolt cutters just took too long as I could only cut a few at a time with the wire cutters I could cut like six then dump them off...
My brother made a tiny spindle out of scrap wood and an offset handle to turn his rings...but then he made a LOT more stuff than I did..it was a base with two uprights that had a hole through each for the metal dowel to pass through and the handle was attached to the dowel...
I also highly recommend spring loaded tools and padded palm no finger sports gloves to protect your hands..in spite of that I ended up with carpel tunnel and that was the end of that..
the pinch cuts with mini bolt cutters leaves no sharp edges, especially if you get a pair of knipex brand. the only difference is a slight v notch in the outside and inside of the link, but that's only aesthetics and has no obvious affect on its function.
The show made me make the rings, thinking they wouldn't have enough material with just the lampwork. Unfortunately, they were so wrong - they rushed through that last segment with the rings, left out a number of steps and all the safety instructions I put in there. But hey, it's TV, right?
You're right, for base/hard metals, it's better to do it with your method. Maybe we need another instructable for non-jewelry jump rings. :-)
stainless is a different story as you said, but i think hockywierdo from mail came up with the idea of the cut/twist technique. you cut partially through the link, then twist and it breaks off the coil leaving a flat end with shallow v marks where the cutters were. that is using 8 in cutters btw.
ive tried it with 5/32 stainless tig filler rod wrapped on a 1/2 in mandrel. yeah ik ....madness i tell you! lol as well as being board, having the material given me and a desire to experiment. seriously though....i used the pinch/snap cut on all 7 coils and felt no fatigue or the need for any fancy set up.
apperenty the wire hardened to such a degree from the coiling that because the cutters went through about half of the wire diameter, the grain structure was too weak to keep the last 1/2 from being elastic enough to not break off. oh yeah and there was a lot of spring back.....a *lot* of it. i think the links were 1/16 in oversize because of it.
after one coil i figured out how much pressure to use and when to twist so i was rather close to matching my speed with mild steel. yeah....it was a bit slower, maybe 12 links less per min then mild steel. i tell you, id have *loved* to have had my knipex cobolt cutters at the time. they would have done better since the jaws on them are sharper and dont blunt over since the cutting edges are tempered so hard.
oh and umm....they produce more of an offset >< cut. >| is more what diagonal cutters would make. just thought id point that out.
I've dealt with some of the real old, super hard galvanized fence wire.. It's murder on the 8" cutters, and even the 14" cutters have trouble cutting it. (it almost rivals the stainless on tensile strength.) the spring-back of this stuff is dangerous!
I've also used thin (20 to 22 AWG) wire, the hand cutters are still the bet for cutting quickly.. I saw on a chain maille forum up in Canada (shameless plug: TheRinglord.com) a custom cutter jig, that looks like a table saw, with a pair of plates across a dremel saw assembly, which would be perfect! (but, that was ages (8 years) ago, not likely it's still in the photo archive there.)
ive never used the old galvy so i wasnt aware of that. now i wish i *had* gotten hold of some of it.
ah yes....the ring lord. john has got to be the god of maille supplies and the one person i go to when i need links. in fact, i ordered a few packets of regular color aluminium round scales and some stainless 18 awg 5/32 links for j6-1 sleeve covers to go on my black sweatshirt, much like the ancient japanese kote.
my plan is to weave the sheet, which is actually a variant so each cell would have the center link missing, sew it to a crimson backing cloth and then just use basting stitches to sew it to my sweatshirt.
i decided to use the cloth panel idea instead of sewing it to the garment so it won't damage the washer/dryer at the worst or get *really* irritating at the least. yeah...imagine all that maille in the dryer for 30 min. >,..,< i can clip the basting threads, remove the panels and then sew them back on when its out of the dryer. i thought that'd look totally *bangin* from under the sleeveless black tactical jacket/vest i wear over it. yeah, i took a bdu coat and cut the sleeves off. i may get another for summer and wear it under my vest so i can sew the panels on *it* instead of my sweatshirt.
You chaps do realise that you are discussing armour-making techniques on an Instructable for making jewellery?
Different materials, different end-use, different techniques.
Jump Rings are used in making Byzatine (http://www.sarraf.com/product_images/jewelscart2000/l_ia14-wbznb-7.jpg) , Box, spiral, etc.. there, the lines are totally crossed between jewelry and maille.
Silver and copper require very different handling to steel.
Tumbling also work-hardens the rings and shines them up, making them more attractive and durable.
The tutorial I created is just suitable or fit for hobbyist like me. :) We, jewelry makers, we like to create our own jump rings as we do not want to stock a lot of them. We just create a few jump rings whenever we need them.
Anyway, my comment was directed to acoleman3, who claims his method is so much better - and I would need to see the results to believe them.
Unless you think there's no need for different kinds of saw-blade?
oh and while your at it.....tell me.....how many links do you have to untangle with a saw cut? i can tell you its a hell of a lot more then with a pinch cut since there is no kerf.
the links gain no work hardness from tumbling because there is no physical deformation of the metal. the stress placed on the grain structure and the heat generated by bending, coiling or being pulled through a draw plate is what makes wire hard. not being shaken with a bunch of polishing grit. all that does is make them pretty as well as ridding the cut ends of the burr.
it is quite laughable for you to say it makes them harder and more durable. sorry to say, but it rather shows you lack of knowledge in metallurgy.
and btw....i *was* being nice.
Another method of cutting is to keep the coil tight on a wooden mandrel, lay a piece of masking tape along one side (or not), and use a jeweller's saw to cut down the length of all of them in one hit. Depends on confidence with a sawframe but it's a good way to learn :) My first teacher made us cut the queen's head out of a copper 2c piece. She would then tell us which member of the royal family it REALLY looked like :)
Tumbling with stainless steel shot will gently work harden metals, tumbling with polishing grits won't. It's nice to ask first before shooting. Yes, I'm a metallurgist, valuer, jeweller and gemmologist. Registered.
When talking about 'the early days' it'd be nice to clarify how early? Maille as chainmail was known by in medieval days, wasn't made with 'jump rings' that have a round profile to the wire. It was made with flattened rings and rivetted together with triangular rivets. Very very tricky. A professional armourer friend of mine, who has worked in the museums and worn the white gloves to handle originals, has attempted it but gave up after he'd made a few inches square. It's far tougher than round profile rings and the rivets prevent the maille from popping open.,
Lengths of long wire were certainly available from very ancient times. The ability to draw wire through a draw plate is an ancient technique. I'm also an amateur jewellery historian if it doesn't already show.
The name for the piece that goes through a pendant which is threaded with a chain or bit of leather or whatever, is known as the 'bail'. A Bail can be made with a jump ring but it is then known as 'a bale made from a jump ring'. Knowing the components is helpful as a jewellery valuer.
I hope this is helps somewhat. If anyone is interested to know more about jewellery (that's how we spell it here) then perhaps take a look at Ganoksin online. Happy to debate anything I've said :)