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Twisting Wire Evenly
by Dale Armstrong
Question #1:

I have purchased your Beginner Series and am having a great time with the projects. My question is this: In your videos your twisted wire looks perfect from end to end. In other words, it's not twisted more on the ends than it is in the middle. I use a drill and hold my wire with my pliers just as you show, but the wire twists much more on each end than in the middle. So by the time I get my wire the way I want it in the middle, it is way too tight on both ends. The orbit earrings using a 14" piece of wire is a good example of this. How do I get my wire to look as even as yours?

-Rebecca in Ft. Myers, Florida



Question #2

How much of the length of the wire is lost when it is twisted? Should it be twisted before measuring for the project?
Instructions
Answer #1:

Oh yes Rebecca, twisting wire. It really is as easy as it looks, but due to the "nature of the beast"; my wire does not always twist consistently either! If you can, twist some wire veerry slooowly and watch it. You will see that the wire twists at both ends, each toward the center, meeting in the middle. This means that the middle does not twist as tightly as each end.

The only way to twist consistently is to plan for about 1/4-inch on each end to twist more tightly and then cut the ends off. For example, with the Orbit Earrings, cut your wire 15-1/4 inches long, and then cut in half. This will give you two 7-5/8 inch pieces. Your pliers and drill will each hold 1/8-inch, leaving the additional 1/4-inch on each end that can be cut off.

For lots more information about twisting wire, please see my article: Getting Twisted, and congratulations on your success, Rebecca!


Dale Armstrong's Twisting Wire Evenly - , Classic Wire Jewelry, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, , , Orbit Earrings
Answer #2:

Based on my personal experiences with twisting square wire, a single strand of wire from 20 through smaller gauges will not lose enough length to worry about. Twisting larger gauges from 19 through 16 you loose about 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch, while 14 and 12 gauge about ¼ of an inch. When twisting a round wire around a square wire in gauges from 20 through 12 it can be unpredictable based on how tightly the desired twist is, so in these cases you may wish to add about ½ inch to each piece, just to be safe. While twisting 2 round wires together, you do loose a bit and again, that depends on the gauges used and the amount of twist. Experiment with shorter pieces of copper and keep a log of your results to be better able to plan your future twisted designs.

Answer contributed by Dale `Cougar` Armstrong

Materials

22 Gauge Square Half Hard 14/20 Gold Filled Wire
H4-22SQH
  • Lesson Quantity: 14.00 inches
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 5FT
  • Price: $21.13
  • Gold Club Price: $15.85
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6mm Topaz 5000 Round Swarovski Crystal Beads - Pack of 10
A13-84A
  • Lesson Quantity: 6.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $4.97
  • Gold Club Price: $3.73
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Rose Gold Filled Round Bright Beads 2.5mm - Pack of 20
L9-11
  • Lesson Quantity: 4.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $4.34
  • Gold Club Price: $3.26
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4mm Gold filled Daisy spacer beads
  • Lesson Quantity: 4.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Beginner Series - Part 2
DVD-BEG2
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $34.95
  • Gold Club Price: $26.21
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Add All Items to Cart

Tools

3 Prong Wire Twister Head
G5-2
  • G5-2
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $7.97
  • Gold Club Price: $5.98
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3.6 Volt Automatic Wire Twister (Cordless Screwdriver)
G5-15
  • G5-15
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $42.97
  • Gold Club Price: $32.23
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Double Ended Pin Vise
G5-4
  • G5-4
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $3.97
  • Gold Club Price: $2.98
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Swivel Head Pin Vise
G5-1
  • G5-1
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $2.97
  • Gold Club Price: $2.23
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Round Nose Wire Plier
G2-507
  • G2-507
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  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
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  • Gold Club Price: $24.71
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Flat Nose Wire Plier
G2-506
  • G2-506
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $32.95
  • Gold Club Price: $24.71
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Chain Nose Wire Plier
G2-508
  • G2-508
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $32.95
  • Gold Club Price: $24.71
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6 Step Barrel Plier - Pack of 1
G2-503
  • G2-503
  • Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
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  • Gold Club Price: $17.23
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C.H.P Milano Italian Flush Cutter, 5 1/2 Inches
PLR-487.00
  • PLR-487.00
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  • Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
  • Price: $14.97
  • Gold Club Price: $11.23
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  • Category: Classic
  • Technique(s): Wrapping, Twisting, General Education

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