zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Mar 3, 2014 13:54:29 GMT -5
I've been using surgical steel earrwires from Rio Grande - Link. They're .66mm or .026in. I'm thinking of making them with sterling silver wire. I bought a jig at Michael's to bend my own from bulk wire. Anyone doing something similar? What hardness (half hard, full hard?) would be good for earwires? I think dead soft would be too pliable & would deform each time they are put on. What gauge? Any help would be appreciated. Lynn
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Post by rockjunquie on Mar 3, 2014 14:28:22 GMT -5
I use scraps of 20g round soft gauge. I bead an end and form the earwire and hammer. If you are using a jig to make them quickly, I would use 1/2 hard. You can use soft, but you'll have to hammer. Some ppl use 22g, but I think a heavier wire is much better. If you do use 22 then you should use 1/2 hard, not soft. Hope that helped.
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Mar 3, 2014 16:05:02 GMT -5
Thanks, Tela. I see that my surgical steel wires equate to 22 g. I'll order some 20 g sterling with my next Rio order. I'll probably go for half hard. Lynn
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Post by Rockoonz on Mar 3, 2014 21:45:07 GMT -5
Wouldn't tumbling in steel shot harden them up?
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steelandstone
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2008
Posts: 500
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Post by steelandstone on Mar 4, 2014 6:12:34 GMT -5
Wouldn't tumbling in steel shot harden them up? Yup sure would. I tumble all of my wire earrings including homemade earwires. I use anywhere from 22 to 20ga 1/2 hard for homemade earwires, then tumble.
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Post by rockjunquie on Mar 4, 2014 9:14:47 GMT -5
Wouldn't tumbling in steel shot harden them up? Yup sure would. I tumble all of my wire earrings including homemade earwires. I use anywhere from 22 to 20ga 1/2 hard for homemade earwires, then tumble. I find that tumbling is an awesome time saver for deburring and polishing earwires, but it really doesn't bring soft up to the hardness you want for an earwire. If you are starting with 1/2 hard, then it's great.
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Post by wireholic on Mar 4, 2014 11:06:38 GMT -5
I hammer the curve and then tumble for at least an hour. The ear wires get pretty hard.
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RickN
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since November 2011
Posts: 85
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Post by RickN on Mar 7, 2014 16:15:26 GMT -5
I normally use 20g. Any heat work like balling up the end softens the wire so I hammer the curve and tumble.
RickN
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classybroad
starting to shine!
Member since June 2009
Posts: 32
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Post by classybroad on Mar 18, 2014 12:21:14 GMT -5
20ga is pretty standard for earwires, but I find that 22ga is more comfortable for me to wear, so that's what I normally make. I've used both half-hard and dead soft and tumble to harden. Making your own is a great money-saver, plus there are so many ways you can customize them to add to the design of your earring.
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