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Coils |
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"To 'see' is to go direct to the core;
to know the facts about an object of beauty is to go to the periphery.
Intellectual discrimination is less essential to an understanding
of beauty than the power of intuition that precedes it".
Soetsu Yanagi, The Unknown Craftsman |
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Making coils is easy and ever so useful. Choose a mandrel
wire that is a heavier gauge than the wrapping wire. For example,
wrap 20 gauge wire on a 16 gauge mandrel. Or, you can wrap 22
gauge on a 14 gauge wire. Experiment with different combinations
so that you see the effect one gauge has when wrapped on another. Also
try wrapping twisted wire onto round wire. And, one more
--- wrap half round wire onto round wire ( this is easier to
accomplish if you have a wire winder.
What You Need:
- Wire cutters
- 8" of 16 gauge copper or silver wire
- 3' of 20 gauge copper or silver wire
- Flat nose pliers
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Click on thumbnails to see an enlargement. |
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Step 1. |
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Hold the two wires together with your non-wrapping hand as seen
in the photo. The heavier wire laying horizontal is the
mandrel - the wire that will be wrapped. Let 3" to
6" of the wrapping wire hang below the mandrel wire - this
will give you something to hold onto as you wrap. |
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Step 2. |
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Grasp the wrapping wire (the longer end above the mandrel) leaving
about 3" between your grasping hand and the mandrel. Notice
how I have created a bend in the wrapping wire close to my wrapping
thumb. Rotate your wrapping hand away from your body while creating
some tension between your two hands. This tension is required
in order to have nice even coils spaced right next to each other.
You do not want the wrapping wire to twist as you coil, thus,
you need to allow it to turn freely in your right hand. This
is difficult to explain, but you will get a feel for it as you
proceed. Hint: It is easier to coil if you wrap closer to the
end of your mandrel wire; you can scoot the coil towards the
middle as you go along. |
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Step 3. |
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After you have coiled as much as you want, reverse the direction
of the mandrel in your left hand. Unwind the tail that you used
previously to hold onto. Straighten it with your flat nose pliers.
Proceed to coil the tail. Snip both ends close to the mandrel.
Scrunch your coils together if there are any little spaces between
wraps. |
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Previous Page
Back to Basic Wire Skills Start |
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Please contact
me if these instructions aren't clear so adjustments can
be made.
Click here to download a printer friendly
Acrobat PDF file of this page. |
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