Jatayu: Basic Wire Skills - Eye Pin Variations

Connie Fox Metal Jewelry

Warehouse Index
   Bench Accessories
   Books & Publications
   Cleaning
   Drilling
   Files & Reamers
   Flex Shaft Access.
   Gauges
   Glues
   Hammers & Mallets
   Metal Forming
   Metal Shapes/Blanks
   Optical
   Pliers & Cutters
   Polishing & Finishing
   Rings
   Safety
   Sawing
   Screwdrivers
   Scribes
   Soldering
   Stamps & Punches
   Stone Setting
   Tweezers & Tongs
   Vises & Holders

Connie's Gallery
Student Gallery
Education
Biography
Links

Contact Me
Join Email List

Order Policies
Privacy Statement
Safety Information

Basic Wire Skills - Eye Pin Variations

"Once objects have been cut loose from their contexts and packed off to new homes, they lose some of their collective memory stored up within them. But their forms and textures endure. Those who are able and wish to do so are at liberty to read them, draw them out in new and different ways, grant them a new lease on life. This, too, makes collecting an art: the process of renewal". Borel and Taylor, The Splendor of Ethnic Jewelry

Below you will find four examples of how to add some style to your eye pin. It may seem trivial but even the size of the eye makes a difference in the overall effect of your design. If you feel adventurous create your own variations of the eye pin. For your convenience, please click on the images below to see an enlarged view.

What You Need:

Jeweler's saw
Tubing cutter jig
Round nose pliers
Chain nose pliers
Flat nose pliers
Wire cutters
Chasing hammer
Steel bench block
Silver tubing
16 gauge silver wire
20 gauge silver wire

Click on thumbnails below to see an enlargement.

Eye Pins with Tubing

When you use beads that are highly detailed you should avoid overwhelming the vision with too many complicated wire designs. One reason some wire jewelry is less appealing than others is due to a lack of visual rest. In other words, the design is so busy that your eye is overwhelmed with the design. Using eye pins encased in tubing is an elegant solution for creating visual rest, and in a sense, contrast to the beads. Detail versus simplicity. Here is an example of a necklace made with silver tubing. Please see The Saw in my Studio Tour for information on how to cut the tubing. After the tubing is cut, insert the wire through the tubing and make eyes on either side. Another option is to use eye pins without the silver tubing as links in your jewelry. They are a little less substantial, but if you don't want the expense of the tubing, a saw, and a tubing jig, try these out.

Hammered Eyes (sounds gruesome)

By hammering the upper area of the eyes with your chasing hammer you can create a nice variation. After hammering you will need to coax the circle closed with your round nose pliers.

Eye Pins and Coils

You can create an interesting link by coiling the neck of the eye pin. Make a double eye pin out of 16 gauge wire or heavier if you wish. Then wrap the neck with a finer wire such as 20 gauge. See the section on Coils for further instructions.

Double Wrapped Eye Pins

Follow the instructions for the Wrapped Eye Pin, but instead, wrap twice as you make the eye.

Previous Page - Jump Rings

Back To Basic Wire Skills Main Page

Back To Education Page

Printing info:

Click here to download a printer friendly Acrobat PDF file of this page. To view and print this, you will need to have Adobe Acrobat installed on your machine. Most machines already have it - so go ahead and click on the download link. If you receive an error message, you can download Acrobat Reader for free at:

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Install this on your machine and then you'll have no problem.


To place an order call toll free: 1-888-350-6481. This is a secure shopping site. We take all major credit cards. ©Copyright 1998-2013. Connie Fox. All rights reserved. Website design and photography by Connie Fox, San Diego, CA. 1761 Hotel Circle South, Ste 208; San Diego, CA 92108-3318