Remember those tutorials I featured which allowed you to make informal beaded wire wrapped pendants (see links below)? Well, take that wire wrapping up a notch and make custom initial pendants with today's tutorial.Shawn Wilson of Shaviq Designs has a great video tutorial on how to make personalized pendants. She makes it look so easy to make a truly one of a kind design.
Note that she uses thick (14 G) aluminum wire to form main shape. Aluminum is a great alternative to sterling silver and does not tarnish like it either.
Before You Go:
- How to make Wire Wrapped Pendant Frames using Gadgets
- Wire Wrapped Pendant tutorial using an Eye Glass Holder mandrel
- How to Wire Wrap Cabochon tutorial links
I've never tried using aluminum wire though I can certainly see the advantages of it, it is light weight and, as you mentioned, aluminum doesn't tarnish.
ReplyDeleteShawn makes it look so easy and her hands never hesitate as she bends and twists the wire into her initials. Since she is using 14 ga. wire (pretty substantial)for the foundation, I wonder if it is dead soft or does aluminum only come in one hardness?
Aluminum wire does come in different tempers. I am not sure if Shawn has very strong fingers or is using soft temper. Aluminum wire in soft temper can become brittle very quickly if overworked. So the thicker gauges like 14G are probably more durable.
ReplyDeletePearl, thank you for your response. I didn't know that soft temper Aluminum wire was more prone to metal fatigue. This is a good thing to know.
ReplyDeleteWhen I watched the video I noticed how fluid the thinner gauge wire worked in Shawn's hands, it was almost as though she was wrapping with thread instead of metal wire. If I tried that (even with very fine gauge 26 or 28 ga wire) I would end up with a mass of kinks, perhaps I'm not very agile when it comes to wire wrapping. :D
She is an experienced wire worker. It takes practice to minimize the kinks!
ReplyDeleteAfter re-watching the video, I think she is using soft temper. I have half hard 14G and I have to use my tools!
hey happy to see that finally aluminium wire has been accepted as an alternative to stainless steel/sterling silver wire:) Fatigue is the only down point of AL wire once a wrap is made unwrapping or reshaping can easily tire or even break the wire
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