Make a Pendant Bail

Pendant by GeltDesigns.com

Making your own pendant bails and other jewelry findings can add value to your jewelry and save you money. Simple pendant bails are easy to make and require only a few tools.

Tools
Wire looping pliers or round nose pliers
Wire cutter
Flex shaft and 15-gauge cup bur or wire rounder

Make 2 loops

"S" link with 2 loops

 Step 1
Use pliers to create an "S" link from 18-gauge brass wire but wrap two adjacent loops on one side of the link.

Step 2
Cut the excess wire. File the ends until smooth using a flex shaft and 15-gauge cup bur , if you have them. A less expensive alternative is to use either a wire rounder or a needle file.

Open loops

Step 3
Use your pliers to pry apart the two adjacent loops.



Step 4

Adjust bail

Open the lower jump ring and attach the bail to the pendant.

Adjust spacing as needed so the bail allows the pendant to hang evenly.

Open the lower jump ring and attach the bail to the pendant.

Related Tutorials
Make a Stamped Pendant from a Washer
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Further Reading
"Handcrafted Wire Findings: Techniques and Designs for Custom Jewelry Components"; Denise Peck; 2010.
"Metalworking 101 for Beaders: Create Custom Findings, Pendants & Projects (Lark Jewelry Books)"; Candice Cooper; 2009.
"Jewelry: Fundamentals of Metalsmithing (Jewelry Crafts)"; Tim Mccreight; 1997.

How to Select a Cup Burr

Cup burrs are great tools for filing the ends of wire. Cup burrs are a fabulous tool for making ear wires, ear posts, clasps and building chains. Cup burrs can save you a lot of time when fabricating your own jewelry or findings.

Recently, we have received a number of questions about which cup burr is the best to use for jewelry making. The answer, of course, is that "it depends" on the project.

Like most tools, there is no definitive rule about which cup burr must be used. The best cup burr is the one that works for you. With that said, I generally use a cup burr that is two gauge sizes larger than the wire I am using. For example, if I am using 20-gauge wire (.8 mm) or 21-gauge wire to create ear wires or posts, then I typically use an 18-gauge cup burr (1.0mm). If I am using 18-gauge wire, I usually use a 16-gauge cup burr (1.3mm). If I am using 16-gauge wire,  I most often select a 14-gauge or 1.6mm cup burr.

Many companies sell cup burrs using metric measurements rather than wire gauges...so it is helpful to know the metric size of typical wire.

Wire Gauge        MM                  
10                        2.6mm
12                        2.1mm
14                        1.6mm
16                        1.3mm
18                        1.0mm                
20                        0.8mm
21                        0.7mm
22                        0.65mm
24                        0.5mm
26                        0.4mm
28                        0.3mm

How to Make Frit

My kids laugh when I say it....I know it is a lame, bad pun...but frit happens.

One of my favorite way to take my frustration out on failed warm glass projects is to turn the project into frit. The project cracked in the kiln? Oops. "You're frit now, baby!"

Low on funds? You can break glass bottles and jars into frit and then use the frit to fuse or cast the glass.

Plate Cracked & Bubbled in Kiln

Turing a glass into frit is a fancy way of saying I break the glass into small pieces that I can be used to decorate other projects and to fuse into another project. There are a number of different ways to create frit. Some folks like to heat the glass in the kiln and then drop the hot glass into a bucket of cold water.

My favorite technique of making frit requires a hammer and something to catch the small pieces. Very basic. Very therapeutic. I use a box constructed of wood to make frit. After cleaning the glass, I put the glass into a plastic bag to keep the glass clean. I place the glass into the wood box and then hit the glass with an old, heavy sledge hammer until the glass is the size frit I want.

Frit in Jars

Regardless of which method you use to make frit the result will be different size glass. Sift or sort the frit according to sizes and store it for future use. I like to store the glass in a clear plastic container (pulled from the recycling bin, of course) so I can see the frit. I also like to label the glass with the COE since we use different COE glass for different projects in our studio.

Making your own frit from failed projects is great therapy, as well as being a great way to reuse glass for kiln formed projects.

Related Tutorials
Turn a Glass Jar into a Pendant
How to Make Fused Glass Frit Paintings
How to Make a Fused Glass Mosaic
How to Make a Fused Glass Bead

Further Reading
"Warm Glass: A Complete Guide to Kiln-Forming Techniques: Fusing, Slumping, Casting";  Philippa Beveridge, Ignasi Domenech, Eva Pacual; 2005.
"Contemporary Warm Glass: A Guide to Fusing, Slumping & Kiln-Forming Techniques": Brad Walker; 2000.
"Fused Glass Handbook"; Gil Reynolds; 1987.
"Fuse It - 18 Fused Glass Projects": Petra Kaiser; 2007.
"Innovative Adornments - Introduction to Fused Glass & Wire Jewelry";  Jayne Persico; 2002.
"Richard La Londe: Fused Glass Art and Technique"; 2006.

New & Noteworthy
"Contemporary Fused Glass";  Brad Walker; 2010.
"Microwave Kiln Techniques: For Fused Glass Jewelry, Stained Glass Projects and Silver Clay"; Geneva Perkins. 

How to Measure Drill Bits

So a question we get a lot is "what drill bit should I use for my project?"

It is a good question because the success or failure of many projects-- especially those that involve riveting-- depends on drilling the correct size hole for the wire or findings needed.

Drill Gauge
The best tool for determining the right jewelry drill bit size for the job is a drill bit gauge that measures small drill bits. For larger bits, you will need a larger gauge. Almost all the bits we use can be measured using the 1 to 60 drill bit gauge.


How to Use the Gauge
The gauge is easy to use. Take a piece of wire the size you plan to use for your project or the same size as your finding and slip it into the hole of the gauge that fits snug. The hole that fits is the exact size of the drill bit. If you are riveting, then you will want to use the same size bit as is the wire. If you are putting a wire through the hole as a finding, then you will want to use a drill bit that is larger than the wire so the finding can move freely when fed through the drilled hole.

Test the Drill Bit
Once you tested the wire, pick up the drill bit and slide it into the hole to be sure you have the correct size.

Mystery Bits
If you are like us, then you have a box that is filled with drill bits of different sizes. We often use the drill gauge to determine the size of mystery bits before we begin drilling.

Related Tutorials
How to Drill
How to Use a Drill Press for Jewelry Making
How to Remove a Drill Bit that Broke Off in Your Art Jewelry During Fabrication
How to Use a Dremel to Make Jewelry
How to Use a Flex Shaft to Make Jewelry
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New Jewelry a Day


Happy  drilling!