Making Your Own Ear Wires

Making basic ear wires is really quite simple and making them yourself gives you so much more flexibility as far as sizes, shapes and thicknesses go.  The majority of ear wires are made with 18, 20 or 21 gage wire.  I use sterling silver because it holds its shape better than fine silver (pure silver) and is antibacterial and for most people non allergic.  18 gage makes a fairly thick strong ear wire and is great for heavier stones or hammered hoops.  I don't find it as popular as 20 or 21 gage - which I also find to be most comfortable in my ears.
For ear wires I use the half hard wire. Wire is sold hard, half hard or dead soft. If you have a lot of bending to do and the wire is thick (lower numbers) use dead soft. Hard wire is very spring like and harder to bend - it can also break if you bend it too much. 
For a very simple french style ear wire - first cut  two 1.5 to 2" pieces of wire and make a small loop around the tip of your round pliers on one end of each (see picture at right).  This is where you will later attach your "drop".  Now use a sharpie, dowel or pen to bend both pieces around - this forms the part that rests in your ear.  I do them together so they match.  Then take your flat pliers and bend the back end up slightly (apx. 1/8"). Now file the end that will go through the ear to make it smooth.

Once you are happy with the shape- you now need to "set it". That means hardening the wire so it will keep its shape.  I do this by tumbling in a rotating barrel with stainless steel shot for several hours.  It can also be done by hitting the rounded part of the earring with a hammer several times (flattening it).  "Working" the metal by hammering or tumbling alligns the molecules and makes it stiffer or harder.
If you look through the Fire Mountain Gems or Rio Grande catalogs you can see the huge variety of shapes that are possible - you just have to get creative and find objects to shape your wire around! Have fun designing your own special ear wires!

Working with Metals- Safety Considerations

Ever since I started working with metals I've always wondered about the safety considerations.  I've handled and been exposed to metals of all kinds for years and haven't worried as much about them as I have of chemicals, insecticides and food additives.  It seems like there are more people with allergies than ever before. Many times they don't know what's causing the allergies.

Long ago a doctor told me that showing symptoms of allergies is sort of like a bucket filling with water - when it gets overfilled it finally runs out.  Same thing with allergies - when we are exposed to enough allergens for enough time- eventually our bucket runs over and we get the symptoms -runny nose , hives, itchy eyes, etc.

I believe in trying to avoid allergic reactions or lung and tissue damage by using whatever safety equipment we can use to limit our exposure.

Since I make metal dust when I saw, grind, sand or polish I try to either wear a mask or use a shield.  I have a nice plastic shield that has a hole in the back that a shop vac hose attaches to.  When I use my foredom tool to grind or polish I hold it in the shield to protect my lungs and my eyes.  I also wash my hands often and especially before eating after handling metals. 

MSDS sheets can be requested from whomever you buy your supplies from- they describe any and all hazards and issues that can happen from any materials they contain.   I work mostly with gold, silver and copper alloys but if you use base metals (like nickel silver, sometimes called german silver), or plated materials, these could contain lead (toxic), cadmium or nickel (an allergan) you should know what you are working with and what hazards it presents.  The new laws regarding items for children under twelve are there just for this reason.  That cheap unknown imported metal might be a hazard that you hadn't even considered.

How To...Earrings -step by step 1-3

Click on the pictures to enlarge them for detail.

Materials:
                 10 gage half round, dead soft wire- apx. 2"
                 20 or 22 gage round, half hard wire- apx. 3"

1.  For these earrings I started with 10 ga. dead soft, half round wire - Apx 2"
I usually use my flush cutting pliers to snip the length I need. These cutters leave a sort of flattened angle on the ends. This will be fine for these.

Mark your wire to divide it into two equal pieces.


2. Then use a jewelers saw and holding the wire over a bench pin, cut the wire in half (more accurate than pliers).







   3. Use a good quality file and smooth any sharp edges.