Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

TUTORIAL 001: Cage Pendant by DK Heath (nic Remy) www.studioheath.com

Please do not reproduce, loan out or distribute this tutorial. Please give credit to the designer and refer friends to download their own copy from www.studioheath.com/tutorials.htm In this tutorial, you will learn to make a very versatile little pendant that can be made up quickly at shows and be easily adapted to encage a variety of pretty objects. Some suggestions are; gemstone nuggets, fried marbles, lampwork beads, tumbled stones, talismans, rough crystals or other focal beads.

Materials:
12 (310mm) 20ga square, half hard silver wire cut into three even pieces. (Alternatively: use round wire) Short length 22ga half round, half hard silver wire. Just enough to wrap three wires to form the base of your pendant. Short length 22ga round wire. Just enough to wrap the neck of your pendant. 1 15x10mm focal nugget, marble or bead. 1 round mandrel object slightly bigger than your chosen focal nugget or bead.

Tools:
Round nose pliers, square nose pliers, chain nose pliers, flush cutters, sharpie pen & ruler.

Page 1
Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

Step 1: Beginning the wrap Place the half round wire in your flat nose pliers and turn over the end just short of the width of the jaw of your flat nose. Essentially, you are aiming to make this turned end slightly shorter than the width of the three square wires lying side by side, which you'll be wrapping next step.

Step 2: Wrapping the base Hold your three square wires together, ends even and hook the half round wire over and squeeze gently with your flat nose. The end of the hook will be slightly angled (exaggerated for the picture). Wrap the half round wire snugly around your three square wires, giving a gentle squeeze with your flat nose with each wrap of the wires. Slightly overlap these half round wire wraps by a microscopic amount and squeeze with the pliers will ensure the wires sit snug side by side.

Continue to wrap five times, ending the last wrap on the same side as you started so you will have the ends on the same side. Check the other side for neatness, as this will be the side that is visible. Squeeze gently with your flat nose, to close any unwanted gaps between the wraps, being mindful not to slip and scratch the wires. Check to make sure the ends aren't sticking out, trimming them slightly short of the edge with your flush cutters if they are. You should now have five straight snug wraps on one side of the bundled wires (which will be the visible side on the finished piece) and with no ends showing.

Page 2
Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

Step 3: Preparing the cage wires Hold the metal ruler and slide it between the square wires, gently levering the wires outward and separating them evenly. Get in as close as you can to the wraps, but without disturbing the wraps themselves. Give the ruler a little side-toside wiggle to help you move the ruler towards the wraps.

Spread the wires out, even distance apart.

Step 4: Forming the cage. Place the prepared wire on a flat surface. The ends of the half round 'wire wrap section in the middle need to be facing upward. Hold your round forming object evenly positioned on the middle of the wrapped section and push one of the wires firmly over the object, stopping at the top. Make sure the square wire does not twist as you do this. It should lay flat on the object. If you have used a larger bead as your mandrel, you can use the holes as your guide by placing the hole on your wrap wires,. then mark your wire with a sharpie pen at the point where it meets the top hole. Other objects of course can be marked with a little black dot on either side to achieve the same.

Page 3
Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

With each wire you bend over your round mandrel, check it carefully and make sure it is nice and evenly curved, comparing all wires against each other for similar curves. Ease out any kinks gently with your thumb and forefinger.

At the sharpie mark on each wire, take your flat nose pliers and make a bend at this mark. This to will form the neck of the pendant. Take care not to twist the wire as you bend.

Work around your frame wires, selecting the wires opposite to do next. Make comparison checks for even curves and even bend points as you go around and do all wires.

Page 4
Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

As you are working around, check that the mandrel object remains centred in the frame, making adjustments as you go. Separate the first wires at the top slightly to allow the next wires to go between them so they too can be pushed firmly all the way to the top of the mandrel object, forming nice full curves.

After all wires are done, the cage should now look something like this.

Place your focal nugget or bead in the cage and check for fit. If you have selected a round mandrel object slightly larger than your focal nugget, you should have a nice snug fit.

Page 5
Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

If this werent such a versatile little pendant I would at this point write, last chance to change your mind about what focal nugget or bead to use, however, once the pendant is complete, it is still possible to swap out the focal nugget or bead for another by carefully easing two wires apart. This is perfect for shows where customers prefer different stones. This should only be done once or twice however, as the wire will soon become too hard and will break. This actual pendant now holds a little girls most precious marble.

Step 5: Wrapping the neck. Gather your neck wires together and arrange them to sit snug in their correct order. This simple check will reduce any unnecessary bulk in the neck. Take the 22ga round wire and wrap the neck wires securely five or six times, and snip off with your flush cutters. Gently squeeze the ends of the wire with your chain nose pliers to tuck them in.

Step 6: Creating the neck swirls. Establish which wire is the inner most. Leave this wire standing, as it will become the bail. Take one wire and bend down towards the cage. As you do this, slide the neck wrap towards the cage if it is a little loose. The wire then becomes firmly locked into place as a result.

Page 6
Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

Trim your wire ends off flush.

Using your round nose pliers, begin your first swirl.

Use your flat nose pliers, gently hold the swirl and rotating your pliers, continue your swirl all the way to the neck.

Page 7
Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

The direction of the swirls is not important, though for a neater look, keep them all going in the same direction.

Push the swirl down with your finger against the neck wrap and hiding neck wrap ends. Continue around the neck.

Step 7: Creating the bail

Hold your round nose pliers about 4mm from the base of the remaining wire you previously selected to be the bail wire. Tilt the pliers slightly so the wire bends toward you then push the wire over the prong to form the loop of your bail.

Page 8
Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

The bail should now resemble a hook shape. At this point, if your preference is to use soldered jumprings, place one on the hook now.

Put a bend in your bail wire as shown and push the wire end back into the middle of the neck wires. If your cage has space between the top of the nugget and bottom of neck, push the wire through and bend it back upwards to secure against the outside of the neck. Cover this end with one of the swirls. If you do not have a space below the neck, simply estimate the length of the wire to where it will reach the nugget and snip. The bail is still secure this way as long as your cage wires are of sufficient gauge, in accordance with the list of materials.

Give the swirls a final push down to fit them snugly against each other.

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Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.

Your Cage Pendant should look something like this, and just requires a jumpring to finish it off.

Variations: This one was done using Gold Filled (Rolled Gold). The bail has been twisted for a fancier finish. This was a custom order using the customers own stone - Kunzite.

As you can see, by adding other components to it, this little pendant has endless possibilities and could made up smaller for dangly earrings and in this case,.. a cell/mobile phone dangly, which included all the stones the customer requested. Try twisting some, or all of the cage wires for a different look. The only limit to these, is that of your imagination.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Please give credit if you wish, and come back often for more tutorials

coming soon!

DK Heath . .(nic Remy).

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Copyright 2006 D.K Heath - www.studioheath.com All Rights Reserved.