Cut Your Own

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STANDARD TOOL LIST FOR EACH PROJECT:

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2 pair flat-nose or chain-nose pliers (or one


of each)
Jump Ringer System/Jewellers saw
Flush cutters
Ruler Heavy glove
Tumbler Chamois
Bench block and hammer
Pick (if necessary) Lubricant
Flex-shaft tool for the Jump Ringer System
Talk to any chain maker and you will learn how important it is to be able to quickly and skillfully make well-cut
jump rings. With that in mind, here over this two-page spread are two methods: one using a Jump
Ringer system and the other using a jewellers saw to hand cut your rings. Whichever method you use, give
yourself permission to go through a learning curve. Every artist makes mistakes and will ruin a blade from
time to time. You may also order pre-cut rings from your favourite supplier.

USING THE JUMP RINGER SYSTEM: With a chamois, straighten 21/2-to-3-foot


lengths of round soft wire. Place the first 1/2-inch into the chuck of your
Jump Ringer and, wearing a heavy glove (optional) to protect your fingers on
your non-dominant hand, coil up the wire on the mandrel specified in each
project. Cut off the ends of each coil, as shown in inset. See Helpful Hint No 1.

HELPFUL HINT NO 1
You should always coil up more than the required
number of rings. The mandrel size, coil and jump
rings shown in Steps 1 through 5 are much larger
than normal but, for photographic purposes,
demonstrate how rings are made using the Jump
Ringer system. (See Page 2 for more information
on this tool and please follow the instructions
supplied in the kit.) The owner of this system recommends that you support the coil as you cut through it
by using a small soft-wood dowel. Other substitutes
can be: orange sticks (available in the manicure section at your local drug store), fireplace matches or
even wooden skewers (the type used for grilling).
Whatever you use, it should be made from soft wood
and should provide enough support (while in the coil)
to prevent the coil from collapsing as you cut.
For larger coils, use two lengths of matchstick.

One at a time, place each coil into the coil holder; rub cutting compound (lubricant) along the
top of the coil and then move the top plate over the coil and replace the hold-down screw into
the right-hand screw hole. Gently finger-tighten the screws at both
ends until you start to feel a slight resistance in the screws. Insert
the wooden piece (provided) between the plate and the
block; push the coil towards one end, as shown in
inset, to make room for the blade. One last time,
finger-tighten the screws.

Chains by Becky 10
Content 2006 - Helen Goga

If you havent applied the cutting


compound to the coil, rub the lubri3cant onto
the stationary blade and position the saw for cutting, as shown in
inset.

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the blade guard in one easy movement up


as shown by the red arrow.
4 Cutthe coilthe coilholder,by moving

Loosen the screws, remove


the hold-down screw and
move the top plate to one side.
Remove your waste and your jump
rings are ready. See Helpful Hints
Nos 2, 3 and 4.

HELPFUL HINT
NO 2
At this stage, you could
clean the lubricant off the
jump rings by placing them
into a tumbler; you can also
do this when you have
completed the chain.
As the chain in most of the
projects in this book
werent tumbled until they
were finished, you will
notice lubricant and burrs
on the jump rings
throughout some steps.

HELPFUL HINT NO 3
To open a jump ring, place the jaws of your chain- or flat-nose pliers
next to each of the cut ends on a jump ring and, while working in opposite directions, slightly turn the jaws of one pliers towards you as you
turn the other pliers away from you. Working the
ends of the jump rings in opposite directions
ensures that the ring will not become distorted. (To close up this ring, simply
reverse this movement until the
ends meet up flush.) Open
several jump rings to
make them ready
ahead of time.

Should one end of any of


your jump rings be higher
than its counterpart, open
wide the jaws of your pliers
to rest its lower jaw under
the bottom of the ring while
you press down gently on
the higher (cut) end of the
jump ring with the upper jaw.
(See illustration at right.)
This will force the higher cut
end to align itself flush with
its counterpart.

ANOTHER HELPFUL TECHNIQUE


FOR HAND -CUTTING JUMP RINGS .
1 Prepare a block of wood
1
11/2x21/2x4 ins high by
making a groove midway
along the length on the
top of it. At one end, nail
or screw two small
pieces of wood to the
block, leaving a slight
space between each
piece. This small space
must line up with the
groove. And, on one end
of a 41/4-inch length of
wooden dowel, shape a
dimple the same width as the coil of wire you are cutting. (The dimensions of the wooden dowel will depend
on the size of the coil.) Use a jewellers saw.
2 Slip the saw blade
through your coil of wire.

Saw blade specifications:


Blade Cuts Blade Cuts
size gauge size gauge

2/0

20-22

16-18

1/0

18-22

16

18-20

14

16-18

12

16-18

12

3 Re-attach blade end to


saw. Slide the blade
through the space between
the two small pieces of
wood, and move the coil to
rest in the groove next to
these two pieces.

4 Hold the coil in place by


pressing the dimpled end
of your wooden dowel on
top of the coil.

5 As you draw the blade of


5
the saw towards you,
you will cut each jump
ring off the coil. The end
of the coil will rise slightly
as you cut, but the wooden dowel will ensure the
coil will stay in place. (It
is important to remember
that you cut only when you draw the blade towards
yourself, and not when you push back on it.) As the
jump rings are cut off, remove them and allow the coil
to move closer to the two small pieces of wood attached to the block.

Chains by Becky 11

Content 2006 - Helen Goga

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