Up | Wire Intro | Joining Tips | Wire Circlets | Crown Tips | Making It Real | Galadriel's Circlet Pattern | Butterfly Crown - Tin | Butterfly Crown - Clay | Copper Foil Arwen Crown | Dwarf Beard Crimps | Cleaning Silver Jewlry | Weta Techniques
LOTR Home | Pattern Modification & Tips | Fabric Techniques | Fabric Embellishment | All About Armor | Leather Working | Vambraces to Gloves | Weapon Tips | Shoe Tips | Metalwork and Crowns | Working with Clay | Casting Belt Buckle | Casting Small Props | Pipe Making Tips

Wire-working Introduction

The most basic tips are here. Many more techniques and samples in Wire Circlets

Wire thickness is measured in Gauge. The larger the gauge number, the finer the wire.

Most of the wire we're using in the crowns is 16-20 gauge.

Note: OK, there are multiple gauge systems. We're using AWG (American Wire Gauge) unless noted otherwise. Telcontar found us a great link that has both AWG and SWG gauges as well as the actual thickness. http://www.graphicproducts.com/supplies/wire_gauge.html

Wire may be pure, or some of the hobby shop wires are coated with colors. These are called "artist wire". Artist wire is fine for twisting, but use it in a project where you plan to solder. Melts!

Tools

When you first decide to start working on a crown... you go straight to the family junk drawer and grab the needle nose pliers. That's OK for a first start but... stop and look at them

Electrical needle nose pliers have a gagged grip surface. If you hold too tight, these can mar the wire of your project.
Jewelers needle nose pliers have a flat gripping surface.
Specialty wire pliers have the tip area coated or covered in plastic for a no-mar surface. Fine for some things, but you don't get as much control. Do not use these in soldering, the surface will melt.

== Cat

This page was last updated 04/22/08