GLOSSARY TOOLS
TOOLS of the trade
Get to grips with your jewellery-making tool kit – we guide you through the essential contents and their applications for professional-looking results
CHAIN-NOSED PLIERS
FLAT-NOSED PLIERS
ROUND-NOSED PLIERS
Also known as snipe-nosed pliers, these have flat jaws on the inside and rounded jaws on the outside and are designed for precision jobs such as creating wrapped loops.
Pliers with round jaws that taper to a point are used for forming loops and curves and are ideal for creating your own jump rings.
These pliers have flat faces on both sides of the jaws and are used for gripping wire and jewellery components while you are working on them, and for bending and flattening wire.
SIDE CUTTERS
CRIMPING PLIERS
MEMORY WIRE CUTTERS
Although chain or flat-nosed pliers will suffice to fix crimp beads, crimping pliers give a neat, professional finish. They are two-stage pliers, specifically designed to crush and fold crimp tubes to fix the position of beads on stringing material and to secure the ends.
These pliers will handle cutting lengths of soft wire and trimming headpins and eyepins. The jaws are angled for a clean, flush cut.
Memory wire cutters are essential if you want to use this sturdy wire for creating jewellery, as it will damage the jaws of regular wire cutters.
NYLON-JAW PLIERS Nylon-jaw pliers are identical to flat-nosed pliers except that the jaws are moulded from plastic and are used to handle soft precious-metal wires and components that could be easily marked or dented.
WIRE-WORKING TOOLS If you are keen to create your own wire components, a chasing hammer and steel stake are essential for flattening and workhardening (toughening) wire shapes. Chasing hammers are lightweight and easy to handle, and steel stakes on which to hammer your work have an ultra-smooth surface to eliminate the chance of marking your pieces.
BEADING TWEEZERS A pair of beading tweezers is handy for managing tiny seed beads and unpicking knots in stringing materials.
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