crimp woes - solved

flame n fuse · February 03, 2018, 02:38:21 PM

I've been struggling with crimping for some time. The silver plate size 4 ones from Beadalon crack more often than they work. I've just bought some solid silver ones from Palmer metals and they are so much better!
Has anyone else had better experiences than me with the plated ones? I don't know what I am doing wrong with them.

JanieD · February 04, 2018, 10:45:05 AM

I tend not to use plated findings as I find the plating wears off quickly, but I have used silver fill/gold fill ones and they behave well. I'm just not keen on plated findings of any kind really - when I work in silver I use silver findings (or make my own) as my work is usually Hallmarked.

Jane

flame n fuse · February 07, 2018, 01:38:09 PM

Jane, I agree with you about not using plate, I've only just discovered that there are solid silver ones!

Moira HFG · February 07, 2018, 04:19:32 PM

I am amazed, I have always had this problem and thought I was just being clumsy!
I don't use crimps much, but will buy some silver ones to have in hand - they're cheap enough.
Thanks for the tip!

Enchanted Cobwebs · February 07, 2018, 07:27:41 PM

I hate crimps, the first one goes beautifully, I bead to the end, thread my wire through cut so I wont have a scratchy end and crimp carefully with my sterling silver good quality crimps and my special crimp tool I crimp and more often than not it doesnt work. I despair...I have tried knotting, no problem at the start but the end bit is problem usually. Glad its not just me but what to do?

flame n fuse · February 11, 2018, 03:29:02 AM

I leave the ends long until after I have crimped as it's easier to keep the 2 pieces of wire parallel and not crossing over each other.

Rebecca Jane · February 11, 2018, 11:20:45 AM

I'm glad it's not just me who struggles with those little things. Thank you for the tip flame n fuse, that makes so much sense.

Enchanted Cobwebs · February 12, 2018, 07:46:43 AM

Quote from: flame n fuse on February 11, 2018, 03:29:02 AM
I leave the ends long until after I have crimped as it's easier to keep the 2 pieces of wire parallel and not crossing over each other.

Any tips on cutting the wire after crimping? I prefer to cut that stuff with a shears made for stainless steel but it wont get close enough so I get a bit of scratchy wire. Up to now my method let me pull the end through a bead but that leaves me in a spot if the crimp doesn't behave which sadly is quite often probably because the wires are crossing. I might revert to squashing the crimp flat and adding a crimp cover but prefer the neat finish with the crimping pliers (when it works) I even bought the magic crimp pliers that makes a rounded bead of the 2mm crimp, same problem with the scratchy bit tho...I hate crimps but have not found an alternative that works easily! Also bought the magic finding tool and findings from international craft!....

flame n fuse · February 20, 2018, 06:02:34 PM

I know exactly what you mean and don't have a miracle solution. I make quite heavy beads and use the 0.9 mm 49 strand beadalon. I had been thinking of trying something thinner and putting it twice through the bead, so one end had no sharp ends as you say above. But then the other end will have 3 thicknesses to deal with and 2 sharp ends, so maybe it's no better?
I always have a couple of beads at each end made on double-dipped mandrels so that they will thread over the crimps, but it's not perfect.
I use 2 crimps each end for safety. Something that I haven't tried and only just thought about is to fold the crimp nearest the jump ring, then trim the wire, then fold the second crimp so that the end of the wire is under the second crimp - I'll give that a try

Enchanted Cobwebs · February 21, 2018, 07:25:34 AM

my necklaces have my beads at front then the back is fresh water pearls and Swarovski, cant get more than one wire through twice even after I ream the pearls. There must be a real neat way to do this, lets make it a mission!