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I discovered an interesting character change
making Byzantine out of square wire. To me, each
chain has a gender; most chainmaille looks lacy
and feminine. But when I experimented with square
wire jump rings my Byzantine took on a sturdy,
secure, masculine appearance. I was astonished
that by just changing the shape of the wire I
was able to change the look of the chain so drastically.
Your aesthetics may judge this look completely
differently than me, which is fine. The look is
different and that is a thing we can all agree
on.
Another aspect I particularly liked was the weightiness.
It is heavy! To me this also makes it masculine.
Technical Note:
I noticed a very slight tightness change in the
chain using square wire. It does not make a marked
change in the ring ratios. In the illustration
above I used 18 gauge wire with a 4mm ID.
Making Square Jump Ring tips:
Figure 1
If you make jump rings yourself it can be challenging
to make square wire jump rings like Figure 1.
The flat side of the square wire does not automatically
stay parallel to the mandrel. When this happens
the wire twists while forming around the mandrel
and the jump rings come out with the square wire
rotated. See Figure 2.
Figure 2
Here is what I do to control the rotation of
the wire. You will need a pair of square nose
pliers with well polished inside
jaws and rounded outside jaw edges.
Use the pliers to both provide moderate tension
and correct alignment to feed the wire to the
mandrel. The pliers jaws will grasp the left and
right side of the square wire. As the mandrel
is turned the pliers will burnish (polish) the
sides of the wire to a fine polish if they are
smooth.
I did end up making some square jump rings with
the pointed side on the inside of the jump ring
like figure 2. This also has an interesting effect
on chainmaille jewelry. To make this style consistently
just rotate the pliers 45 degrees and hold it
steady while feeding your wire onto the mandrel.
Where to get square wire jump
rings
If you do not make jump rings yourself do not
worry. You can buy the Figure 1 style from Rio
Grande. You will find them on page 413 of Aug.
2004-2005, or page 425 of Aug. 2005-2006 catalogue.
Click here to order this catalogue now!
Creative Note:
See what you think. Experiment. Try something
new. Remember to be creative, it is so stimulating
and rewarding. All you have to do to start receiving
ideas is to be open to the possibility. Just like
we all have unique fingerprints, we all have unique
ideas.
Let your unique creative energies out of the
trap that says, “Been there done that.”
This attitude is certain death to an artist. Adopt
a creative attitude. This leads the way to a new
approach. Look closer and listen again. It is
entirely possible to miss gems of ideas. We artists
must be wary of a blase approach when it comes
to designing beautiful jewelry- it shows.
We can create only from our wealth or poverty
of ideas. If you have run out, have faith, and
open up, recognize the non-productive attitudes
and breathe some fresh air today.
Chainmaille Jewelry Pattern
e-book
Breathe new life into your jewelry creations.
Chainmaille is a fantastic style that fits anywhere,
is simple to make, and so rewarding when finished
you will go back again and again to make more
intricate jewelry.
Learn
More...
"I
have been wearing the chainmaille bracelets I
have made with your e-book (various patterns)
and people will grab my arm to
look closely at them and when I say I made it,
and see the look on their face, it is so...
rewarding. And right behind that, I get
asked if I sell them and at what price. "
-
Rita, AZ
Matthew Woodbury has been making and designing
handmade crafts for 30 years. Matthew apprenticed
under his mother, a silversmith and paint media
artist who studied in Germany. As a professional
designer for 15 years his favorite medium is precious
metal. He has enjoyed the thrill of making custom
jewelry for select clientele. His passion is all
about designing beautiful functional jewelry that
people use, not art jewelry that belongs on exhibit.
Years ago wood was his first passion but metal
won him over. He has made a classical guitar and
holds a Bachelors of Music in classical guitar.
We think it is his background and multi-disciplined
approach to jewelry that makes him unique in his
field. You might call him a well rounded cross-trainer.
His family going back 155 years were all artists
of the finest caliber and some with international
reputation.
Matthew is promoting his new Chainmaille Jewelry
Pattern e-book, chainmaille jewelry you can definitely
make yourself.
This is a "Shareware" Article
(what's that? read on...)
This article is shareware. Give this article
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of any paid package as long as the entire article
is left intact including this notice.
Copyright © 2005 Matthew Woodbury.
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