Wire tools

[cathystamps]

Have any of you tried the purple plastic wire shaper thingie that looks like a square with pegs in it? How well does it work?

Thanks,
Cathy

[jbalcer]

We'll let Beate tell you how much she loves hers. Hear the crickets chirping? LOL

I use markers, paintbrushes, little pliers. . .but I haven't tried the little plastic peg thingee. Just haven't tried to hard to do shapes yet outside of buckles and curliques. One of these days, though. . . .I'll have to get more into the wire! It's so much fun, but I am too easily distracted by other stuff!

HTH, Jenn

[cathystamps]

Thanks, Jen. I'll just start playing and see what happens.

[stampinalot]

Hi everyone! As far as the wire thingy (we're all use VERY technical terminology-ha!), a couple of friends have them and they never use them. They end up using varying househole items.

On another note, I think Jenn (hey! I just emailed you. Hi again LOL)
hit the nail on the head. My biggest problem is distraction! SO many
ideas that I don't know where to start! :lol: I guess that's part of being
a newbie- huh? You're all very helpful, if I could just...START!

Thanks, Sue

[cbet]

Umm, I'm going to go against the majority here - I really like mine. I got the set that has the "wire writer" thingie with it, which make it easier to guide around the pegs, though.

If you go to www.wigjig.com , they have a bunch of free jewelry patterns that you can borrow pieces and parts of for embellishments.

[Therese Henderson]

I like wire embellishments, and have just purchased a jig. The June issue of "Martha Stewart " magazine has an interesting article and pictures of wire works
T

[aggirl]

I have done a lot of metalsmithing and my advice for everyone is to invest in needlenose pliers and patience! That is the tricky part! I havent used su wire yet but if a piece of metal gets over worked it will break... happened many times with silver rings I have made If the metal is starting to get hard to move try heating it up any way you can. this will realign molecules and soften it up again... like I said I don't know about su wire but this is what we do with metal
On the other hand to toughen metal to keep it from flexing, rub your pliers up and down on it!
Hope this can be of some help to someone!
Heather

[justheather]

I like mine, especially if I'm making more than one of a shape. I do find, though, that the pegs tend to fall out if I'm not careful, especially if the board isn't flat or I pull the wire too hard.

I prefer shaping my wire by hand if I'm only doing one or two of a shape or word.

I hate my wire writer...it seems clunky and I can never get it to work right.

I've created a handful of patterns and written a booklet on making wire words:
http://home.att.net/~scrapbooknut/wire/

[suthnheart]

The manufacturer of the purple wire thingy makes a more "professional" one that the pegs won't fall out of. That's what I'm saving my $$$ for. My mom bought the one with the wire writer in it for me... and I love the wire write. It's those darn pegs falling out that drives me crazy.

And actually I don't have to worry... that thing's lost in the darkness of my stamp room