What do newbies need to know abt wirework?

[Tela]

If you are just starting out, what are the biggest questions to come to your mind first when thinking of doing wirework?

Your answers could help form the direction of free instructions in the forum.

[Kate]

Good topic! I just bought some cabs that I will be wrapping. I haven't done that yet. I'm sure I'll have some questions once I begin. Their sizes and shapes vary from the tutorials I have.

[Tela]

Kate, when you are ready- shoot some questions at me and I'll see what I can do for you. My idea is for someone just like yourself throwing out completely fresh questions that I can do a quick tute here for. It's been years since I was new at this and I think I have forgotten some of the basic questions I had.

[Renate]

I think it would be good to have a list of the the absolutely minimum equipment with some estimated costs. When you are new to wire work, or any hobby for that matter, you don't know if you will like it, and don't want to spend a lot of money on the basic tools. Which tools do you have to buy, or how can you use household items instead. (cutter from the tool box, nail clipper, cosmetic files etc.)

More questions: which wire gauges to get for the start, and which to use for which task / technique. When to use hard, when dead soft wire.

[laura]

Newbie question: what 0.8mm silver to buy for earwires? Is "soft" too soft? Is "hard" too difficult to form?
(I'll be hammering them too; no tumbler; and I expect them to be harder than hammered copper)

If we take 0.8mm German copper for example (e.g. knorr prandell) - what "hardness" equivalent is that for comparison? (It's harder than electric wire)

[Kate]

Renate, that is a good one. I bought most of my tools from Michaels and used their 40% off coupons. That helped a lot. I know down the road I'll be replacing the tools but now I know what I may want. Before I didn't have a clue. I also bought a lot from FDJ. They are not far from me when I'm in Florida.

The wire gauges and temper blew me away at first. It was so confusing! lol There is so much info on the internet it's mind boggling.

[Tela]

Renate, as an American, I'm not accustomed to thinking metric- maybe the younger generation, but the only time I use metric is when I'm talking about a stones size. So, .8 is about what gauge? 20g? Yes, I would say soft is too soft- unless you hammer. I always use 1/2 h silver for earwires unless I am using copper. In that case, I would take the soft copper in a pinvise or drill and twist really well to get a harder wire and then gently tap the finished earwire. Twisting works real well to help harden a soft copper wire. I do it for all my copper.

[Renate]

Not that it matters, but it was Laura who mentioned the .8mm wire, and yes, it is the equivalent of 20 gauge.

Thank you for the tip of twisting the copper wire to harden it!

[Kate]

Now that I have some cabs to work with, my question before I get started is, do I need some bezel mandrels? I'm looking at www.wirewrapmandrels.com. Will it be easier or I should say more successful to have some? There is a starter kit on sale.

[Tela]

Kate, that's a really great question. This is my take on it: I totally want those mandrels!! LOL! HOWEVER, I have never had anything like it and did fine without it. For someone starting out, it will be a blessing; for someone like me, it will be a time saver. It will save you a ton of aggravation and put your work on a level of accomplishment much higher than if you didn't have it. But, you don't need it. I've made do with lots of different mandrels. I think if you can afford it and you think you will be doing wirework long enough to justify getting them- then get them. I haven't used them, but if they are as good as I think they are, you'll never realize just how smart you were, as a newbie, to have them. It will really jumpstart the quality of your work.

I have seen that set for a while now. At first, I kinda thought of it as cheating - but that was just being a stupid wire "elitist". Now, I think they are awesome and a fabulous idea!

I'm a little torn by what I think you may be missing out on by using them and that is learning to "eyeball" things. Eyeballing is a skill that develops over time and is crucial for wirework. I can practically find the exact middle of any wire blindfolded. I can turn my bundles up to meet at the top perfectly almost every time. That takes practice. I think you might be losing out on some of that experience with this set. However, I think the pros outweigh the cons here. Just try to be mindful of learning how to judge distances and eyeball things as you use these.

[Kate]

Thanks Tela, with you having said that, I want to learn from the beginning without any crutches. I need to learn all of this. It's very similiar to how my hubby taught me to ride my motorcycle. He had me ride in the grass first. Once I accomplished that, I road in the street and it was a piece of cake. I see this the same way, it's all part of the learning experience. I can always invest in them later.

[christine]

Wow, I never knew bezel mandrels existed . I do not have Tela's expertise but have wrapped a lot of cabs without the mandrels. They do sound very cool though. Hmmm..

[Tela]

Well ladies, I'll be posting a review of this set! My DH got me the set after we had a brief discussion about it last night. My birthday came and went. He got me a new tripod a while back- early for my bday. He has been waiting to know what tool I really wanted and decided this was it. I won't argue. For me, this will be a convenience and time saver.

Kate- I honestly think that is a good decision. Some people might disagree. I think one should learn the basics first. You will probably miss out a lot by using this set to learn with. As soon as you are more comfortable, you should reconsider, though.

[christine]

What a dear hubby! I look forward to your review on this set.
Happy Belated Birthday, Dear One!

[Tela]

Thanks, Christine I had a wonderful birthday!

I was thinking about this set and the one thing I hadn't noticed was if these are thick enough. I mean, if I have a bundle of 6 wires I wonder if the mandrels would be thick enough.... guess I'll find out.