Jump ringer

As mentioned in an earlier post, I sold my loom so I could buy a jump ring maker and flex shaft.

It doesn't get used that much, but it is nice to be able to make any size jump ring whenever needed. This past week I was making my daughter an ankle bracelet and realized that I was running low on jump rings.... so out came the jump ring maker.

The jump ring maker works like a hand drill. The correct size mandrel is inserted into the handle, the silver wire is inserted into the mandrel, and the handle is cranked to create a "spring" of jump rings. After the spring is removed, the rings are cut apart using the flex shaft. The rings are held in place in a tool with a channel in it and the blade is centrally positioned to run down the channel.

The first time I cut the rings, they flew all over the place. A friend of mine from South Carolina, told me about a trick to keep the jump rings from flying. Before cutting, a piece of masking tape is centered on the spring and the tape is rubbed with "Cut Lube" (to keep the blade sharp.)

The rings can be polished after a piece is completed or before. Polishing the pieces before is easily done if they are strung together on a bigger piece of wire before throwing them in the tumbler.

I bought a book on chain mail yesterday. Maybe I'll be using the jump ring maker more now.

Must be a man

   Now I don't want anyone to think I'm sexist, because I don't believe I am.   Although I know there are some people who would beg to differ with that.  But, I finally got to try out my new jump ringer and flex-shaft.  They do work great.  I love them both.  But, there is one little quirk that is so illogical in the design.  After the wire is wrapped into a coil, the flex-shaft is used to cut them apart.  There is a nifty sleeve that fits over the flex-shaft cylinder (sorry if I'm not using the proper terminology; it is still new to me.)  The directions say to attach the blade to the flex-shaft and then slide the sleeve over the cylinder.  Now that isn't going to happen, because the blade is wider than the sleeve.  No biggy though as it is easy enough to put on after the sleeve is in place.

   The thing that was driving me nuts was the two screws on the sleeve that hold it in place on the cylinder.  One side of the sleeve has an opening that exposes the cutting blade.  This opening fits over a guide, that fits over the coil and has a narrow slit in it.  (Have I lost you yet?)  The narrow slit is used to line up the saw blade in the sleeve.  There is also a mark on the edge of the opening to help with that.  The trouble starts after the blade is lined up.  The screws are to be lightly tightened to hold the sleeve in place, with the blade in the proper position.   But, the darn screws are on the back of the sleeve and I don't know about you, but I can't screw something I can't see.  So I tried to hold the sleeve in the proper position, turn it over to screw it in place and of course the whole thing moves on me.  I'm not sure how many times I kept trying.   (Way too many.)  Finally I tried to line the blade up a little higher than the mark (since it always kept slipping down) and I was finally able to line it up right; so the blade was centered in the narrow slot.  Common sense tells me that if the screws were on the top where the hole was, the whole darn thing would have been a lot easier.  But, then again maybe I'm wrong.

   I could tell you many stories where some men in my life did not do the logical thing, but that is not what this blog is about.  But, I still think a man must have designed this thing.  A woman would have put the screws on the top.

O.D. or I.D?

    Well, I haven't used my new flex-shaft yet, (forgot to order the stand with it.  Sent the hubby out to find one, but he came back with the shaft for the flex-shaft. )  

    But, I did try out the new jump ringer.  It is a really cool tool but it had me puzzled for a while.  I was looking at some jump rings I had purchased and I noticed that let's say, a 6 mm jump ring was equal to an 8 mm jump ring on the mandrel.  I guess I always thought that the dimensions referred to the outside diameter.  It was really confusing me, so I emailed a friend from South Carolina.  I figured that she would know the answer and sure enough she did.

   This is what I found out.  Regular jump rings are labeled according to their outside diameter.  Jump rings that are going to be used for chain maille are labeled according to their inside diameter.  So, now  I know that I have to use a mandrel 2 sizes smaller than what I think I need.  (It's just my mind being stubborn and blocked about the whole thing.  Kind of like it is when it comes to the metric system...... I have lots of beads that are not the size I thought they were.)  

   So, when I make jump rings, I need to go two sizes smaller.  When I make metal clay rings, I need to make them two sizes bigger to allow for the shrinkage.  (I almost forgot that today when I started on a ring for my daughter-in-law's birthday.  Luckily I caught it in time.)

   Darn those long vacations, they make me stupid!

It's Christmas!

   It's Christmas in March!!!!  

     The new Barbara Becker Simon book, "Metal Clay Beads" came today, (a whole month early.)  I only had time to skim through it but it looks like a good one. Unfortunately I am addicted to books.  I keep swearing that I am not going to buy anymore, but I bought two in the past week; a polymer clay book on millefiori techniques by Donna Kato and now this one.  (When will I stop?)

     My new flex-shaft and jump ring maker came today too!!  Wahoo!!!! What a way to help with the after vacation doldrums.  

      I got such a deal on the flex-shaft and jump ring maker.  (saved about $30 by buying both).  Contenti has a special going on right now that saves money if you buy them together.  For once I got lucky and didn't buy them earlier.  The flex shaft is a cheaper model, but Contenti swears it's a good one for the money.  Now I have to learn how to use both of these new tools.  (Darn, I have so many other things to do this month...... guess I'm going to be busy.)

   Oh, I just remembered.... I bought three books this past week.  My third book is "Making the most of your Flex-shaft" by Karen Christians.  Is there an AA for book addicts?