Lesson 14: Clasps
S hook- Shepherd’s hook:
- Start with a thicker gauge wire (10,12,14)
- This thickness of wire will be the fattest part of the S- it gets skinnier from this point.
- Anneal the wire.
- Taper the wire in the rolling mill:
- Crank the rollers so that they just touch. You should see the tiniest sliver of daylight between them.
- The wire area is the grooved area on the left.
- Find the first hole that the wire doesn’t go through.
- Roll the wire through the hole about ½ inch.
- Rotate the wire 90 degrees and repeat in the same hole.
- Go to the next hole and roll about ½ - 2/3 of the distance that you rolled the first time.
- Rotate and repeat.
- Repeat rolling, rolling a bit less each hole for a stepped effect.
- By rotating 90 degrees and rolling twice for each hole you make sure that no “flashing occurs.
- Anneal every 4 holes.
- When the wire has the desired taper, take to the steel block.
- Using the Goldsmith’s hammer (or planishing hammer), hammer the wire gently to smooth out the steps into a taper.
- File and sand to return the wire to round if desired.
- Anneal the wire.
- Using the round/flat pliers, bend one taper up to form a U
- Bend the other taper to form an S
- Clip off any excess length.
- Turn up the ends of the wires.
- Hammer or tumble to harden.
- Hammering will flatten or texture the wire- a way to personalize!
- Make 2 larger jump rings. Solder to ends of chain (or back of pendant) and solder closed.
- The 2 jump rings will slip into the ends of the S creating the clasp.
- You want the jump rings to “snap” into place. Tighten the S until this occurs.
Hook and Eye:
The hook and eye is essentially half of an S hook
- Proceed as above, tapering one end of the wire.
- When you have the desired taper, bend into a U
- Clip off any excess wire
- Turn up the end of the wire
- To attach to a chain, solder either a piece of tubing for the chain to slip into, or a jump ring to the end of the hook.
- File and sand
- Tumble or hammer to harden.
- Make a large jump ring and connect to chain.
- This jump ring will slip into the hook creating the clasp.