Lesson 14: Clasps

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.