Best headpins for wrapping?

[heidiglo]

Hi, I'm new here and new to jewelry making. I make simple bead jewelry, particularly earrings made with headpins and eyepins. I can see that all the pros do wrapping around the loops at the tops of the pins (if I'm not describing this correctly, I think it's also referred to as a type of closed link?). It's more secure and aesthetically pleasing. I've been trying to get this technique down, but I'm noticing that I'm running out of length on my pins and am also unsure of what gauge to use. Most pins are 2" and I think I need at least 3". My existing pins aren't labeled but seem to be around 21 gauge. Would it be okay to use 24 gauge or is that too soft? 

Do you guys know of any good, affordable sources for a variety of headpin colors and gauges? I use silver, antiqued copper and antiqued brass.

I know tons of people make their own pins, but I'm not there yet as far as my skill level. So I'd really appreciate anyone pointing me in the right direction. Thanks!

[caeterle]

Hello and welcome to the forum, Heidi! If you have any questions around the forum, please don't hesitate to ask.

I'm going to leave this question for the others as I have only been using my own copper pins lately which I make from my wire scraps (and I have used 24 gauge before depending on what exactly I'm doing with them) and rather long because I know the problem of running out of length. Also I'm in Germany and therefore not the best one to ask about supply sources.
Dawn is our top pin wrapper, imho, I'm sure she'll chime in about what length and gauge she is using.

How about sharing some of your work in Show & Tell to give an idea of what it is you are making?

Cat

[heidiglo]

Dec 15, 2020 14:24:13 GMT -6 caeterle said:

Hello and welcome to the forum, Heidi! If you have any questions around the forum, please don't hesitate to ask.

I'm going to leave this question for the others as I have only been using my own copper pins lately which I make from my wire scraps (and I have used 24 gauge before depending on what exactly I'm doing with them) and rather long because I know the problem of running out of length. Also I'm in Germany and therefore not the best one to ask about supply sources.
Dawn is our top pin wrapper, imho, I'm sure she'll chime in about what length and gauge she is using.

How about sharing some of your work in Show & Tell to give an idea of what it is you are making?

Cat

Thank you Cat, I can definitely do a bit of posting in Show & Tell! Great idea. I can't seem to figure out how to be alerted that someone has replied to a post. Is that in my profile settings or the post/thread settings? 

[DawninCal]

Did someone mention my name?

Hi Heidi and welcome to JAC. So happy to have you here.

I agree with you that head pins are often two short. Two inches seems to be the norm and it's been a source of great frustration for me over the years, as like you, I often ran out of wire to wrap my loops. I have solved this problem by learning how to make my own in a three inch length. It's quite easy to make head pins and there are a lot of options as to how to finish the ends. And, it's fun too!

As far as gauge goes, I pretty much stick with 20 or 22. I think 24 is too thin and prone to breaking. The exception to that would be if I were to wrap a bunch of tiny beads that were intended to be used as a cluster on a pair of earrings.

I have been on the road most of the day and am now getting settled, but I will be happy to post more information and a few links later that I think you would find helpful. After I do that, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to post them. We love to talk shop with other jewelry designers!



Dawn

[caeterle]

Dec 15, 2020 15:06:07 GMT -6 heidiglo said:

Thank you Cat, I can definitely do a bit of posting in Show & Tell! Great idea. I can't seem to figure out how to be alerted that someone has replied to a post. Is that in my profile settings or the post/thread settings? 

It's in your profile settings, Heidi. Go to "Edit Profile" -> "Notifications" and you'll find different kinds of notifications there, with or without email.

[DawninCal]

Here is a link to several different styles of head pins you can make yourself. The beauty of making your own is that you can make any length you want in any gauge wire you want. The Beaded Gem is a great resource; I've used it a lot over the years.

Beaded Gem - Headpin Tutorials

I have used the knotted style and the paddle style for many designs as I really like the look of both. Here are earrings I have made using these techniques:

When I use the knotted technique, I have modified it by putting a loop at the bottom that allows me to add dangles.









The paddle style is easy - just hammer the end of the wire flat and file to remove any sharp edges.



And, one night while fiddling around, I wondered if I could use my gas stove to make balled headpins (I didn't have a torch at the time) and to my surprise it worked great!

Here is a link to a tutorial on how to do this. Cat, I noticed that this isn't in our tutorial section (it's in the metal smithing forum), so I think I will move it over to the tutorials section. Seems like it would be a better fit over there.

Make Balled Headpins on Your Gas Stove

If you like the flat look, you can do that by putting a piece of wire in a vice and leaving a short bit (1/8th inch or so) exposed. Then just hammer on it until the wire is mashed flat. Takes a bit of practice, but it's not hard to do either.

I hope these help you out with your head pin dilemma.



Dawn

[caeterle]

Good idea to move the thread, Dawn!

[DawninCal]

Thanks, Cat! Hopefully, I won't make it "poof!!"

One more thing about headpins that I meant to say earlier is that I actually prefer the look of a simple loop to a wrapped loop. It's not as secure but for a pair of earrings or a light necklace it's a fine loop as long as it's fully closed. Bracelets are another story; they get bashed around too much for me to trust that a simple loop will hold



Dawn

[heidiglo]

Dec 16, 2020 14:21:58 GMT -6 DawninCal said:

Thanks, Cat! Hopefully, I won't make it "poof!!"

One more thing about headpins that I meant to say earlier is that I actually prefer the look of a simple loop to a wrapped loop. It's not as secure but for a pair of earrings or a light necklace it's a fine loop as long as it's fully closed. Bracelets are another story; they get bashed around too much for me to trust that a simple loop will hold



Dawn

Thank you soooo much, I look forward to delving into what you posted! I'm sure it will help me out a ton! 

[DawninCal]

My pleasure, Heidi! Be sure to let us know how your headpin journey turns out. We love to hear about stuff like this.

HaHa...I just read thru the entire making balled headpins on your stove thread...that was a trip down memory lane and hoot to boot!



Dawn