Coils of wire can be made on mandrels of various sizes and shapes. The simplest is the coil of round rings made of round wire. There are many uses for the coil. When sawed into rings it may be made into a chain. By pulling the wire on both ends to stretch the coil, an open wavy coil results, which may be curved or bent to follow a line for decoration. The open coil may also be flattened into a decorative band of overlapping rings. A cone shaped coil can be made on a round pointed mandrel (knitting needle). These may be used for pendants to give movement and interest to a design and are sometimes used as a fringe for an edge.

The jig

Select a round steel mandrel the diameter of the coil de¬sired. Place between two blocks of soft wood parallel with the grain of the wood.  Press the blocks between the jaws of the table vise to form a groove in each block. Remove the mandrel from the blocks, and file a groove at a right angle to the groove made by the mandrel.

Coiling the wire

Place the mandrel between the blocks in the groove letting the end extend beyond the blocks about 1/2 inch. Hold the blocks in the jaws of the table vise tight enough to hold the blocks but loose enough so the mandrel will turn and move out of the groove as the wire is coiled. Make a few coils on the end of the mandrel.   Clamp the mandrel and coils in the jaws of the hand vise. Hold the loose end of the wire in the filed groove during the coiling process to guide the wire and to keep the coil even. Use the hand vise as a handle to turn the mandrel to form the coil.

The blocks holding the mandrel are held in the bench vise. The protruding end of the mandrel is held in the hand vise, and the coil is formed by turning the hand vise. The wire is held taut and is guided by the left hand.

Round Wire Coils

Technorati Tags: jewelry coils, jewelry wire, make coils, Make Jewelry, round wire coils