Hook and Eye Clasp - Basic Wire Working Technique Series

 

Why use a handcrafted hook and eye clasp over a ready made clasp?

It will add much more interest to your design and give that extra unique quality that transforms it into a piece of wearable art.

Tools and Supplies:

Chain-nose pliers

Round-nose pliers

Stepped forming pliers

Flush cutters (one side of the cutters are flush and make a straight cut, the other side makes a "V" cut)

Small jewelers file

Hammer

Steel bench block (or something solid to hammer on)

Wire: I've used 16 gauge copper for my photos. I suggest you begin with copper; it's malleable which makes it easy to work with and it's inexpensive.

The picture above shows two pairs of chain-nose pliers, round-nose pliers, and flush cutters. Below is what stepped forming pliers look like.

A note before I start the tutorial: 

In my photos I did not leave the looped end that will attach to the chain open. If you are going to use a jump ring to attach the clasp then you can go ahead and close the loops as I did in the photos. If you choose to attach it directly to a fused chain link then you will need to leave the loop end open (see "Links: Beaded and Crazy" to see how to connect loops).

Hook Clasp

Hammer one end of an 8" wire to flatten it.

Place the round-nose pliers at the tip of the flattened area.

Curl the wire around the pliers.

Your piece should look like this.

 

Place the base of the round-nose pliers on the wire above the curl (how far up will determine how long the clasp will be).

Use your fingers to bend the wire back towards

the underside of the curl.

Place the chain-nose pliers on the wire and make a 90 degree bend.

Make a wrapped loop (click here to refer to my earlier tutorial on wrapped loops). Trim the wire and file the end smooth.

Hammer to add texture and strength.

(Hammering metal work hardens it and helps it to keep its shape.)

Your finished hook clasp should look like this.

 

Eye Clasp

Make a wrapped loop  at one end of an 8" wire (click here to refer to my earlier tutorial on wrapped loops). Place the stepped forming pliers on the wire (each tier is a different diameter - use the tier that will make the size of loop you desire).

Wind each wire tail until they meet and fill the space

between the loops. Trim ends and file to smooth them.

Hammer the loops to add texture and strength.

Your finished eye clasp should look like this.

The finished hook and eye clasp set should look like this.

Here are a few examples of where I have used handmade hook and eye clasps in my designs. Notice that sometimes I just use the hook part and use to a large handmade jump ring for the eye part and sometimes I added a bead to the clasps.

 

 

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Jump Rings Tutorial - Basic Wire Working Technique Series

Jump rings are readily available and fairly inexpensive so most of the time it makes sense just to purchase them. However, there are times when I find a need to make my own. I often times work with dark annealed steel wire and cannot purchase jump rings that are from the same wire. By making my own, I can match the wire perfectly. Also, there are occasions when I want a size - usually very large - that I do not have and need to make it myself.

Tools and Supplies:

Two pairs of chain-nose pliers

Flush cutters (one side of the cutters are flush and make a straight cut, the other side makes a "V" cut)

Knitting needle in various sizes or any round object to wrap the wire around

Small jewelers file

Wire: I've used copper for my photos. I suggest you begin with copper; it's malleable which makes it easy to work with and it's inexpensive.

Wrap a long piece of wire several times around a knitting needle or other object that is the same diameter that you would like the finished size or your jump rings to be.

Remove it from the needle. Use the flush cutters to trim one end of the coiled wire (make sure to place the straight edge of the cutters inward facing the coils).

 

 Place the cutters (with the flush side the opposite direction as before) onto the next coil and trim even with the first cut to create a round circle of wire.

 

Place the cutters (flush side towards the coils) and trim off the rough cut edge left from the previous cut. You are now ready to make another jump ring as before. Use the jewelers file to smooth out the edges. Use two pairs of pliers to open and close the jump rings.

Your finished jump rings should look like this.

Here are few examples of where I have made my own jump rings.

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