Hints & Tips - Advanced Jewellery Crimping; The next stage
Once the basic crushed crimp has been mastered, this is the next stage on - this is the use of a tube style crimp to make a neat rolled closure that will add value to your jewellery.
Here you can see the tube crimp bead, part of the toggle clasp on a split ring and some 1mm round beads threaded onto Beading thread (I am using Beadalon Professional in these photos). | ||
Bring the other end of the beading thread back through the tube crimp; this makes a neat ring of little beads with the clasp in the centre, and crush the crimp bead with your pliers. | ||
Using your crimping pliers using the back notch, press an indentation into the tube crimp so you have a definte 'V' shape in the centre of the tube. | ||
The 'V' shape and the enclosing loop of little beads shown more clearly. | ||
Using the back of the jaw of your crimping pliers, gently bend the 'V' shape round to form a neat tube. | ||
Using the rolling notch in your crimping pliers, neaten the roundness of the tube shape. | ||
Here is the completed clasp, ring and rolled crimp. | ||
For extra security, I usually tie off the tails of the beading thread a couple of times; some thread won't do this without dire results but Beadalon Professional is designed to be tied as well as crimped - there are other threads that will tie after crimping like this, so just experiment with your preferred one to see if it will allow you to do this; for added security, you could dab a dot of glue over this knot. | ||
Finally, I always slip another small bead on after the rolled crimp, this bead will slide over the knot to hide it, provide more security and make a neat starting point for your stringing. |
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