Core Skills - Making Clasps

Making Clasps

$40

Includes the supplies, copper wire and beads to learn as many clasps as possible during our time together.

Sign up then call 480-788-7336 to schedule your time.

Hand tooled clasps give your designs a real custom look and it's so easy to do with a little practice and know how. We'll walk you through the basics and get you started. Take a good look at the examples. As you can see in the photograph below, the clasps can be adorned with beads to embellish the clasp and help each one coordinate with the surrounding beads. I have used Bali style spacer, size 6/0 or "E" beads as well as round copper beads and stone beads in the examples. Choose beads with holes large enough to fit on the heavier gauge wires. Buy copper or sterling silver or other dead soft wire because these wires will hammer and take texture very nicely. To make your clasps you will need a couple of selections of finer gauge wire or even scrap pieces of the finer wires used in the coils and decorations. You will also need at least a yard of heavier wires in 18, 16, and 14 gauge used as the main structure of the hooks.

Supplies for Making Clasps:

Note:  All wire should be "dead soft" in temper. Copper normally is dead soft. When you purchase Sterling Silver, Fine Silver or Argentium, you may see the notation "dead soft," "half hard," or "hard." This refers to the temper or hardness of the metal. We always want dead soft for this class as the metal will harden as we manipulate the wire.

Fine Gauge Copper Wire scraps (6" to 12" pieces or longer) Choose at least two in the following gauges: 20, 22, 24, or 26

Heavier Gauge Copper Wire - One yard of each of the following gauges: 14, 16, and 18

A mix of beads

(Note on Tools: You will get a chance to experiment with the following tools in class. Don't feel that you have to go out and buy everything on this list. You will have access to them as loaners to use while in class. Bring them if you already have them though. We will engrave all your tools with your name...my treat!)

Tools:

Chain-nosed Pliers
Round-nosed Pliers
Flush Cutting Wire Cutters
Nylon Jaw Pliers
Wooden Ruler
Twist N' Curl
Mini Twist N' Curl
Bail Making Pliers
Bench Block
Chasing Hammer

More Examples of Making Clasps: