Page 21A   Jewelry Making with Beads and Wire -- What a Beginner Needs to Know

 Soft Wire

• Soft wire can be used to make spirals and other rounded shapes.
• Soft wire can be used for any application.  Some it will do well some less well. 

• Soft Wire isn't easy to use when wrapping wire around other wire.
• Soft Wire doesn't make sharp bends easily.
• Soft wire generally requires hardening of the finished piece. 

 1/2 Hard Wire

• 1/2 hard wire wraps tightly around itself or other wire.
• 1/2 hard wire makes sharp bends.
• 1/2 hard wire requires less hardening of the finished piece. 

• 1/2 hard wire can not be used for making spirals
• 1/2 hard wire requires that you push the wire beyond where you want it to end up, then remove your hands and test to see where the wire ends up once it has relaxed. 

Hard Wire

• Finished Pieces made in hard wire require no hardening.

• Hard wire is very difficult to work with.
• Hard wire can not be used for making spirals or other rounded shapes.