Triangle Links Jewelry Wire & Beads Earrings Jewelry Making Project -- Page 2

Step 1:  Cut two segments of 20 gauge wire each 2 3/4" long and two segments each 3 1/4" long.  Half-hard wire is better for making these earrings if it is available.  The earrings shown at right were made with 20 gauge brass wire, item 1001.

Step 2:    Using your fine step jaw pliers, make a loop in the end of the wire with the flush cut.  Make a loop the size of the peg for your jig.  If you have our WigJig Delphi, Centaur or Cyclops, this will be the first step on the pliers.  If you have any other WigJig, use the second step on the pliers. 

Sept 3:  Grasp the loop in the wire with the fingers of your non-dominant hand and use your nylon jaw pliers to straighten the wire, by repeatedly pulling the wire through the jaws of the pliers.  Sometimes it helps to straighten the wire if you twist the jaws of the pliers slightly in a direction opposite the curl in the wire while you are pulling the wire.  Continue until all four wire segments are straight. 

Step 4:  Position two pegs in your jig as shown at right.  Place the initial loop in one of your 2 3/4" wire segments on peg 1 and rest the wire adjacent to peg 2 as shown.  You can find an Adobe Acrobat file with the peg pattern for this wire component here. 

Step 5:  Bend the wire against peg 2 as shown at left.  With soft wire, it will help if you can use one finger to push the wire against peg 2, between peg 1 and 2 but close to peg 2, while with another finger you push the wire against peg two until is rests in the position shown.  Remember to continue pushing the wire until it will stay in the position shown with no pressure applied to the wire.