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Making
Loops or Eyes:
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1. 
Cut the wire, leaving a 3/8-in. (1cm) tail above the bead. Bend it
against the
bead at a right angle with the tip of a chain nose pliers.
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2. 
Grip the very tip of the wire in round nose pliers. If you can feel
it,
he loop will be teardrop shaped.
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3. 
Without pulling, rotate the wire into a loop as far as your wrist will
turn.
Let go, regrasp the loop at the same place on the pliers, and keep
turning
to close the loop. The closer to the pliers tip you work, the smaller
the loop.
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To open a loop, use one or two pairs of pliers to grasp the wire at
the opening.
Pull one pliers toward you and push the other away to separate the
ends by
moving them out of plane. Never spread the loop side to side; this
fatigues the metal.
Close the loop the same way.
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Wrapped
Loops:
Wrapped loops require practice but they're worth
mastering. Not only
do they increase security for your beads, they also add an elegant
designer
touch. You can make one wrap or as many as you wish to produce the effect you
desire.
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Expect to make at least 15 bad wrapped loops before
you start making consistently
good ones. Use inexpensive copper wire or head pins to
practice.
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1. 
Leaving a 3/4 to 1 in. (1.9 to 2.5cm) tail, place the
tip of a chain nose pliers where
the bead will be. Bend the tail to form a right angle.
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2. 
With round nose pliers, grasp the tail just past the
bend and pull it over
the jaw to point the other way.
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3. 
Rotate the pliers so the empty jaw is above the
partial loop and
continue pulling the tail around the bottom jaw until
it's perpendicular
to the bead or the wire.
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4. 
Pull a split ring, chain, etc., from the tail into the
loop.
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5. 
To keep the loop round, grasp it with round nose
pliers in your
non-dominant hand just above the cross. Don't dent the
wire.
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6. 
Grasp the tail with chainnose pliers and pull it
around the wire until it
meets the bead. Make the first wrap against the pliers
and keep wraps close. Clip.
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Opening
and closing loops:
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To open a loop or ring, use one or two pairs of pliers to grasp the
wire
at the opening. Pull one pliers toward you and push the other away
to
bring the ends of the wire apart and out of the plane of the loop.
Never
spread the loop side to side, which will fatigue the metal. Close the
loop
by pulling the ends back into the plane.
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making
head pins:
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Make a head on a piece of wire in one of
two ways.
Figure left: Strike the end of the wire
sharply with a hammer to flatten it. Trim
and file the edges smooth.
Figure right: Make a tiny U-shaped loop at
the end of the wire with the tip of a
round nose pliers, pinch it closed with
chain nose pliers, and trim the wire end
just past the bend.
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