Catches and clasps part 1

Lesson: Catches

Loop and Ball:

Solder a small piece of tube horizontally to the top half of your locket.

Ball up a piece of wire and solder it to the bottom half, aligned vertically with the tube.

Put a piece of wire through the tube (loose fitting), pull then ends of the wire together around the ball, creating a teardrop shape. Solder the wire closed. This is your loop.

If needed, take a barrette or knife needle file and clean up the groover where the ball meets the piece. There should be a nice groove there for the wire to sit in.

Push the loop over the ball. Using round nose pliers, squeeze the loop gently in the middle to create an hourglass shape. This tightens the loop so that it snaps on and off the ball.

Hook and Loop/Eye:

Solder a half jump ring to the bottom half of your locket

Solder either a small horizontal piece of tube or a short piece of wire to the top half.

For the tube, form a hook with a loop and feed the loop through the tube, solder closed.

For the wire, cut a hook from sheet or form one with thicker wire, hammering the end flat.

Drill a hole to match the size of the wire on the piece through the end of the hook.

Place the hook over the wire and rivet so that the hook stays on while still being able to move.

You can score the top of your rivet wire to aid in riveting.

Adjust your hook so that it fits through the loop with tension.

Purse catch:

Ball up the ends of two pieces of wire.

Use a cup bur to clean up the balled ends so they are nice and smooth.

Solder one ot the top and one to the bottom of your locket. Make sure that the solder joint is sound, an overlap seam is best.

Adjust the balls so that the snap together when closed.

Lesson: Clasps

S hook- Shepherd’s hook:

• Start with a thicker gauge wire (10,12,14)
• This thickness of wire will be the fattest part of the S- it gets skinnier from this point.
• Anneal the wire.
• Taper the wire in the rolling mill:
• Crank the rollers so that they just touch. You should see the tiniest sliver of daylight between them.
• The wire area is the grooved area on the left.
• Find the first hole that the wire doesn’t go through.
• Roll the wire through the hole about ½ inch.
• Rotate the wire 90 degrees and repeat in the same hole.
• Go to the next hole and roll about ½ - 2/3 of the distance that you rolled the first time.
• Rotate and repeat.
• Repeat rolling, rolling a bit less each hole for a stepped effect.
• By rotating 90 degrees and rolling twice for each hole you make sure that no “flashing occurs.
• Anneal every 4 holes.
• When the wire has the desired taper, take to the steel block.
• Using the Goldsmith’s hammer (or planishing hammer), hammer the wire gently to smooth out the steps into a taper.
• File and sand to return the wire to round if desired.
• Anneal the wire.
• Using the round/flat pliers, bend one taper up to form a U
• Bend the other taper to form an S
• Clip off any excess length.
• Turn up the ends of the wires.
• Hammer or tumble to harden.
• Hammering will flatten or texture the wire- a way to personalize!
• Make 2 larger jump rings. Solder to ends of chain (or back of pendant) and solder closed.
• The 2 jump rings will slip into the ends of the S creating the clasp.
• You want the jump rings to “snap” into place. Tighten the S until this occurs.

Hook and Eye:

The hook and eye is essentially half of an S hook

• Proceed as above, tapering one end of the wire.
• When you have the desired taper, bend into a U
• Clip off any excess wire
• Turn up the end of the wire
• To attach to a chain, solder either a piece of tubing for the chain to slip into, or a jump ring to the end of the hook.
• File and sand
• Tumble or hammer to harden.
• Make a large jump ring and connect to chain.
• This jump ring will slip into the hook creating the clasp.

Toggle Clasp:

The toggle clasp is commonly used in link bracelets and chains. It must have pull to the opposing sides of the toggle creating the tension necessary to keep the clasp closed.  It is an easy clasp to work, and simple to make.

Basic

• Using thicker gauge wire (16-10 depending on design); anneal and make a large jump ring.
• Solder closed.
• Cut a length of wire slightly longer (2-3mm on each side) than the outside of the jump ring. This is the crossbar of the T.
• Solder a small jump ring to the center of the crossbar, and attach a short length of chain. This will let the cross bar slip through the circle.
• Or cut a length of wire for the stem, and solder the T together.
• Solder a small jump ring to the base of the T.
• Make sure that the T fits through the circle.
• Bend T if desired.
• Trim T if needed.
• Attach T to chain and solder.
• Solder another small jump ring to the large jump ring.
• Attach to chain and solder.

Extra Security:

• Make the toggle more secure by soldering 2 large jump rings together to form a figure 8.
• This only works with the chain version not the solid T version.
• When fastening, feed the crossbar through both rings.

Embellishments:

• Ball up the ends of the crossbar
• Texture the jump ring(s) and T with hammers
• Use twisted or shaped wire.
• Make the jump ring a different shape.
• Cut the jump ring out of sheet instead of wire.
• Consider making your toggle parts themed: heart and arrow, flower and stem, etc.