A few tips on using The Jump Ring Maker 2 by PEPE TOOLS
Courtney Brown
When I first started silversmithing I would just purchase jump rings in various sizes from Rio Grande for my designs but found I was always mixing them up, not returning them to their designated spots/bags and having to measure them to know what gauge wire and find a match to one when I needed a pair..... All in all, just adding more time to my creating process than it should. Plus... I had the desire for all the elements of my silver work to be completely hand fabricated.
Enter stage left : Pepe Tools Jump Ring Maker 2
(affiliate link, here!)
LITERALLY this thing made my heart so happy once I figured it out. When I first used it (okay, for MONTHS of using it) it terrified me and I KNEW I was doing something incorrectly - it wasn't working as smoothly as I knew it should, and was actually semi terrifying... and then I watched a YouTube video by a fellow silversmith about how to use it and it unlocked everything!
Who knew a masking tape pea was the trick !?! I know...sounds weird... but hear me out! Best thing ever.
Here are a few little tips I've found work really well for me when using this tool :
- Wrap your coil up like a pea pod with masking tape and pinch the ends. This keeps the tension on your coil and keeps the end pieces from flying and interrupting your smooth cut
- Label your masking tape before wrapping your coil, with the size of the mandrel you used and the gauge of the wire you chose
- Use some sort of little container with separate small spaces to keep the jump rings labeled and sorted.. I love these bead containers because they "lock" and you can open just ONE at a time !
P.s Don't forget to wear eye protection... we get one set of eyeballs, my friend. Any time you're using a high speed rotary tool that has the potential to spin something out of your hand... its just good practice. Don't let it be the time you said "I should have" :)
I do wish that there was a contraption that allowed for creating LARGE hoops - maybe in time ;)