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Bending, curving and twisting metal

· 1 min read · Techniques

Illustration: Bending, curving and twisting metal

Many pieces of jewelry are made without melting: wires and strips of metal are bent and twisted until the form is reached.

Steps of the technique: Anneal, Mark, Bend, Check, Harden, Tidy
Summary of the steps

Bending #

With flat- or round-nose pliers you make angles and loops; with mandrels and forming forks you curve rings and bangles. Anneal when the metal stiffens.

Twisting #

Two or more wires held at one end and twisted at the other form a cable. It can be done with a drill or a hand twister. Twisted square wire gives a spiral effect.

Mandrels #

Ring and bangle mandrels (tapered) let you curve to an exact size. See pliers and tweezers.

Tips #

Protect pliers with nylon jaws so they do not mark the metal.

Step by step #

  1. Anneal. Soften the metal if it is thick or hard.
  2. Mark. Indicate where you will bend.
  3. Bend. With pliers or over a mandrel, little by little.
  4. Check. Compare with the design or a template.
  5. Harden. Tap with a nylon mallet to set the shape.
  6. Tidy. Remove marks with file and sandpaper.

Tools and materials #

Common mistakes #

  • Bending sharply in one go: it cracks.
  • Bending back and forth several times: it hardens and breaks.
  • Marking with the pliers' jaws.
  • Not hardening the piece at the end: it loses its shape.

See also #

This entry was drafted with the help of AI and is pending review by the author.