This is a guide for using the basic and most helpful tools when working with metal and other materials, to create jewelry.
This is a list of all the tools that will help you work in a professional way and can be your greatest help with your work.
Of course, all of these tools need to be handled with care, and precision for a safe work.
Plier tools
This pair of plier tools is the most basic thing you need to have at your working desk when handling metal elements.
When working with care, precision and patience you can be sure the metal elements would not be scratched or harmed in any way.
Most of the time you will need to use two plier tools as they would be a kind of an extension to your hands. Plier tools are needed to preform rather simple and small actions, but they are actions that you just simply cannot do with your own hands.
There are many kinds of plier tools, each one has a different shape of the nose for a different purpose, but these are the 3 handiest plier tools:
Pointed nose plier: This is the tool you will use most of the time, because it is a great for working with small elements, like small jump rings, or any other delicate work. The narrow, pointed nous can hold very small elements and you will still be able to see them and what you are doing.
Opining a jump ring using two plier tools and pushing each end of the jump ring in the opposite direction:
Flat nose plier: When you need to open a rather large and strong jump ring or a loop at a massive chain the flat nose plier has a stronger grip that will help you with that action.
This plier tool has a large square surface at the end, so you can also use it to straighten up crooked jump rings, metal wires, chain loops and more. Simply press the metal strongly until it straightens.
Round nose plier: This plier tool is designed to make a round shape loop at the end of a metal wire as the eye pin, to bend a metal wire so it will be the hanging part of an earring and more.
The cone shaped nose of this plier is there to help you make loops in various sizes.
Hold the metal wire close to the edge, and hold the very edge of the wire with the plier tool. Hold the wire strong and bend it in a circle motion to form a loop:
Cutting tools
Cutter tool: This basic cutting tool is the right tool you need when you have a long chain, and you need just a few centimeters from it, or also a cup chain that you only need a few settings from.
The cutting tool is very strong and will be the tool when you need to use force in order to cut a thick metal wire or bar.
The most important thing to remember when using this tool, is that there are tiny metal elements that will be jumping when you press and cut, so please try to hold the metal element in one hand, the cutter on the other end, but move it away from your eyes!
There are two sides to this tool, use the tool when the flat side towards you, it will be safer:
Metal Scissors:These are a special scissors for metal work and they are very good at cutting metal foils, thin wires, small chains and more.
This tool cuts the metal in a soft way that does not make the small metal piece fly around, but it is a very sharp tool, so you need to be very careful when handling it.
It will be very helpful when you need a very sharp and strong scissors that cut a few thin metal wires tighter, and many other materials like leather, fabric cords, different springs and more.
Plier & cutter in one tool
This is a long pointed nose plier tool, that is very strong but also has a small cutting part at the center. This tool is really good for working with one tool in your hand that allows you to make two kinds of actions without the need to switch between the plier and the cutting tools every minute.
You will see that all of these tools would be used frequently and will very much help your work!
Have fun creating, be safe working and enjoy what you do!
GITA team.