While you can coil wire using your hands and a mandrel we find it much kinder on the joints, swifter and get a better result using a U bracket and wire mandrels specifically made for the job such as the Coiling Gizmo and the Jumbo wire winder.
Following are some basic instructions for wire winding with these tools.
Start by clamping your Jumbo wire winder or coiling gizmo to your working surface using a G clamp. If you want you may attach the U bracket to a wood platform with a bolt
Tip: You can work with a variety of wire gauges varying the size of crank, our suggestions here are simply to get you started.
Attach 24 gauge black coated copper wire to the thinnest crank as shown in the image. Begin winding the wire around the crank, it may be easiest to unwind about a metre of wire first and perhaps have the spool in your lap or on the floor.
Design note: You could add some small beads to your wire first.
Wind the crank away from yourself and use your other hand to guide the wire. Keep the coil sitting close to the U bracket ensuring you maintain a nice tight even coil. You can wind onto the whole length of the crank as we have or only part way, it depends on the length of bead you want to make. It may be easier to make a large coil and cut down to the size you need, making a few coils ready to go on with. Cut the wire attached to the crank arm, slide your coil off the crank and tidy up the ends with flush cutters.
Design note: Did you know you can also use these coils to cut jump rings?
To make a bead take 22 gauge copper coloured wire and thread on the black wire coil. Attach the copper wire to the middle crank. Let the black coil slide down a little and make some coils with the copper wire first to set up your bead end.
Now slide the black coil up the copper wire, keep the tension while cranking and coil the black coil with the copper wire over the crank.
Continue to crank until you have a length of copper coloured coil at the opposite end. Again cut of your anchor wire and slide your bead off the crank, tidying up the ends.
Design note: you can embellish your bead with copper wire winding around the coil.
Go one step further for a lacy bead design. Thread your bead onto 20 gauge copper wire. Attach the wire to the largest crank and make several coils, now wind the bead on the crank with the copper wire. Finish off with a few more single coils and remove from the crank and tidy up.
You don’t have stop at beads with the Jumbo wire winder, make connectors, clasps, earrings and more.
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Free beading tutorial by Yvonne Kristel all rights reserved.
