The wire-twisting tool is meant for twisting shaping wire, but it makes interesting effects with beading wire, too. In this Beading Lesson, We’ll show you how to use the twisting tool to make a stylish, wavy necklace.

The twisting tool has an acrylic plate and a shaft with a crank handle. You start by attaching the wire strands to the acrylic plate by passing a piece of wire through each hole on the plate. With ordinary shaping wire you can twist the wire together, but beading wire is so flexible that you need to crimp it to attach it to the plate. You can twist up to five strands together at a time and it works best with .024-.030" diameter Beadalon® wire.

Attach the other end of the wires to a stable surface such as a c-clamp on your worktable. Begin turning the crank handle to twist the wires. Put some tension on the wire as you turn the crank handle. A tighter twist will produce smaller waves. Once the entire length is evenly twisted, cut off the crimps and remove the wires from the tool.

The resulting wavy wire can be incorporated into dramatic, eye-catching designs like Fernando DaSilva's Galactic Waves necklace in the book, Bead & Wire Jewelry Exposed (F+W Pubs 2009). Fernando's necklace features a CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski Elements galactic pendant and is finished with all of the strands passing into wide beading cones.

For a similar but subtler effect, you can use Beadalon® Crinkle Wire, which goes through a special process in the factory that makes it permanently wavy. Crinkle Wire is available in a variety of metallic finishes that you can coordinate with your beads and findings. Affix beads to the curves of Crinkle Wire with BeadFix adhesive for a new spin on the illusion look, and try cutting this wire in pieces to make dangles and earrings.

Links:
Bead & Wire Jewelry Exposed http://www.beadalon.com/Books.asp
Twisitng tool http://www.beadalon.com/WireWorkingTools.asp
Beadalon® 49 http://www.beadalon.com/49StrandStringingWires.asp
Crinkle Wire http://www.beadalon.com/7strCrinkle.asp

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