Making Jump Rings with Jump Ring Mandrels

by Sandra Lupo, Metalsmith, Jewelry Designer and Instructor
Exclusively for Fire Mountain Gems and Beads®
A72U

Form jump rings on a steel mandrel to have a variety of sizes available when needed. Jumprings can be made in different types, gauges and tempers of wire.

STEP 1
Cut a length of wire long enough to make the number of rings you'd like to have available. The length of wire you cut will vary depending on the mandrel barrel you use.

Hold the beginning end of the wire firmly against the 8mm barrel handle and wrap the wire tightly around the barrel until you have formed a coil with the number of rings you'd like to make or until you run out of room on this section of the barrel.
STEP 2
Slide the coil off of the mandrel. Using flush-cutters, cut away the extra straight wire from each end of the coil.

A flush cut on each end of your jump ring will make it so you can close your jump rings securely.
STEP 3
To begin properly cutting individual jump rings from the coil, hold the coil in your non-dominant hand and always place the flush side of the flush-cutters against the end of the wire to be cut.
STEP 4
Cut the first ring. The end ring will fall away. Rotate the cutters and go into the very next ring. It too will fall away. Continue to rotate the cutters each time you cut in, so that each end of the ring will have a flush cut.

Have a question regarding this project? Email Customer Service.

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