Wonderful things can be created from ordinary, unremarkable wire - jewelry, accessories, photo frames, figurines, baskets and more. Wire weaving is an ancient art that was perfectly mastered by our ancestors. During archaeological excavations, scientists often find typesetting belts and women's jewelry made of this material. The same chain mail is nothing but a piece of forged wire.
Weaving from wire is a painstaking work requiring persistence and perseverance. In addition to these qualities, you need a
set of tools and wire. Of the tools you will need pliers, round-nose pliers, a file, nippers, a triangular file, tweezers, a small hammer, several nails of different diameters, a piece of iron with a flat surface. And also a small vice. For weaving, copper, aluminum and knitting wire with a diameter of 0.5 - 3 millimeters is used. Beads, beads, semiprecious stones, Swarovski crystals are used.
It is best for beginners to start working with copper wire. It is flexible, easily bends and at the same time holds its shape well. Before starting work, the wire must be burned. This will sting the varnish covering it, the remnants of insulation, and make it flexible. Roll it up with a neat loose roll and place it in the flame of a gas burner. When it becomes red hot, dip in cold water. For complete cleaning, the procedure can be repeated several times.
Having prepared the necessary tools and materials, you can start weaving simple elements from the wire - rings, spirals, coils, chains. Even the most complex products are made up of simple elements. Weaving with wire, which used beads and beads, looks very impressive. To do this, you can master the technique of beadwork. Only use thin wire instead of fishing line.
The simplest method of weaving from wire is chain weaving. Using this technique, the product is made up of many wire rings. They are formed on special round mandrels.
As mandrels, a knitting needle or nail is suitable. At a nail it is necessary to cut off a hat and the sharp end. At the end of one of the edges to make a file to secure the wire. To make single links, grease the mandrel with machine oil and clamp in a vice. Fasten the end of the wire in a file and start winding straight dense rows of wire on the mandrel. Cut the finished spring directly on the mandrel with a hacksaw. As a result, you will get a bunch of single links from which you can begin to assemble the intended product.
In order to get links from two or more turns, the spiral is removed from the mandrel, then each two turns are separated with a knife and bit off with nippers. The ends of the link should be opposite each other. There is another kind of links, they look like eights or an infinity sign. In order to get such beautiful twisted links, two identical mandrels must be clamped in a vice. The distance between them should be twice the diameter of the wire. Pull one end between the mandrels and tightly wrap one of them, then stretch the wire between the mandrels and wrap the second. Win the eights between the mandrels until the wire ends. Divide the links with wire cutters.
Chainmail from wire is suitable for the manufacture of bracelets, belts, necklaces.