I make a lot of the findings I use to make jewelry. That includes using my torch to make silver headpins with the round ball on the end. If you've never made these, there are plenty of resources on the web, including videos, that show you how to make them. I highly suggest you try it out.
Today, my quest was to see if I could use the same tools and process to make copper headpins. If you've been reading my blog, you'll know that after shunning copper for most of my jewelry making career, I have recently decided it is one of the best materials on earth for wire wrapping.
I haven't seen anyone on the blogs or forums I read saying they make copper headpins, and searching the web gave me mixed information, so I decided to just give it a try.
If you are looking for a torch like mine, here's a list of butane torches on Amazon. Look for one that is refillable, self-igniting, has good reviews, has a stable base so you can stand it up, and ideally can be adjusted to a sharp flame. Generally, the flame size is adjusted by adjusting the amount of gas flow (the slide lever just above the black on the handle).
To make silver headpins, I typically cut a piece of wire 1/8 to 1/4 inch longer than I would like the finished headpin. I fold the end on the side I want the ball - but I've never thought this was absolutely necessary. I think it just helps you get the same size ball heads on the headpin. Then, I hold it in the hottest section of the flame (the blue points), it gets red, balls up and I either quench it in water or wait for it to cool a little and put it on my fiber board and continue to the next one. If I am using fine silver, there are no other steps.
So, I tried the exact same thing using the 24g copper wire I bought at the hardware store - and guess what?
After the wire pin is held in the flame, it blackens (oxidizes) and the dark color doesn't just wipe off. It needs to be chemically removed.
The headpins on the left have been cleaned, and the other two piles haven't been.
Before I talk about cleaning up the headpins using pickle (the name for the chemical that removes the black stuff), look closely at the headpins on the right. Can you see that the head is red? Pretty cool, isn't it? What I found was that if you quench the pin in water immediately - while it is still red, the head stays that lovely red color. If you wait until it cools slightly, it is dark like the pile of headpins in the middle.
So, after the headpins were made, they all looked like either the ones in the center or the right. I wanted them to be shiny and clean - but I'm not very fond of chemicals. Pickle can be purchased at jewelry supply places - one brand is Sparex, or you can also use pool chemicals that lower the PH (PH Down).
When I am doing a lot of metal work - I might mix up one of these - but I always try to go the simplest and safest route. In this case, that means homemade pickle using white vinegar and salt. I put enough vinegar to cover 1/4 inch of the bottom of a small glass jar and sprinkled some regular table salt in (not sure how much - but not a lot). Then I heat the mixture for 30 seconds in my microwave. When it comes out, I put the headpins I want to clean into the solution, swirl it around for a minute - and the headpins come out the wonderful shiny version you see on the left! I am positively thrilled with the results!!
I also tried making a headpin using 20g copper wire and... it didn't work!
I just don't think my torch is hot enough. The wire gets red, it just doesn't ball up. Honestly, 24g and smaller works just fine for me right now. I will try and push my luck later and see if 22g will work since that would make a nice 'thin' ear wire.
Yes, yes! You can make copper ball headpins with thicker wire. It's just a slightly different technique. Click the link for more information!
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Today, my quest was to see if I could use the same tools and process to make copper headpins. If you've been reading my blog, you'll know that after shunning copper for most of my jewelry making career, I have recently decided it is one of the best materials on earth for wire wrapping.
I haven't seen anyone on the blogs or forums I read saying they make copper headpins, and searching the web gave me mixed information, so I decided to just give it a try.
My soldering tools are the barest of basics. I have a solder-it butane torch - the equivalent of a creme brulee kitchen torch, a heat proof fiber tile (not sure what it's called) and a pair of long pliers that I have dedicated to the flame.
If you are looking for a torch like mine, here's a list of butane torches on Amazon. Look for one that is refillable, self-igniting, has good reviews, has a stable base so you can stand it up, and ideally can be adjusted to a sharp flame. Generally, the flame size is adjusted by adjusting the amount of gas flow (the slide lever just above the black on the handle).
To make silver headpins, I typically cut a piece of wire 1/8 to 1/4 inch longer than I would like the finished headpin. I fold the end on the side I want the ball - but I've never thought this was absolutely necessary. I think it just helps you get the same size ball heads on the headpin. Then, I hold it in the hottest section of the flame (the blue points), it gets red, balls up and I either quench it in water or wait for it to cool a little and put it on my fiber board and continue to the next one. If I am using fine silver, there are no other steps.
So, I tried the exact same thing using the 24g copper wire I bought at the hardware store - and guess what?
Ta Da! It works!
Now, the picture is actually a little misleading - because when you are using copper, there are some additional steps, just like when you are using sterling silver.After the wire pin is held in the flame, it blackens (oxidizes) and the dark color doesn't just wipe off. It needs to be chemically removed.
Before I talk about cleaning up the headpins using pickle (the name for the chemical that removes the black stuff), look closely at the headpins on the right. Can you see that the head is red? Pretty cool, isn't it? What I found was that if you quench the pin in water immediately - while it is still red, the head stays that lovely red color. If you wait until it cools slightly, it is dark like the pile of headpins in the middle.
So, after the headpins were made, they all looked like either the ones in the center or the right. I wanted them to be shiny and clean - but I'm not very fond of chemicals. Pickle can be purchased at jewelry supply places - one brand is Sparex, or you can also use pool chemicals that lower the PH (PH Down).
When I am doing a lot of metal work - I might mix up one of these - but I always try to go the simplest and safest route. In this case, that means homemade pickle using white vinegar and salt. I put enough vinegar to cover 1/4 inch of the bottom of a small glass jar and sprinkled some regular table salt in (not sure how much - but not a lot). Then I heat the mixture for 30 seconds in my microwave. When it comes out, I put the headpins I want to clean into the solution, swirl it around for a minute - and the headpins come out the wonderful shiny version you see on the left! I am positively thrilled with the results!!
I also tried making a headpin using 20g copper wire and... it didn't work!
I just don't think my torch is hot enough. The wire gets red, it just doesn't ball up. Honestly, 24g and smaller works just fine for me right now. I will try and push my luck later and see if 22g will work since that would make a nice 'thin' ear wire.
Update on Making Copper Ball Headpins with Thick Wire
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Comments
Is there a reason why you would need to get rid of the black? It looks neat. Would the black crack off if the wire were bent or does it come off at all?
I've noticed with PMC silver that if you quench the pieces right out of the kiln, they're brittle. Have you noticed any difference with the maleability or brittleness of the copper after quenching it compared to letting it cool naturally?
pss... thanks for sharing how to clean the headpins!
I haven't played with the pins enough yet to know if there's any difference in temper from the quenched vs. unquenched.
For the black - the reason I decided to remove it with pickle (even though I will probably oxidize the final piece) is that it doesn't polish up at all. I tried that first - and it just stayed black and dull. I didn't pickle the red headed pins because if I do, the red head disappears - and I think it's pretty neat.
For christmas, I am planning to ask for a beginner enamel set so I can make enameled headpins. That seems like fun!
Thanks for stopping by!
It was a good experience to read this blog. I have my own business. Defiantly, i use your idea's in my products.
Keep posting!!
I haven't tried copper, but I think I will see if my torch is hot enough for 20 gauge..
I don't know about the pizza brick. My fiber board seems to absorb the heat. Doesn't a pizza brick get hot to help the pizza cook? I think that is the opposite of what you want - but I'm the first to admit, I'm still a newbie at all of this.
Thank you for the tutorial - and the great photos. I had wondered why some of my headpins were red on the ends and others weren't. I realize now that I had quenched the second batch and not the first. Makes sense!
Glad to have you as a follower!
I am working with copper to make ball head pins and I did the vinegar pickle to remove the black tarnish finish but the copper is no longer shiny but a matte, dull finish. Is there some way to shine them up or this what happens after the pickling process. If I used sterling silver, they will also become black, do I use the same vinegar pickling process as well?
Thanks up front for letting me pick you brain for a bit.
Have a great day! :) Lelani
Hmmm... my husband has a rock tumbler, may have to visit that this weekend. I love your blog and want to look at everything you have posted, this could be a major beading weekend!
From one bead hoarder to another, Happy Thanksgiving!
I wanted to ask if its possible to make ball headpins out of brass Wire, nickel wire and gold filled wire, thanks a lot!
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