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Closing Jump Rings: Fixes
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Categories: Instruction and information; Jewelry

Word count/read time: 383 words; 1-1/2 minutes

Part three of this three-part series deals with fixing poorly closed jump rings.

FACT: The biggest causes of poorly closed rings are laziness and junk rings (anything that's not saw-cut). Only a fool with cognitive defects would say or think otherwise since the math and science of a properly closed ring are indisputable.

There is no way to properly close a pinch- or shear-cut ring. No one concerned with quality uses them. Therefore, these techniques only apply to saw-cut rings (thin kerf).

Marred rings, cosmetic issues, deformed rings - get rid of them altogether. Some small scratches can be sanded away, some discoloration can be tumbled out, some deformed rings can be straightened. For most maille, the cost of an individual ring is negligible. With more expensive metals, would you want that on a finished piece?

 
There is no way to produce high-quality stuff if any of these problems appear on finished pieces.
 
The most common issue is the gap. It is easy to close a ring "enough" to prevent other rings from slipping through while ignoring aesthetics. Fractions of a millimeter create quite an eyesore!

As the ring is being opened or closed, the ends must be forced towards each other. Once closed, a gap cannot be fixed without re-opening it. That's too much bending and twisting; discard the ring.

The other problem, the misaligned end, comes in two varieties. It can be a forward/backward shift. Solve it by aligning the ends, simple as that. Or it's a top/bottom shift; the ring has been deformed and in most cases, should be discarded. The fix is to squeeze the ring along the deformed axis until it aligns. Springback means it has to be bent beyond its finished position so it settles into its rightful spot.

The last screw-up is the tacoed ring. Every coil-wound jump ring will have a mild "taco" shape. This situation happens after the ring is made when the pliers are twisted in multiple directions. Try again with a new ring because this one is toast.

There is no way to produce high-quality stuff if any of these problems appear on finished pieces. While they can be corrected to some degree, the weave won't be right. Spend as much time as it takes to close the ring perfectly so at least you know how to do it. It is the longest step and mandatory for high-quality items.


Posted by M: March 10, 2021


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