Wire Techniques, page 2 Step 6: Clasp   With 4.5" of 14 gauge silver wire, blunt cut both ends with your wire cutters.      Please click on the small photos to see an enlarged view.   Flatten one end of the wire with your chasing hammer and steel bench block.       With the tip of your round nose pliers create a loop at the end of the wire. I used my small round nose pliers but you can use larger ones too.   In the back of your large round nose pliers form a loop. Notice how the loop is made in the opposite direction than the small loop you made previously.       Grasp the end of the wire with the tip of your round nose pliers. Have as little of the wire peeking through the end of your pliers as possible. Now, begin coiling the wire. Never coiled before and want to learn how?   Grasping your developing coil with your chain nose pliers, continue to coil until you measure 1 5/8" from end to end.     Grasp the wire next to your coil with your chain nose pliers. With your left thumb pressing against the tail of the wire, form a bend.   Grasp the loop with your large round nose pliers and gently urge the wire to rest next to the coil. Partially close the clasp with the round nose pliers. With your chasing hammer flatten the curve of your loop and also the bend at the bottom of the clasp. See photo at the top of this page.  Open one eye on your bangle and insert your clasp through the Bottom "v" section. Close the eye.                          Step 7) Antique and Polish Your Bangle Antiquing your bangle is optional. If you want your silver to have depth and a bit of an aged look, than I recommend you antique it. If you want a contemporary   look then skip this step. The brilliance of your silver is brought out by polishing it with a Sunshine Cloth. I have found two types of beads that do not respond well to the antiquing process: polymer clay and horn. The liver of sulfur dulls the finish. What do you do to avoid this? Although it is a bother, you need to antique the silver components prior to putting your bangle together. A big pain in the patoot! String the silver beads and coiling on the mandrel and dip them in the liver of sulfur solution. Then dip you clasp. Once the components are dry you can string your mandrel. Finishing touches with the steel wool and polishing cloth can the be done. If you are not familiar with the process of antiquing your jewelry, please see my Studio Tour for instructions.    Congratulations! You have completed your bangle. I hope you enjoyed the process and found the instructions easy to follow. It was a pleasure for me to put the class together. Please contact me if these directions aren't clear so adjustments can be made.    Thanks, Connie

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