Why do we need to work harden wire? Work hardening techniques allow us to deliberately change the temper of the wire that we want to work with and force it into a stronger state. In other words, we would work harden to give strength to soft metal to help it hold its shape. We can also use it to add springiness, as is helpful in a latched hoop earring or clasp.
What is Work Hardening?
This particular article covers methods for hardening jewelry wire without getting too much into the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of work hardening. If you’d like more information on what exactly work hardening is and how it works, read What is Work Hardening?.
Generally, though, jewelry wire is available in different levels of hardness, and different designs and applications would require different hardnesses of wire to make sure the finished piece can stand up to wear and tear. For more about wire hardness, read: Wire Hardness Explained.
Say you need half-hard wire for a particular project (like making ear wires), and you only have dead soft wire available. While it’s better to start with the right kind of wire, and less work for you, in a pinch you can simply harden up some of the wire you already have a little bit before you get started. Additionally, if you do start with half-hard wire but still don’t feel like your finished piece is sturdy enough, in some cases (like ear wires or hoop earrings, for example), you could harden the wire further to add more strength. Here are some ways you can do that:
Work Hardening Methods for Jewelry Wire
1.) Use nylon-jawed flat nosed pliers to pull the wire straight. Try to pull it from one end to the other so that the entire length of the wire is worked evenly. Repeat several times, checking the stiffness of the wire as you go. This technique works well on the finer wires (28g, 26g, 24g), but not so much on the thicker ones (20g, 18g, etc.).
These pliers are also GREAT for straightening out kinks!
2.) Pull the wire through a polishing cloth several times. This works the same way as the nylon-jawed pliers, but it’s slightly less effective: you will have to do more work with the polishing cloth as your fingers aren’t as strong as the pliers. Repeat several times, checking the stiffness of the wire as you go.
3.) Twist the wire. *This method is suggested for round wire – other shapes of wire will show the twist.
Use a pair of flat-nosed pliers on each end of the wire and twist in opposite directions while keeping the wire straight and taut. This works best for shorter lengths of wire.
You can also insert one end of the wire into a pin vise and create a loop at the other end to grip with a pair of pliers. Then simply twist the pin vise in one direction while holding the pliers still. For longer pieces of wire, either have a friend help you or use a stationary vise grip to hold one end of the wire as you twist the other.
CAUTION: Be sure to check the hardness of the wire frequently. If you twist too much the wire will snap! (For this reason, you should always wear eye protection when twisting wire)
There are more ways to work harden metal after you have done the work, though not in all cases, so try to plan ahead as much as possible. These methods work great for items like ear wires, hoop earrings, and other findings – like handmade wire frames and clasps. (Hammering is not suggested for 3 dimensional work besides ring bands):
4.) Bang the wire shape with a rawhide mallet (or rubber mallet) on top of a rubber bench block, or a metal jewelry hammer on top of a steel bench block. (This bench block has one side rubber and one side steel). For rings, use the rawhide/rubber mallet or the jewelry hammer while the ring is on a steel ring mandrel.
Using rawhide or rubber won’t change the shape of the metal or mar the surface, but it will compress those molecules and strengthen the metal nicely. Using a metal hammer WILL change the shape of the metal – it will flatten it out and can also add some texture to the surface, depending on your hammer.
NOTE: You can also use these methods to work harden a length of wire BEFORE you shape it.
Rawhide Jewelry Mallet // Jeweler’s Hammer // Reversible Rubber + Steel Block
5.) Tumble the finished piece in a rotary tumbler (rock tumbler) with steel shot. This method is great for hardening many pieces at once – like twenty pairs of earwires or a ton of handmade clasps. PLEASE read up on tumbling items with beads and stones – many stones will be damaged by the tumbling process. If in doubt, don’t do it!
NOTES:
• As you can see, there are a variety of ways you can work harden your metal or jewelry wire before and after a project.
Unfortunately, there are some instances where it is quite difficult to work harden a piece after it is complete. For example, if you were to create an intricately wire-wrapped or wire-woven pendant with a stone, using any of the above methods would indeed be very challenging.
My suggestion is to work harden as much as possible BEFORE you get started or at any point in the process where you can. In this case, that could mean creating the wire armature frame and work hardening that before wrapping it with the finer wire and adding the stone. The armature needs strength to hold the shape of the pendant, but the finer wire – your wrapping wire – can remain dead soft as long as it doesn’t need to hold any tension or hold shape on its own.
• The techniques and metal properties described above apply to non-ferrous metals like silver, gold, brass, and copper. Other metals may not behave the same way so you will want to do research on your particular material before working with it. My experience with aluminum wire, for example, is that it becomes brittle and will break more quickly instead of hardening up and becoming stronger like the other metals I just mentioned. Instead of trying to work harden aluminum wire, it is probably better to just start with a thicker gauge for the strength you need.
You can read up on various Jewelry Wire Materials and their different properties here.
If you’re new to making wire jewelry, you will find the rest of this series All About Jewelry Wire very useful!
Part 1: Wire Gauge Sizes
Part 2: Wire Hardness
Part 3: Jewelry Wire Shapes
Part 4: Jewelry Wire Materials
Part 5: Which Gauge Wire for What?
Part 6: What is Work Hardening?
Part 7: (you are here)
Jessica, thank you for such an excellent article! I have been making jewelry for a few years and didn’t think I’d learn anything here, but I was wrong! I do have a question for you as well. I am in need of a new chasing hammer as my old one has worn down on the head and is now leaving marks on my pieces. Do you prefer a domed head or flat? I have flat now. What is the benefit to a domed head? I use my hammer to work harden and also to flatten before making a “hammered” finish. Thanks!
Hi Kristin!
That’s great to hear – I’m so glad you stopped by :)
I prefer a domed hammer. With a flat-headed hammer, it’s easy to accidentally hit the piece with the edge of the hammer face and leave unwanted gash marks on your metal. That won’t happen with a domed hammer because the edge is out of the way!
Your wire work is lovely, by the way! I favorited your shop on Etsy (I’m BespangledBeads). Best wishes + happy sales!
~ Jessica
Thanks so much for your reply and advice, AND for checking out my etsy shop. I’ve already favorited yours I believe. I’ll definitely be getting a domed hammer!
I really enjoyed reading your article Jessica. I’ve only recently started working with wire and after reading this I now know more about working with it.
I’m looking forward to reading your other articles, keep up the good work.
; )
Michelle
Hi,
I’m very new to wire work so this information is very helpful. I’ve been able to hammer some pieces flat successfully with a nice flat hammer. But I’m not sure how I can tell if I’ve hammered a piece enough with a rubber mallet. How do I know when I’ve hammered enough?
Hey there, thanks so much for the kind words! I’m glad you found the info useful!
You’ll know you’ve hammered enough when the piece is harder to bend and move. It will start to feel more ‘springy’ and you’ll feel it stiffen up. Remember if you’re beginning with very soft wire that it will take a much longer time (and much more hammering) to get it to that point :)
I wanted to thank you for all the free information, I can do the work but I did not understand all about the metals. This has been the best explanation I have ever had. Again thank you so much.
Hi Mayda! So sorry for the delayed reply. I’m so happy to hear that this was useful, and I appreciate your kind words. Thanks so much for visiting!
~ Jess
Thank you. Extremely thorough and organized information. I have done beading and metal jewelry but not wirework. Seeing it on Pinterest, it is often so beautiful, I want to try it, but with good, but cheaper wire than sterling. Your article has helped in many ways.
Hi Kay! I’m so glad this was helpful to you. Thanks so much for visiting and please let me know if you have any questions along the way on your wire wrapping journey!
Jess
perfect. exactly what I wanted to know, and clearly written. a
Just had to say thank you SO much for all of this info. I just started with wire, metal stamping and wire dies, your info has helped me so much!
I’m so happy to hear this, Linda – it’s my pleasure! Thanks so much for visiting :)
Hello!
I have stumbled across this very helpful post! Can I ask what gauge wire, hardness, and shape you have used for your hook bracelet in the photo example? I am trying to achieve that, but not sure what I need. Any help would be so great!
Thanks!
Hi Debbie!
That’s actually a hoop earring in the photo, and for that I used 20 gauge round wire that I hammered flat. For a bracelet in a similar style, I would recommend no smaller than 16 gauge and definitely half hard. You could also use 14 gauge for a thicker look! Even with the half hard wire you will still want to ‘work harden’ the piece to make it super strong.
Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope that helps!
Jess
Jessica. I have just renewed my interest in making jewelry and wearable art. Thanks for the hardening info. Since coming back after a long hiatus, relearning is almost like learning it for the first time, but with training wheels. Thanks.
I have done some bead weaving and stringing in the past and love it. I would like to branch out into wire wrapping and these articles have given me the information I need to try it out. My problem is I like too many crafts including crochet/knitting, sewing, hand needlework, jewelry making, etc. It’s hard to keep it to just one but i love to learn. Thank you again for sharing this information.
hi jess, found you online thank goodness. just become interesed in wire work and had no idea at all. Your article is amazing and detailed but can you explain the difference between rawhide and metal hammer and their uses please. thank you
Hi Elvis!
Thanks so much for your comment. Glad you found this helpful!
Metal hammers are used to change the shape of the wire as well as harden it. If you use a metal hammer to hammer round wire, that wire will become flatter and wider. This is because the surface of the hammer (steel) is harder than the wire (silver, for example) and the molecules in the wire compressed with such force that the surrounding molecules are spread outward. The compressing of molecules is responsible for the hardening of the wire, and the shape of the hammer’s head determines the metal’s spread pattern. Metal hammers can also be used to add texture to metal. Any texture on the hammer will be transferred to the metal being hammered, again, because the metal being hammered is softer than the steel of the hammer. A textured hammer will simultaneously harden the metal, flatten it out, and add texture to the surface.
A rawhide mallet, rubber mallet, or leather mallet are all made of materials softer than the wire, so they won’t be able to flatten or change the shape of the wire. The purpose of these hammers instead is to harden the wire which is accomplished on a molecular level. Banging the metal compresses the molecules which makes the metal stronger but there is not enough force to move the molecules very far so there would be no visible change. You’ll see me using a rawhide mallet to harden some hoop earrings in the video on this page: https://jewelrytutorialhq.com/how-to-make-hoop-earrings/
If you revisit this article and scroll down the page you will see an image that shows the cross section of a piece of wire that has been hammered with a metal hammer compared to wire that has been hammered with a rawhide or rubber mallet. https://jewelrytutorialhq.com/work-harden-jewelry-wire/
Hope that helps!
Jess
Very informative. Thank you