Sunday, June 5, 2011

Joining Filigree Without Glue - Use Wire Instead

For those of you that aren't crazy about the idea of using glue in your jewelry pieces, there is another way to combine pieces of filigree without glue. I'm one of those that worry about using glue. Will the pieces I create last beyond a couple of months or is it going to fall apart? I admit that I'm new to this type of jewelry making and don't have much experience with E6000 glue which is the preferred glue for working with filigree.

The great thing about filigree is that there are plenty of holes in them and you can use wire instead of glue to combine pieces. I used 30 gauge pre-oxidized brass wire that I have available in my shop. 
30ga Oxidized Brass Wire Dead Soft

To the naked eye, you can barely see it. The camera seems to pick it out much clearer but when you're looking at the piece, you have to know it's there to pick it out.

Here's an example of 3 pieces that I wired together. It feels very sturdy after I wired them together and I think it looks like an angel. I haven't added beads yet but I will get around to it eventually.






































So if you're in love with filigree but want to find a way to combine pieces without glue, try wire instead.