How to Use a Wire Guardian

Using a wire guardian is a great idea if you want to reinforce the ends on a necklace or a bracelet. They are available in different finishes and will add a neat and professional look to your pieces.

Take your flexible wire such as Beadalon, Accu-Flex or Soft Flex and feed it through a crimping bead. (Shown here with a crimp tube)

Next, feed the wire through one side of the guardian.

Then feed it through the other side.

Feed a clasp through the wire.

Position your clasp right to the very end.

Then slide the crimping bead up through both wires to the very end.

Holding the crimping bead close to the end of the wire guardian, position the bead on the station closest to the handle of your pliers and squeeze firmly. Check to see that it is the crimp is flattened and shows a creased fold on the back side. This fold will allow you to compress the crimp to take hold on the wire.

Then, position the crimp bead at the first crimping station near the tip of your pliers with each end of the flattened crimp resting in the recessed areas of the the plier cavity. You will need to turn the flattened crimp the opposite direction of how it faces when you remove it from the first step in order to fold the crimp in half and compress it. Squeeze firmly until the crimp folds in half at the folded line that you created in step one. Your crimp should fold in half and compress into a small firm hold on your wire.

Once you have added your beads trim off the excess and repeat the same process with an extension chain on the other end of your necklace or bracelet. To give your piece a polished look add a crimp cover once it is complete.

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