Tools
There are only a few *Must Haves* for beading. The types of tools depend on the type of beading materials that you use. There are also a lot of specialty tools that are very useful for those people who bead regularly. They aren’t necessary, but they make some tedious tasks (such as split rings) much easier to accomplish.
|
Tool |
Use |
|
*Side Cutters* |
Cut through jewelry wire, head-pins, metal wire |
|
*Scissors* |
Cutting thread and other fibers – NOT for jewelry wire |
|
*Chain-nose Pliers*(non-serrated) |
Grasp jewelry wire and findings (split rings, head-pins, etc.) |
|
*Crimp Pliers* |
Properly closes crimp beads (available in several sizes) |
|
Round Nose Pliers |
Bending wire into loops |
|
Split Ring Pliers |
Opening split rings |
|
Bent nose Pliers |
Grasp jewelry wire in tight spaces |
|
Flat nose Pliers |
Nice for working with metal wire |
|
Plastic nose Pliers |
Straightening and hardening metal wire without marring it |
|
Bead Reamer |
Smoothing edges of beads or enlarging bead holes |
|
Bead Awl |
Moving knots along the thread to their desired position |
|
Bent Nose Pliers |
Gripping cord in hard-to-reach spaces |
|
Tweezers |
Picking up and holding small beads |
|
Bead Stoppers |
Springs w/ handles to hold beads on wire or thread |
|
Beading Needles |
Thin needles with narrow eyes that fit through small beads |
|
Twisted Wire Needles |
Flexible wires with collapsible eye |
|
“Wide or Big Eye” Needles |
Needle with an eye along entire length. Great for elastics |
|
Thread Heaven |
Synthetic wax to condition beading thread |
|
Bees Wax |
Conditions beading thread |