ROSARY MAKERS GUIDE

I have been asked to make an especially strong rosary.  I will be using 6mm and 8mm onyx beads.  I use a wire spool to make I-pins for my usual rosaries.  Does anyone have any suggestions of techniques I could use to make this rosary especially strong?

-Shad

Hello Shad,

This tip may help to make an especially strong rosary. Onyx beads are heavy, so a thicker wire should be used. Refer to the chart on our Wires and Pliers page if you need help choosing a gauge.

Now normally when making our own wire eyepins, we would insert the wire thru the bead and form a nice circle "eye" for the link. Try forming an oval instead. Use a bit more wire and tuck the "tail" further inside the bead, as shown.

To make your links uniform, make a small mark on your pliers tip and always begin the turn at that mark. Don't form a full circle, just slightly bend the wire into an oval. Use chain or flat nose pliers to tuck the tail deep inside the bead. The ovals still need to be perpendicular to each other, as in the case of round links, or the rosary will not hang straight.

Hope that helps!       - MaryT

PLIERS AND WIRES

Thank you. I will give that a try and hope for the best!

-Shad

I would suggest wrapping the tails around below the loop twice, making somehing that looks like a hangman's noose at the ends. This is very strong.

I'll give that a try too. Thanks.

-Shad

Nice to have you stop in Shad. The rosary you posted in our album is just beautiful!

I'm glad I posted it in the right place.