Using Crimps and Cable

Softflex™ is one of a number of non-stretchy cables made especially for making jewellery. Another brand is Beadalon™. It is a stainless steel cable with a protective plastic coat. It is strong, light, and resists wear. It does not kink, but tying a knot in it can weaken it. Usually, you fasten it to itself with a crimp bead. A crimp bead is a large-holed, thin-walled metal bead that is crushed to secure the cable.

To use a crimp bead, slip the crimp bead onto the cable, thread the cable through the clasp and back into the crimp bead. Snug it all up to take out the excess cable. Then crimp the crimp bead to hold the cable securely.

Use a pair of crimp pliers or needle nose pliers to securely crush the crimp bead and fasten the end. It is important to crimp the bead so that there is an indent between the two pieces of cable.

How to Crimp - The Movie! - Windows Media Player file.

Using Crimp Pliers

Start by placing the crimp bead, with the cable inside, in the second hole back in the jaws of the crimp pliers. Ensure that the cable is laying neatly side by side, and securely crush the bead so that there is an indent. The indent should be between the two pieces of cable.

For a nice finish, rotate the crushed crimp bead 90° and place in the forward hole of the crimp pliers. Squeeze again. This folds the bead around itself for a neat finish.

Some crimp beads are too small or too brittle for this second step. If you find your crimp bead cracking and falling off, omit this step.

Crimping with roundnose pliers

To use roundnose pliers, start by threading the cable in the same way through the crimp bead. Use chainnose or roundnose pliers to lightly squash across the crimp bead, to stop the softflex from moving. Then turn the pliers to lengthwise (along the length of the cable), and squash an indent between the two pieces of Softflex. Squash hard. This will secure the cable from moving.

Tip! You can use beads strung on leftover pieces of Softflex in earrings as dangles, or loop them for hoop earrings!

Go to Tools to buy Crimp Pliers, Chainnose pliers, Roundnose pliers, and Wire Cutters

Go to Findings to buy Crimp beads or Sterling crimp beads

Go to Stringing Stuff to buy SoftFlex™