Coil Tutorial *Basics*

The Coil.

Some wire wrappers love this component, some never use it. If you’re new to wire wrapping, we encourage you to read along and try making some coils to incorporate into your work! This tutorial is for a basic, round wire coil, pictured below.

There are many variations that allow for different textures and sizes of coils which we will be covering in future tutorials; this basic version is the building block. The components involved in making a coil are comprised of threading wire (this is thin wire ranging from 28-30 gauge), which is repeatedly wrapped around a mid size base wire (this wire can range from 26 gauge for smaller coils up to 18 gauge for large coils). This component is then wrapped around an equal or thicker base wire (the gauge can again range from 26 to 18 gauge depending on the size you want).

Now that we have had a chance to understand the basic concept behind how to create a coil, lets dive into a step-by-step guide for everyone new to the process. In this example I will be using 30 gauge, 24 gauge, and 21 gauge round wires. I feel that the gauges in this example are the easiest to use in order to create clean looking coils without any issues. With that being said, I encourage you to try this with what you have available.

To begin, lets cut a piece of 21 gauge wire the length of the coil you want to create (don’t forget to leave space at each end for tie-off room). We will then cut a piece of 24 gauge wire that is approximately 3 times the length of your 21 gauge wire. I keep my threading wire on the spool as it is difficult to determine the pre-cut length you’ll need to complete the coil. If you’re following along, you should have your wire laid out like mine.

The first thing we will do is attach the 24 gauge wire to the 21 gauge wire so that they are perpendicular to one another. We want to make sure that there is a tight connection between the two wires so that your coil does not slide, bend, or move at all while you create it. Yours should look something like mine at this point.

The next step in the process is to wrap our 30 gauge wire around the 24 gauge wire. We will keep the wire on the spool for this. Wrap your 30 gauge wire around the 21 gauge base underneath where the 24 gauge is attached, this will create an anchor. We can then wrap the 30 gauge around the 24 gauge tightly (let us refer to this as the threading process) with no spaces for a length of about 1-2 inches.

Now, we will begin the creation of the coil. With a pair of pliers (needlenose, chainnose, something with good grip) grab the point on the coil where the 21 and 24 gauge wires are connected to one another. With your free hand, hold the 24 gauge wire firmly between your thumb and middle finger, using your pointer finger as a guide. The hand position is pictured.

With a firm grasp in both hands, begin twisting the coil. The best way to accomplish this is to twist with the plier hand, using the free hand to guide and keep the coil tight. After several twists, you will begin to see the coil forming (we will refer to this as the coiling process).

Now to finish the coil we will alternate between the threading process and the coiling process. By this point, you no longer need to use the pliers for grip, you can use your hand to grab the coil and roll it between your fingers. Thread around your 24 gauge wire for several inches, then stop and begin the coiling process. Repeat this until your coil has reached the desired length.

To finish off the coil, cut the 30 gauge wire, freeing your coil from the spool. You can now resume the coiling process with the bare 24 gauge wire in order to finish off the coil. Snip off any excess 24 gauge wire to complete the coil.

You can choose to end your coil here if you like. We will add one last additional step of embellishing your coil. This is something we do on most coils as we feel it brings everything together and adds a cleanliness to the component.

To embellish, we will use our 30 gauge threading wire in this example. Begin by wrapping the 30 gauge around the base 21 gauge several times as an anchor. The threading wire should be perpendicular to the coil. All we do now is twist the coil, rolling it between your fingers (this is the same motion as the coiling process referred to earlier). As you roll, the 30 gauge wire should fill the adjacent grooves along the length of the coil you created. Your process should look similar to mine.

If your embellishing wire disappears into the coil then you either wrapped the embellishing wire too tightly, or when you created the coil it was not wrapped tightly enough. You may also notice that your embellishing wire isn’t following the direction of your coil, but doing the opposite. If this happens you are twisting in the wrong direction.

You’ve made it to the end! I hope that this tutorial was informative and easy to follow. This will likely be the most in depth coil tutorial, as once you have a solid grasp on this type of coil, the variations will be very easy to create. Please feel free to send us a direct message on instagram @thewobblywook if you had any issues or are unclear on any of the instructions in this tutorial!