THE BEADING GEM'S JOURNAL

Using the Hemostat as a Jewelry Tool!  More Recent Articles  Search The Beading Gem's Journal Using the Hemostat as a Jewelry Tool! The hemostat, a scissors like tool, was invented as a surgical clamp by the 19th century French surgeon, Jules-Émile Péan.  Although it is extensively used to close blood vessels etc prior to surgical ligation, the tool is also very useful outside the medical field.  In my previous scientific life, I used it in the lab to temporarily stop the flow of liquid in soft tubing.  It can also be used in jewelry making! I couldn't have designed and made this tagua bead, button and leather pendant without the hemostat.  It just wasn't possible to use a bull dog clip or a bead stopper to help me hold the leather cords together while trying to make the macrame bail. There just wasn't the space to use the usual clips.   When making square knots, the non-working cords have to be taut otherwise the knots aren't going to be even. So I used the clipboard clip to hold onto the pendant using paper towels to cushion the tagua bead.  The button made it awkward to clamp at the top end of the pendant. So instead of fussing, I just used the hemostat long enough to get the cords tight around the tagua bead and the first knot to be made.  I also used in a couple more times after the completion of the bail. I still needed to keep the cords together as I removed the pendant from the clipboard and continued knotting around the button shank at the back. The hemostat helped keep the cords in place so I could do a neat job. The business end of a hemostat is narrow which get into tight spots easily but it has teeth. So if you are intending to use this great locking clamp on wire, consider coating it with Tool Magic (see first link below) first otherwise you will mar the wire. The hemostat also has interlocking teeth near the handles. So you will need slight lateral movements while using it to open or lock it.  There are 3 steps depending on how tightly you want it to clamp. Hemostats are inexpensive - around $5-8 - and can be purchased in a variety of places including Amazon. Before You Go: What to Do If You Tools Mark Your Wire Bracelet Fastening Tool Tutorial How to Debur Ear Wires ______________________________ Original Post by THE BEADING GEM Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips        Related Stories Easy 2-Needle RAW Beaded Pearl Bracelet Tutorial Exquisite Wire and Resin Kanzashi Flower Hair Jewelry Pellet Bead Loom Bracelet Tutorial   • Email to a friend • Article Search • View comments • Track comments • More Recent Articles How to Bead a Dodecahedron Tutorials Easy 2-Needle RAW Beaded Pearl Bracelet Tutorial Exquisite Wire and Resin Kanzashi Flower Hair Jewelry Ecuadorian Hands' $60 Tagua Beads Giveaway Pellet Bead Loom Bracelet Tutorial Magic Finding : Giant Crimp Beads for Multistrand Necklaces Interactive Kumihimo Color Planner Contact Me • Past Issues • Join This List • Unsubscribe     Click here to safely unsubscribe from "The Beading Gem's Journal." Click here to view mailing archives, here to change your preferences, or here to subscribe • Privacy Email subscriptions powered by FeedBlitz, 365 Boston Post Rd, Suite 123, Sudbury, MA 01776, USA.