The Magnetic Clasp Video

I spent a couple of months developing this design and I'm finally able to share it with you! Learn how to make this magnetic clasp for bracelets and necklaces. It's so easy to put on and take off yet, it's very strong. This is a challenging project!
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Materials List:
*Large, outer tubing. Create or purchase tubing that has an ID of at least 6.4 up to 6.5 millimeters. If you are making the tubing, create it from a 22 gauge blank. The width of the blank should be slightly less than 23 millimeters (the metal stretches a bit and is hard to get exact) and the length should be at least 5 centimeters or longer for ease in handling and to have enough to make several clasps. Note: I have not been able to source commercially made tubing that fits this criterion. (See my video below).
*Interior tubing. Create or purchase a telescoping piece of tubing that has an external diameter of no more than 6.4 millimeters. Rio Grande is the only place I've found, that carries a 6.35 mm external diameter tubing. Their item number is: 10090714.
*2, 20 gauge, 3-millimeter jump rings
*2, 16 gauge, 7.5-millimeter jump rings
*2, bead caps. If you have one that fits on the outer tubing, use that or make one (see my video, below).
*Gallery wire, 4-millimeter height, at least 4 centimeters long.
*Magnets. Either purchase 4, 1/4" X 1/16" neodymium magnets, or 1, 1/4" X 1/16" and 1, 3/16", OR 2, 1/4" X 1/16" and 1, 1/4" X 1/8" magnets.
K&J Magnetics:
D41-N52 for the 1/4" X 1/16": www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetai....
D42 for the 1/4" X 1/8" magnet: www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetai...
D43 for the 1/4" X 3/16" magnet: www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetai....
Video Links:
Jewelry Making Techniques: Easy to Make Tubing. • Jewelry Making Techniq...
Bali-Style Bead Caps. • Make a Bali-Style Bead...
TOOLS
PepeTools
Best soldering pick, IMHO: PepeTool's Carbide Soldering Pick: pepetools.com/collections/sol...
Check out PepeTool's Bench Basics for the flux, sprayer, Blade Butter, and more, that I use - pepetools.com/collections/ben...
Large Soldering Block, that I use (the only way to go!), at Pepetools - pepetools.com/products/harden...
PepeTools Jump Ring Maker: pepetools.com/products/jump-r...
PepeTools Smart Pickle - pepetools.com/products/smart-...
PepeTools Jump Ring Maker: pepetools.com/collections/jum...
Smith Little Torch, at PepeTools: pepetools.com/products/basic-...
Bergeon Tube Cutter (the one in the video) at Otto Frei: www.ottofrei.com/Bergeon-6677...
Bergeon Tube Cutter at Rio Grande: www.riogrande.com/product/ber...
Generic Tube Cutter: amzn.to/2ZkRww1
Asic Miter Cutting Vise at Otto Frei: www.ottofrei.com/Asic-French-... (The one I have).
Generic Miter Cutting Vise: amzn.to/3joL3aj
Generic Jump Ring Makers: amzn.to/3C8tl27
Smith Little Torch at Amazon: amzn.to/3pq6E5S
Third Hand: amzn.to/3aZic7T
Magnesia Block at Amazon: amzn.to/3m1KYLi
Attack epoxy remover: amzn.to/3aX9dE3
Epoxy 330: amzn.to/3B4hot9
Thank you for watching! If you enjoyed this video, please consider "liking" and of course, subscribing. Don't forget to allow notifications or you'll never know when the next video will be out!
00:31 Introduction
01:04 Brief discussion of materials and related videos
2:45 Prepping the outer tubing
3:12 Prepping for soldering the bead cap to the jump ring
3:37 Soldering the large jump ring closed and soldering to the bead cap
4:25 Removing jump ring seam
4:44 Back to soldering
5:50 Gallery wire collar
7:42 Soldering gallery wire
8:22 Soldering tube, gallery wire, & bead cap
9:24 Finishing bottom of clasp
10:02 Tip for sanding tubing
10:27 Filing burs
10:40 Measuring & cutting tubing
11:34 Da math
15:46 Marking the tubing
16:16 Sawing the tubing
17:01 Filing a "hair"
17:58 Checking the height
18:24 Step #1, checking the fit
19:48 Step #2, soldering the inner tube
21:36 Step #2A, filing the ball
22:25 Step #3, Soldering the jump rings
23:19 A trying tale
25:07 A brief interruption
25:22 Back to regularly scheduled programming
25:56 Step #4, epoxy
27:20 The final reveal
28:35 Fin...

[@ellesiem6131]

Always a pleasure to watch you showing us how to make and do things. I like your humour, it makes learning fun....😄 Thank you so much : )

[@jslamen]

The idea of male and female sides is something I'll always be grateful for learning; I don't like the "sliding" aspects of magnetic clasps. The frank discussion of your tribulations with epoxying and de-magnetizing the magnets was refreshingly real and is one of the reasons we all have loved you forever.

[@NancyHamiltonJewelry]

Haha! Thank you so much. Alas, there are always tribulations!

[@allanthompson9695]

Particularly fascinating video for me. Watched bits over and over. Cheers Nancy.

[@ragazzinayankee]

Oh, WOW, it is amazing! It is the first time ever I saw how to make this clasps!!! Thank you sooooooo much for sharing what you know! I might get brave and try!!!

[@karie9890]

One thing I've noticed other artists using to cut tubing is a small plumber's pipe cutter! I haven't had a chance to buy one yet and try it, but it sure worked great for them! It's a smaller than palm size, not the great big ones with handles. Cuts straight, no clean up! Also, to save some soldering, if the silver ball at the top of the cap is large enough, you can drill a hole in the center, and then just add the jump ring through there. Thanks Nancy for all your sharing, and your wonderful sense of humor! PS: I love the chain you made to use this clasp on! Do you, or will you have a video on making it?

[@NancyHamiltonJewelry]

Great suggestions! Thanks. I've used the plumber's pipe cutter and have found that it curls in the ends of the tubing. So, for me, it didn't work. Someday I'll create a good tube cutter! Thanks again. N

[@Robotneonunicorn]

The clasp and book chain are stunning!!

[@ilonab6289]

Thank you! Your videos are great! I like how you show your ooopses, but also explain your thoughts on how to fix them. ❤️

[@beaddemon2572]

Beautifully done video. And thanks for showing the screw ups. I'm always screwing up things (shaky hands) and am becoming a master at fixing my screw ups.
I'm definitely going to try to make these because I love the idea of an using magnet clasps but don't like the premade ones. 🔥🔥🔥

[@NancyHamiltonJewelry]

There are always, will always be screw-ups. I like to call them learning experiences! Usually, though, the biggest screw-ups are in front of a live class! So much fun. Thanks so much for your feedback!

[@carianin5293]

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing.

[@crystalfabulous]

Love it thanks

[@almazcarpets]

Great vedio 👍 , please add little bit of smile next time when you make those round moved 😍

[@zeinat7]

Love this - thank you for the inspiration!

[@LarryDallas]

Great job on your magnetic clasp Nancy! Thanks for the tip about the position of the magnet 🙃🙂

[@flyingcheff]

Nancy love!!! Sooo good to hear your voice! Tip I've been doing that eliminated my [red handled] tube cutter; I use my Mitre vise to cut tubing, the saw blade snugs right up to the steel side of the vice and I get 90° (or 45° or 30°...) perfect tube pieces. Wire too!

[@NancyHamiltonJewelry]

Great idea Gabi! Hope you are happy and selling jewelry like crazy! Love to Sophie!!! Someday, we'll have to talk on the phone again or, better yet, visit! Love ya gal. N

[@johnmimist]

Nancy! Love it! Also that chain! Is that vintage? Or did you make that!

[@juliel6254]

I always get excited when I see a new NLTH video available! Thanks for sharing your design and technique tutorials! You are my favorite jewelry artist on YT! I must confess my eyes always glaze over during the math formula segments of the process, so it is so appreciated when you show your written notes so I can take screenshots. I've always been math challenged so it is very helpful to see your process in writing. Love you, love your channel, love your creations! I can't wait for the next one!

[@NancyHamiltonJewelry]

Thank you soooooo much! I'm blushing!

[@falsedfaith69]

Great video and instructions, duh 😂

[@duocmat5192]

👍

[@deannak1841]

Okay so I don't know about anyone else but I cannot DRILL, I snap the bits like I'm the Hulk, I've just about given up, WHAT'S MY PROBLEM????
Just for the record I'm talking about the tiny straight drills, not conical or balls

[@NancyHamiltonJewelry]

Ok, here's the intel: Slow the rotary tool down - way down!!!! Use new drill bits every so often. They do get dull! The less you lubricate and the faster you go, the sooner they wear out. I've seen students wear out a drill bit in less than an hour. Lubricate, lubricate, lubricate. Drill a little, lubricate, drill a little, etc. Hold the flex shaft or Dremel as perpendicular as you can, especially with very thin drill bits like 20 or 22 gauge. These fine bits tend to break the most. Get out a practice piece of metal and practice, practice, practice. If things go wrong, think back about what you did wrong and try again, correcting the problem. Did I say slow down and lubricate? Haha! Don't push down hard. Nice and easy - a tad harder than you would a pen or a pencil. Sometimes, if you don't need an uber precise opening, you can move the drill bit from side to side a little - that can help remove more metal but, don't push down hard when you are doing that. Remember that brass, bronze, nickel, white gold and some low karat golds are tough metals and can take a while to drill through. Watch the drill bit when you are drilling. Is it bowing? If it is, you're pushing too hard. (Wear safety goggles). Don't forget if you do break off a bit, a tablespoon of alum in (from what I can recall) a cup of water. Keep the water hot for quicker results - place it on a cup warmer in a pyrex or oven-safe cup or use a small crockpot. Leave it in the alum/water until the steel is gone. Good luck! Hope one or all of these suggestions help. Nancy

[@deannak1841]

@@NancyHamiltonJewelry definitely thanks so much... Many excellent tips, i dont often drill, I was making an attempt at dangle earrings where they drilled through square wire, snap snap snap i thought maybe the bits were cheap but i broke the other ones too 😆 I'm betting I'm doing the opposite of all of the above that you mentioned