Equipment

We use different types of wire cutters to cut the coils, depending on the material and gauge of the wire. We have also tried many others in order to find the ones which work best for us. Diagonal and compound cutters often leave a pinched, V-shaped cut which keeps the rings from closing properly. To find the cutters which work for you, take a coil to a hardware store (or Sears). Most stores will allow you to try them out before you buy.

We now use the metal shears shown above for cutting our 16 gauge wire. They have an excellent cut, without the V-shape. These cutters are made in Germany and the name on them is "Erdi". We do need to grind the blades down (as shown on the right) in order for them to fit within the coil.

For 14-12 gauge wire, the used HK Porter benchtop sprue cutter we found is perfect. It leaves a straight cut and requires very little strength to use. Sprue cutters are used in the casting industry so you won't find them in a hardware store. It was shear luck that we ran across this one for $100. They tend to be much more expensive. Rio Grande's tool catalog is the only place I know of which carries sprue cutters.

Tips

	Link openings may spread as you cut them, especially when using scissor-like cutters. Make sure they don't warp out of shape too far, or they will not be usable.
	Stretching the spool so that there are gaps between the lays will provide pre-opened links. Be careful not to stretch it wider than is needed, or the links may end up warped. If the wire is cut too short, the rings will not come out round.
	Most types of links close more evenly if cut at a slight angle. You'll have to experiment to find the optimum angle for this.
	My partner cuts the majority of our links while driving his car, due to a severe lack of time in our lives. I certainly wouldn't recommend this practice to a novice. :-)

Sawing links

One of the most popular methods for cutting links is using a dremel tool. If you can't find a pair of cutters which leave a clean enough cut, then this is certainly a viable option. Personally, I don't care for the gap left by the blade nor the fact that they can't be cut at an angle for a cleaner close.