I do about the same thing as Brad Allen except I use a pc. of scotchbright pad about 1" square a fold it over the wire between the spool and the feeder and put one of those small metal pinch type paper clips on it. I don't know but I feel it may also may help clean some oxidation off the wire as it is being fed through the feeder. (sometimes my wire gets pretty old)

I never thought of it but I do like the earplug idea also.
That is what's nice about this forum, you do learn things that you never thought of.