Starting wire in drawplate?

mdengraver

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Just file back a tapered point at the end of the wire. Be sure to anneal the wire first. Pull the wire through with draw tongs! Also put beeswax on the end of the wire to lubricate the wire before pulling thru.
 
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mdengraver

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Any rolling between two bars or hammering to a taper will still require some annealing to prevent the wire from cracking, getting stress fractures, etc., and more importantly getting too hard for the wire to pull throw the drawplate.
 

mdengraver

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To change the gauge of the wires to inlay smaller areas or inlay thinner lines or to use thinner wire for other applications such as wire used in jewelry, etc.
 

jerrywh

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Yes it is to obtain any size of wire you desire without waiting 10 days for a piece you need. Some times you only need a piece 2" long. Then what?
 

Brian Hochstrat

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Hi Jerry, The quickest way I have found for tapering is to use my power hone, one of them is a high speed so you can grind back a nice long taper in a jif using a 260 grit lap, I don't anneal very often only when the wire starts getting hard to pull and springy. Also my plyers are smooth but are cross sanded a bit to get some grip on the wire, if I start breaking off the taper, much of the time it is because I am squeezing my pliers too hard and actually pinching the wire and causing the break. On real small wire like .015 and less I might use my slower powerhone and hold the tip down with a piece of leather while I spin the wire in my other hand. As a side note you want to keep your wire rolled in a nice tight coil when using the high speed hone, getting it tangled in the spinning arbor could be bad.
 

jerrywh

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Brian. Thanks for the great idea. Super good idea. I just want to tell you that you are one of the best in my opinion. Everything you do is superb. I want to get over there and see you some day. Thanks again
 

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