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Drawing Wire Through a Drawplate — Reducing Iron Rod to Fine Wire
Wire drawing is the process of pulling a metal rod through a series of progressively smaller holes in a hardened steel plate (a drawplate) to reduce its diameter. Known since at least the Viking age and refined in medieval Europe, this technique produces wire of consistent gauge for chainmail, jewellery, pins, needles, musical instrument strings, and countless other uses. The metal is pointed, fed through a hole, gripped with draw tongs, and pulled through with steady force. Between passes the wire is annealed (softened by heating) to prevent it from becoming brittle. This blueprint covers drawing iron wire from a 6 mm rod down to approximately 2 mm — the same method scales to any ductile metal.
中級者
3-4 hours
手順
1
1
Select the starting stock
Select the starting stock
Begin with a straight rod of wrought iron or mild steel approximately 6 mm in diameter and 30-50 cm long. The metal must be ductile — wrought iron or low-carbon steel works well. High-carbon steel is too hard to draw without cracking.
このステップの材料:
軟鋼丸棒1 個2
2
Prepare the drawplate
Prepare the drawplate
A drawplate is a thick plate of hardened tool steel drilled with a series of tapered holes in decreasing sizes. Mount the drawplate securely in a sturdy vice or bolt it to a heavy bench. The holes should be accessible from both sides — the rod enters from the back (wider end of the taper) and exits from the front.
必要な工具:
鋼製ダイス板
重量級万力3
3
Point the rod
Point the rod
Forge or file a tapered point on one end of the rod — about 3 cm long, tapering to a tip thin enough to poke through the first drawplate hole and protrude on the far side. The point needs only to be long enough for the draw tongs to grip.
4
4
Anneal the rod
Anneal the rod
Heat the entire rod to a bright cherry red in the forge and allow it to cool slowly in the ash or in a bucket of vermiculite. This full anneal makes the iron as soft and ductile as possible before the first draw. Trying to draw unannealed or work-hardened metal risks snapping it.
5
5
Lubricate the rod
Lubricate the rod
Apply a drawing lubricant to the rod and the drawplate hole. Traditional lubricants include beeswax, tallow, or a paste of tallow and graphite. Lubrication reduces friction, prevents scoring of the wire surface, and extends the life of the drawplate.
このステップの材料:
蜜蝋の塊（純正、黄色）1 個6
6
Feed and grip the rod
Feed and grip the rod
Push the pointed end of the rod through the first hole in the drawplate — choose the hole closest in size to the rod, just slightly smaller. The point should protrude 3-4 cm on the front side. Grip the protruding point firmly with draw tongs (flat-jawed pliers with long handles).
必要な工具:
引き抜き用やっとこ7
7
Pull through the first hole
Pull through the first hole
Brace yourself and pull the rod steadily through the hole with the draw tongs. Use a smooth, continuous motion — jerking causes uneven wire and can snap the metal. The rod compresses as it passes through the tapered hole, emerging slightly longer and thinner. Each hole typically reduces the diameter by about 0.5 mm.
8
8
Move to the next smaller hole
Move to the next smaller hole
Re-lubricate the wire and feed it through the next smaller hole. Pull through as before. Never skip holes — jumping more than one size at a time overworks the metal and risks breaking it or cracking the drawplate.
9
9
Anneal between passes
Anneal between passes
After 3-4 reductions, the wire becomes noticeably stiffer and harder to pull — this is work hardening. Stop and anneal again: heat to cherry red and cool slowly. Without periodic annealing the wire will become brittle and snap during the next draw.
10
10
Continue drawing to final gauge
Continue drawing to final gauge
Repeat the cycle of lubricating, drawing through progressively smaller holes, and annealing every 3-4 passes. From a 6 mm rod to approximately 2 mm wire requires about 8-10 passes through the drawplate, with 2-3 annealing cycles.
11
11
Straighten the wire
Straighten the wire
The finished wire may have a slight curve from being pulled. To straighten it, grip one end in the vice and pull the other end firmly with pliers while twisting slightly. Alternatively, roll the wire under a flat board on a hard surface.
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12
Final anneal or temper
Final anneal or temper
For soft, bendable wire (jewellery, binding), do a final anneal. For spring wire or wire that needs to hold its shape (pins, hooks), leave it work-hardened from the last draw. Coil the finished wire for storage — drawn wire keeps indefinitely.
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