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Bearing Steel Wire (52100): Drawn from Bar Through a Drawplate
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Forge

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Forge

18. October 2026NO
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Bearing Steel Wire (52100): Drawn from Bar Through a Drawplate

Bearing balls are headed from thick wire of 52100 steel. Here 52100 bar is forged to rod and drawn through a drawplate. At 1 % carbon it is much harder than mild steel, so it is annealed soft before drawing and again after every two holes, using the 52100 anneal Verhoeven recommends. The picture: our drawing, bar to coil.
Advanced
2 days

Instructions

1

Forge to rod

Heat the bar to a cherry-red heat and no hotter, and draw it out round on the anvil to a rod a little thicker than the drawplate's largest hole.

Materials for this step:

Bearing Steel Bar (52100)Bearing Steel Bar (52100)1 kg
CharcoalCharcoal1 as required

Tools needed:

Blacksmith ForgeBlacksmith Forge
AnvilAnvil
Cross Peen HammerCross Peen Hammer
Blacksmith TongsBlacksmith Tongs
Welding GlovesWelding Gloves
Safety GlassesSafety Glasses
2

Anneal

In the oven, hold it at 793 °C (1460 °F) for 30 minutes, cool in the oven no faster than 500 °C an hour to 682 °C (1260 °F), then cool in air.

Tools needed:

Heat Treating OvenHeat Treating Oven
Thermocouple with ReadoutThermocouple with Readout
Blacksmith TongsBlacksmith Tongs
Welding GlovesWelding Gloves
3

Clean and taper

Brush off all the scale, then file a long taper on the first 3 cm so it passes the first hole.

Tools needed:

Wire Brush SetWire Brush Set
File SetFile Set
Bench ViseBench Vise
4

Wax and draw

Clamp the drawplate in the vise. Wax the rod, push the taper through the first hole it does not slip through, and pull straight out with the draw tongs in one steady pull.

Materials for this step:

BeeswaxBeeswax20 g

Tools needed:

Steel DrawplateSteel Drawplate
Draw TongsDraw Tongs
Bench ViseBench Vise
Leather Work GlovesLeather Work Gloves
5

Anneal every two holes

Draw through each next hole without skipping. After every two holes, coil the wire and anneal it again: hold it at 793 °C (1460 °F) for 30 minutes, cool in the oven no faster than 500 °C an hour to 682 °C (1260 °F), then cool in air.

Materials for this step:

BeeswaxBeeswax1 piece

Tools needed:

Steel DrawplateSteel Drawplate
Draw TongsDraw Tongs
Heat Treating OvenHeat Treating Oven
Thermocouple with ReadoutThermocouple with Readout
6

Finish soft

Stop at the diameter your balls need, checked with the caliper, and give the coil a last anneal so it is soft for heading.

Tools needed:

Digital Caliper 6-InchDigital Caliper 6-Inch
Heat Treating OvenHeat Treating Oven
Thermocouple with ReadoutThermocouple with Readout
7

Troubleshooting

Bearing steel wire troubleshooting.

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Materials

3

Tools Required

15

This blueprint makes

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Bearing Steel Wire (52100)

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