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Steel Wire Drawn from Mild Steel Rod
The drawplate that turns copper and iron rod into wire works on mild steel too, but steel is stiffer: it needs a smaller step per hole, more lubricant and more frequent annealing. Mild steel is annealed by heating it red and letting it cool slowly, buried in dry wood ash.
Intermediate
Half a day
Instructions
1
1
Anneal the rod
Anneal the rod
Heat the mild steel rod to an even red in the forge and bury it in a bucket of dry wood ash to cool slowly, overnight.
Materials for this step:
Mild Steel Rod1 meter
Hardwood Ash2 kg
Charcoal - Lump2 kgTools needed:
Blacksmith Forge
Blacksmith Tongs
Metal Bucket2
2
Taper the end
Taper the end
File a long taper on the first 3 cm so it passes the first hole.
Tools needed:
File Set
Bench Vise3
3
Wax and draw
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:
Beeswax10 gTools needed:
Steel Drawplate
Draw TongsBench Vise
Leather Work Gloves4
4
Down the holes
Down the holes
Draw through each next hole without skipping. After every two holes, coil the wire and anneal it again in the ash.
Tools needed:
Steel DrawplateDraw TongsBlacksmith ForgeMetal Bucket5
5
Finish
Finish
Stop at the size you need, checked with the caliper. Leave it as drawn for stiff wire, or anneal once more for soft binding wire.
Tools needed:
Digital Caliper 6-Inch6
6
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
Steel wire drawing troubleshooting.
Flow
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Materials
4- 1 meterPlaceholder
- 2 kgPlaceholder
- 2 kgPlaceholder
- 10 gPlaceholder
Tools Required
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