Hello, I need to make a wire nest to anneal some pieces, but I’m not
sure what kind of wire should I use and the correct gauge… anyone
can suggest me how to do it safely? Appreciate your answers!
Cheers,
Isabel Trujillo
I have a wire nest a friend brought me back from England. She calls
it a wig. Perhaps you could buy one from there? Mine is a jumble
of thick steel wires on a sheet base, with a twisted wire handle.
I don’t use mine, I just like owning unusual tools.
~Elaine
Elaine Luther
Chicago area, Illinois, USA
Metalsmith, Certified PMC Instructor
Studio 925; established 1992
I was told to simply wind the stainless wire around a mandrel (just
like you do when making jump rings), then take the wire coil off the
mandrel and attach the ends together so make a coil circle. I’ve
never done it, but supposedly it works fine. Give it a try, nothing
to lose except a little wire.
Kay
Hi folks, You might try buying a stainless steel scrub pad from your
nearest super market. They can be cut apart into smaller pieces to
use if you are worried about them acting as a heat sink. They are
cheap and last a nice long time. Make sure they are stainless steel
though.
Mike
1 Like
I need to make a wire nest to anneal some pieces, but I'm not sure what kind of wire should I use and the correct gauge... anyone can suggest me how to do it safely? Appreciate your answers!
Dear Isabel,
Try stainless steel binding wire on small coils. We (Rio) carry 24
gauge up to 32 gauge. I personally prefer a heavier gauge. Simply
pull off 5 to 10 loops, cut and tie the two ends together. You now
have a nice little nest that will last for multiple soldering tasks.
If your pieces are large then I would get the heaviest gauge (24).
All the best.
Thackeray Taylor
Rio Grande Technical Support
Hi All,
I need to make a wire nest to anneal some pieces, but I'm not sure what kind of wire should I use and the correct gauge... anyone can suggest me how to do it safely? Appreciate your answers!
I currently anneal copper on a fire brick, and sterling on a
charcoal block. Why does one use a wire nest to anneal some pieces?
David
Hi Isabel,
Stainless steel is wonderful for making the “nests” to hold your
work while soldering. I like the 24 gauge since it does hold up
for several soldering operations.
If you are doing a larger item, I like to get steel wire, dead soft,
from the hardware store. It is about 19 gauge and holds the pieces
just fine. It is called bailing or banding wire and is found in
the building department of the local home improvement store. It
comes in a small dispenser pack and is less than $3.00 as I
remember it. Not all stores carry it, but if you hunt around you
are sure to find it. It is a product used to bail hay in case
someone wants to know what it is used for.
With the stainless wire, it can go in the pickle. The iron or steel
wire cannot so do not be tempted.
Beth Katz
Unique Solutions Inc.
http://www.myuniquesolutions.com)
Paste and Powder Solder for Jewelers and Metalsmiths
I currently anneal copper on a fire brick, and sterling on a charcoal block. Why does one use a wire nest to anneal some pieces?"
Hi David,
For annealing smaller pieces made from wire, laying on a charcoal
block is fine, but when tackling larger, flatter items - like belt
buckles, or closed back bezels for larger cabochons - it can be next
to impossible to get the inner areas up to annealing temp’s, that
way. In such cases, all that’s needed is a wire “nest” - a mish-mosh
of wire, which elevates the entire piece just high enough to enable
even heating from beneath. The nests I use are made by wrapping black
iron binding wire around a pencil, then removing the coil and
doubling it over itself into a figure-8 and tamping semi-flat with a
mallet; these are great for working with gold, silver or copper. For
platinum, rest the piece in question on your non-iron tweezers, and
heat from between or beside them.
Hope this helps!
Douglas Turet, G.J.
Lapidary Artist & Designer
Turet Design
P.O. Box 242
Avon, MA 02322-0242
@doug