I could sure use a little help from you or your readers. I’m just
getting started wire wrapping and I am currently working in nickel
silver. I really don’t expect to move into sterling silver or gold
filled, do to fact I give most of my pieces I give to the people at
church.
Now to my problem I am looking for a “1/2 round drawplate”. I have
been surfing the internet for almost 30 hours. What I found were a
number of sites that advertised "1/2 round drawplates with a range
of holes from 3mm to .50mm which is perfect. Except when I call
these people, I found much to their surprise themselves the range
was 3mm to 1mm instead which is not small enough. The sizes that are
typically used in wire wrapping are in that last 1/2mm. or between
1mm and .50mm. or 20 ga. trough 24 ga. I know someone has to make
them because there so much sterling silver, gold filled, and karat
gold wire out there in those sizes. I would like to stay in the $50.
To $100. price range.
Now to my problem I am looking for a "1/2 round drawplate".
Hello Bob,
I’m sure others will point this out too but you might want to
consider the old trick of drawing two pieces of wire through a round
drawplate in order to get your 1/2 round.
If you have access to a copy of Charles Lewton-Brain’s “Cheap Thrills
In The Toolshop” he talks about doing this on pages 43-44. See also
Tim McCreight’s “Complete Metalsmith”, the section on “Wire Drawing”
(p.68-69 in the Pro Edition but it’s in the other editions as well).
I believe the other primary texts (Untracht, Brepohl/Lewton-Brain,
etc) offer similar info on this.
No need for a half round drawplate, ever. If you have a round
drawplate, just put two pieces of wire together and pull. Voila, half
round. Want quarter round? Put 4 wires together and pull.
There is a very clear example of this in my book, Professional
Goldsmithing, in the carved ring project. I made a half round band
from a piece of round wire.
Alan
Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, Inc.
760 Market Street
Suite 900
San Francisco, California 94102
USA
tel: 415-391-4179
fax: 415-391-7570
Try this, get a round draw plate in the sizes you need. Take two
pieces of round wire file a taper to each then solder them together
only at the taper. Draw them as you would any other wire this will
make two half round wires.