Here is a quick video on Working with Draw Plates. There are tons of free content at JewelryMonk.com Make sure to SUBSCRIBE there so you don't miss out!
I have 18g SQ 2x that I am trying to convert to 18g round for chainmaille jump rings. First I ran it through my rolling mill Sq to take the sharp corners off and reduce it a little bit. Then I pulled it thru my round draw plate starting at 1.20, then 1.10, then 1.00. Lot of annealing in between. I found out that I need to use 2’ lengths because that is the max I can draw by holding the drawplate down with my feet and then pulling upwards. Sometimes I used beeswax and sometimes I used burrlife. Hard work and took me all day just to make enough wire for Full Persian bracelet. Argentium silver, no flux needed, and vinegar and salt for my warm pickle.
Sounds like quite the journey, how do you feel about it? There are easier ways, and shortcuts, but you accomplished something you set out to do. Congratulations. Doug
Ok but I disagree on the beating from behind as this normally has the opposite effect: it will create a wall of metal just behind the hole and you are stuck. Better make a properly tapered end and aneal it often. I make the taper with the mill rather than filing.
Great video, be cool to see you get it to a really thin gauge though. I imagine at a certain point you need to worry about breaking it. Not to mention what you're supposed to do when you can't tap it through anymore.
Hey Doug, your videos have been incredibly helpful, thank you! I'm following your process here attempting to eventually get 3.5 to 3.7mm round wire using silver. I've rolled my square wire down to 4 to 4.2mm and have been trying to draw it through a 4.1mm draw plate hole with no success. Using the DIY hand crank on 2x6 method. Continues getting stuck on square corners. Rewatched this vid and flattened out the edges like you say, but still no success. I'm curious on two things: 1) what size should our square wire be in comparison to the draw plate size we're pulling it through? Is pulling 4.2mm wire through a 4.1mm hole not small enough? 2) how intensely do you flatten the square wire corners? Are we going for a purely round shape or just a minimal flattening? Thanks so much!
Howdy Joshua. What I usually try to do is draw down as little as possible, so .1 increments is fine. I will file the end down quite a bit (round shape) so it goes through the smaller hole with ease, and gives me enough wire to grab onto easily. Make sure to anneal regularly. Hope this answers your questions. Doug
Gotcha, thank you! In addition to this, I figured out my drawplate's measurements were inaccurate by about 0.3mm 🤦🏼♂ along with remembering the distance from corner to corner is longer than the height/width of the square wire. So in reality I was trying to pull 4.2mm through a 3.7mm draw lol. Got it figure out and successfully drawn down. Thanks again for your help and amazing videos!!! Have a great Thanksgiving!@@DougNapierJewelryMonk
Pretty much followed this but have zero success with draw plate. Maybe it’s a cheap plate, maybe I’m doing something wrong, but instead of rounding and stretching the metal, it shaves pieces off, keeping the length the same but diameter get smaller. It also never really rounds it out, always keeping its square-ish shape.
I realise it's been a while since you made this video. I wonder if you could advise though? My 'wire' ends up bent after going through the rollers a few times, even with annealing. It doesn't stay night and straight like yours. Any ideas on this?
2 suggestions. 1. Anneal the wire in that area especially. ( don’t hold it by your tweezers when heating) 2. Make sure you are not trying to draw the wire too much at one time. (Small increments)
How to you get the wire to enter and pass through the next hole down once the wire is 1) Too thin and flexible to push from the entry side? And 2) Too soft for pliers to grab without tearing the metal when pulling?
Just file the wire a little more so it fits through the next hole enough to get a good grab on it with pliers. If it keeps breaking, you need to anneal the wire first.
Much obliged for sharing.I would really like to know the make or brand of the rolling mill you used in this video.I am constantly (and desperately) looking for a rolling mill for less than the price of a Durston.
Korin I like the tungsten better, harder and gives a better finish. Never heard of them shattering, maybe with drawing steel, but I just use them on soft metal.
@@DougNapierJewelryMonk thanks for the reply doug. i have been considering getting a tungsten as i have been having allot of issues pulling sterling through the steel one i have.keep getting stuck or just plain wont go thru without almost destroying the silver.funny thing asking about the tungsten breaking as i just broke one of my steel draw plates today trying to force the silver thru lol.any tips for getting a smooth draw?
Don't file, mill, or hammer! So wasteful, and if you ever use gold, omfg. You'd be losing so much over time you'd cost a business a fortune - or yourself if you're a hobbyist.
