Excellent solution for my problem. When she grabbed the wire on the wall, I thought, "perfect," that's the same wire I'm using. You're solution is easy and cheap! Thanks!!!
Thanks for this! I need to hang some lights four feet down from the peak beam and this worked well. I used a short 2x4 with a 3/32 hole. The wire was too long to control by hand, so I used three shop vac tubes to restrict the far end whipping.
That's a great idea! I'm definitely going to have to file that away in my brain to try later. I haven't needed a piece longer than ~3' so I've been able to manage it myself, but the shop vac tube seems like the perfect 3rd hand.
Fascinating, thanks! I had a thought while watching this that could make the process quicker. Get a length of pvc pipe, plug one end with a wooden dowel, drill your hole in the middle of the dowel and clamp the pipe in your vice. Then you don't have to worry about holding the back end of the wire with your other hand, as it will be contained in the pipe. You could even drill several different sized holes and have one "go to" tool for all wire gauges.
Thanks, John! We love model railroads and are honored to hear the magazine mentioned the video. Thanks for the heads up! I think model railroaders combine some of my favorite aspects of making. Architecture and engineering for sure, but more so attention to detail and environmental storytelling.
The 'files & rasps' bucket in the background... someone's last futile attempt at organising that workshop... 🤣 Super tip - I'm going to try it out today! Thank you!
Hahaha, we call the workshop "Neatly Disorganized". It looks like a bomb went off most of the time, but I know exactly where everything is. Just sometimes it takes 30 minutes to get to it 😂
Thanks for this. It helped save time and tedium. I knew the basic principle of doing this but wasn't sure how to go about it. I was working with 4 foot lengths so holding the one end opposite the drill was difficult. I started using a gloved hand and stretching out but found it awkward so I used a 1/2 piece of conduit and clamped it down to the opposite side (non-pro tip :). Worked like a charm. It would also work well for shorter applications, I believe. t should also work fine hand held as well. I also found that it worked better with the drill at a higher speed, at least for me it did.
Glad it hear it helped! Using a pipe to help guide the loose end is definitely something I'm going to try the next time I need to straighten some longer pieces. The higher speed always works best for me too. I think it helps even out variations over more points along the wire.
@@barnabyvonrudal1 I was putting up some wall panels that were PVC and hollow. I wanted to be able to hang something lightweight, so I put the wire through empty cavities of the paneling, which allows me to hang things with magnets.
Want to use vertical wire between two tensioned horizontal wires instead of bamboo canes to support tomato plants. Have coiled wire. Came to RU-vid for inspiration. Went away happy. Thank you.
The method I use is to tighten one end in the vice, then use a vice grip and hammer on the other end. It pulls all the bends out by slightly stretching it. Fast and accurate.
Thanks for sharing! I love hearing about different methods. Are you hammering against the vice grip to stretch the wire? Does this work for thicker gauge wire, too?
@@AlexAndOlmsted I am academic (roboticist). That's probably why I've never seen such a thing :). We required a cable feeder for a welding robot recently, I've been working on it, and came across your idea (or someone's, I don't know), it is brilliantly fitted into our design and hence my reaction. Sincerely.
@@kemaruproduction That's really cool! We love robots. The welding robot sounds interesting! What kind of scale is it welding? Small specialty parts? Auto assembly line? Bigger industrial?
To go a bit quicker, you could push the wire through the backside of the wood block and then chuck the bit of wire sticking out on the front side. Instead of chucking the wire and pushing the entire wire through the block.
That might speed things up. Although I've since changed my workflow slightly so that chucking up the wire first gives me a better grip to straighten by hand a bit.
Hello again ... :( This did not work for me, perhaps because of the length. But what one comment said and I'd thought he would be wrong but it actually worked well for me. I got one end of my 1.5mm X2020mm into my workbench vice and had to bend and pinch the other end to stop it turning in the drill. Then observed the wire twist and slowly spun it against that twist direction it worked fast and very well as it took only a few rotation to get it straight. But thank you again for you sharing something that mush work in certain situations.
Thanks for this. I have some much larger wire to bend into various size (using a “Chinese” bender from Harbor Freight) for hanging things in my shop. Hopefully this works on that wire.
So far this sounds/looks amazing I wonder how I'll go with 220cm length...My problem is more the room I think but will come back for feedback. Thanx a bunch :)
Wow! Yes, let us know how the 220cm goes. I'd definitely recommend having a friend stabilizing the loose end and going at a less extreme angle for the first pass.
@@AlexAndOlmsted ha ha as you probably already seen I had to use a different way and apologise to the other guy! Yes I guess with another person perhaps it would have work. :)
@@meeekstubbular Too bad! I find that on 1.5mm wire this method works really well, but sometimes it can be tricky. I love using the method you ended up going with for thinner wire, and have started using 20 gauge galvanized steel wire as a go-to because it's so easy to straighten like that! Glad your wire got straitened out in the end. Happy building!
Yikes! Sounds like quite the task. I wonder if the copper will be too soft for a process like this. Might want to sheer off close to the chuck. Are you going to try and straighten the full 50' as one piece, or are you cutting it into sections?
@@AlexAndOlmsted I'd love to do the whole 50 ft and spool it for future use. Its brand new just bought it, but it came coiled and then tangled up when I tried to use it to wrap. It should have been spooled by seller. I may have to use a draw plate first.
I just saw Ron Covell post an interesting video on making oversized spokes that might solve your problem. Watch the first minute of this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gC4J1XjabVc.html
I'm using a Makita drill. I believe it's an FD02 model. If your chuck doesn't close tight enough on the wire, or the wire is too thin then it won't hold. You could try putting a short section of dowel rod in the chuck and pinch the wire between the dowel and the jaws. Good luck!
Thanks so much! The tightly coiled wire we show at around :40 just acts as a hinge. Galvanized wire isn't good for spring making since it easily deforms and keeps the new shape. If you're looking to make springs you really need to use music wire.
@@barnabyvonrudal1 It's a lot of fun, and a fairly cheap hobby. Here's another great video for inspiration and instruction: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kPguktA674w.html&ab_channel=DanieldeBruin
Yes! A commenter below said they clamped a piece of 1/2" conduit to the other side of the wood to stabilize the loose end. I haven't tried it myself, but it sounds like a smart idea.
For flat wire you'll probably want to run it through a jig that has a series of staggered bearings. Search for "flat wire straightener" and you may be able to create a diy version.
Have you been able to try it yet? I've never tried covered wire with this method, but I suspect the coating would add too much friction and shear it off.
Hmm, I've never tried it with copper wire, only galvanized steel. The failure might have come from the material, or the speed of your drill, the speed of drawing it from the hole, or angle that it was coming out from.
@@AlexAndOlmsted Later I tried another method: 1 end of wire in vise, other end in drill chuck, no wood block. Just slowly twist the wire while pulling firmly. Worked great.
@@AlexAndOlmsted This is the basics of it though mine will be quite different: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B93FtrjVIsc.html I haven't made a 4G antenna before but I have made TV antennas that work well. Google DIY 4G antenna. > Hours of your time will disappear.
@@chrisharkin3741 Fascinating! This type of information sharing to support the DIY and homemade tech community is my favorite thing about RU-vid. A while ago I got really into making alcohol fuel penny stoves for camping. The amount of research and testing that people have done on that is so helpful to newcomers.
The same way you would tighten the chuck around a drill bit. Some chuck jaws may not close small enough if you have a thinner gauge wire, so take that into account, too.
I have come back to bug you guys again with another wire question (if I may). I'll say please. (to encourage an answer)... I am trying to bend small gauge solid (full hard) steel wire in a U shape. The gauge wires I work with are (20AWG, 22AWG and 24AWG), which are roughly .032, .025 and .020 in inches, respectively. I am bending one end of the small wire 90 degrees and at the opposite end of the wire (about 2 inches away.....sometimes slighter longer), I also make a 90 degree bend. Bending the 90 degree angles is not too difficult, however getting the bends to be on the same plain (example: if you were to lay the bent wire on a level surface it would lay completely flat in a U shape), that is the difficult part. Bending that second 90 degree angle to match the first bend so they point exactly in the same direction has been a real challenge. If you know of a method that I could use make these bends, that would be great....and I promise to say please again on future videos. Philip
Haha, thanks for the extra politeness :) Usually when I need to make bends in wire that fall along the same plane I'll make the first bend, then lay it flat on a table and use a pair of linesman pliers to grab the wire at the second bend point. Then you can bend the wire while it's all still in contact with the table. If it's not at in line as you'd like it you can always grab each leg of the U bend with a pair of pliers and gently twist to compensate. It's tricky with music wire since it'll naturally spring back, but just give it little adjustments until it's close enough. Does that make sense?
@@AlexAndOlmsted Yes, makes perfect sense. This Full Hard music wire I am using is very resilient and does spring back (has a memory) when I try to make adjustments. I am going to try your flat surface bending method tomorrow. I hope my pliers can grab the 24AWG size on a flat surface. (hoping)...I'll keep you posted or......you guessed it, I will need to bug you again!...Thanks. Truly appreciated. Philip
@@uptownphotography No problem! Yes, let us know how it turns out. I've found with very thin wire like that it's better to try and pinch it with the flat bit towards the tip of the pliers, since the "teeth" on the pliers can sometimes be bigger than the wire itself. Also, an obligatory word of caution for anybody reading this: Music wire is very springy and can easily slip and spring back at you. Always wear eye protection when working with it.
@@AlexAndOlmsted Great advice on the eye protection. It also can when using very thin gauges penetrate your skin very easily...Found that out real fast....It's like a needle.
Well I figured it out. Its 16ga 1x1.5 inch galvanized mesh. I unrolled it backwards on a wood table and lightly pounded it out with a rubber mallet...a whole lot easier than chicken wire :) That puppet stuff you guys do is really neat...reminds me Geppetto and Pinocchio Kev
Love your videos! I just found your channel a few days ago. I want to make better shadow puppets. Do you have any recommendations of places to learn about shadow puppetry?
Hi Jon! Thanks for the kind words. Happy to have you here. We have a few shadow puppet related videos in our uploads that could be useful. Check out the Tutorials playlist. Also, I highly recommend the book Richard Bradshaw's Guide to Shadow Puppets, which you can buy through Charlemagne Press. It's a really great resource. I'm not sure where you're based, but you could also research where your local Puppetry Guide is and look into joining. Usually someone associated with it will have a pretty good library that will be accessible to guild members, plus you'll be able to touch base with fellow members about local resources.
Does this twist the wire at all? Because I saw someone else do something similar and it worked by twisting the wire, but their method clamped the other end in their vise, it didn't put it through a hole.
There's minimal twisting if you do it right. If you draw the wire out of the hole at too steep of an angle you'll get some twist. For thinner gauge wire (1mm or less) I usually just chuck it up in the drill, grab the other end with pliers, and twist it while pulling it taut. It probably weakens the wire, but for my applications I haven't had any break on me.
@@AlexAndOlmsted Twisting will weaken the wire some, but you can anneal the wire by heating it up to its recrystalization temperature and letting it cool again. Though if the twisting is minimal it might bot be necessary.
Great method. I just bought some Full Hard Steel wire in 22 gauge. I hope this will work with that thinner thickness as well. Question: What type pliers were you using towards the end of video bending the end portion of the wire. Will thinner gauges work with this method? Thanks Alex and Olmsted. Great job. Phil.
I've found that 20 gauge and thinner wire doesn't work super well with this method. It's much better to cut a length, chuck it up in your drill, hold the other end tightly with a pair of pliers, and then spin your drill while holding the wire taut for about 5 or 6 seconds. It'll twist the wire and make it very straight, but it might weaken it a bit. I haven't worked with Full Hard Steel wire before so results may vary. The red handled tool at the end there are TEKTON 8" bolt cutters. I love them!
@@AlexAndOlmsted Thanks for the reply. I am scratch building a HO Scale Howe wooden truss bridge and the prototypes have vertical iron tension rods from the bottom chords of the bridge to the top chords. I used 22 gauge floral wire for this on my model, but it is too soft and easily gets bends that are very hard to straighten once on the model. I am hoping the Full Hard steel wire I bought will solve the problem. The problem is the wire is wrapped in a coil (about 5" diameter coil) so it is retaining some of the bend when I unwrap it. So I will give both methods a try. The finished bridge came out great, but it is bothering me a bit with the tension rods not perfectly straight using the floral wire. Thanks......... PS...I was asking about the smaller looking pliers not the red handle bolt cutters. Wondering what they were so I can get a pair for my model building. Thanks.. Phil
@@uptownphotography Ah, right! I'm not sure of the brand name of that tool, but those are loop forming pliers. I found that pair at Michaels craft store in the jewelry making section. If you're making scale cables for a bridge the twisting method may work best. You can experiment with how much to twist and it may even give the effect of twisted wire cables.
@@AlexAndOlmsted Yes i just tried it and wouldn't you know it my Craftsman 1/2" chuck drill won;t grab onto the 22 gauge wire. The wire is too small for it. I think I have a smaller chuck (to insert into the larger chuck, (for pin size drill sets (for model building), but will have to find it, so for now I am dead in the water until I can find a way to grab the small gauge wire. I have a Dremel tool, but will have to find the small chuck for this purpose...A drag as I was anxious to try the two methods you shared with me.
The easiest way to make any wire perfectly straight is so very simple. Tie one end of your wire to something solid, a handrail, or anything else that is strong then chuck the other end in a drill, pull the wire tight with the drill and pull the trigger pulling tightly, your wire will spin/twist into a perfectly straight piece, don't over spin, the more you spin the stiffer and more brittle the wire will become. You can make soft copper wire extremely rigid. Just try this, there is no better way!
We love this method, too! I find that the way you mention works better for thinner gauge wire, and only use the way shown in this video for ~14 gauge and thicker. Lots of ways to skin a cat :D
Have you tried the method this guy uses? And how does it compare if so? See about 8 seconds in: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kPguktA674w.html&ab_channel=DanieldeBruin
I love that video! I have tried that method and really like it, too. I've found that method works better for thinner gauge wire. I usually do that method with 16 gauge and smaller, but it looks like he's getting great results with 14!
Putting the other end through a hole like this I think reduces the amount of twisting the wire ensures in the process, which can be important because twisting can weaken the wire, and thus this method preserves its strength better.
