Wire Question - bonsaiTALK Community

13-Feb-2006

#51

malhomme

bonsaiTALK Master Craftsman

Join Date: Feb-2005

Location: Austin, Texas

USDA Zone: 8b

AHS Heat Zone: 9

Posts: 814

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vance Wood

Unless you have a propensity to get bit by them, and then swell up like a beached whale.

Are you talking about the southern pine copper or the eastern spotted copper?

Gibble biffum bofum derf,
Jim

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14-Feb-2006	#52
malhomme bonsaiTALK Master Craftsman Join Date: Feb-2005 Location: Austin, Texas USDA Zone: 8b AHS Heat Zone: 9 Posts: 814	So, besides Vance's non sequitor, does anyone know ic copper can be annealed after it has crystallized? Thanks, Jim

6-Mar-2006	#53
superbum bonsaiTALK Journeyman Join Date: Feb-2006 Location: Bishop, CA Country: usa USDA Zone: 7 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 44	ha, funny stuff...everyone says how easy it is to anneal so, like you, I went ahead and tried it (On my propane stove) and, like you, melted some of the wire and lost a sizable chunk. Why hasn't melting wire been mentioned at all??

6-Mar-2006	#54
bnsaijim bonsaiTALK Master Craftsman Join Date: Sep-2001 Location: Gulf Coast Country: Texas USDA Zone: 8b-9 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 772	What the heck are you guys doing? All you are doing is exciting the copper atoms just enough to rearrange them and break bonds formed during work hardening. Sounds like you're trying to forge copper ingots or something! I'd think that reheating "crystallized" wire would work if done correctly. Try and let us know All I did for years is heat to a glowing color/green flames and stop- allow to air cool. 3-5 minutes in the heat at the most... No worry about temps achieved, or any of that. jim __________________ Jim Stone Seki Bonsai Studio sekibonsai.com Santa Fe, TX

6-Mar-2006

#55

RonMartin(deceased)

Bonsai nare-do-well

Join Date: Jan-2003

Location: Summerville SC

Country: USA

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AHS Heat Zone: 8

Posts: 4,653

Quote:

Originally Posted by superbum

ha, funny stuff...everyone says how easy it is to anneal so, like you, I went ahead and tried it (On my propane stove) and, like you, melted some of the wire and lost a sizable chunk.

Why hasn't melting wire been mentioned at all??

ON A PROPANE STOVE !!!.
No wonder it melted. Way too hot.

6-Mar-2006

#56

RedPine

bonsaiTALK ArchMaster

Join Date: Jul-2004

Location: AR

USDA Zone: 7a

AHS Heat Zone: 7

Posts: 2,897

Quote:

Originally Posted by superbum

I have used an electric range,open flames and a butane torch for my wire and have never encountered a problem.I am not a smithie so I don't know all the ins and outs of annealing metals but basicly I heat it up until it glows red then let it cool down.After it cools I use a shop rag to wipe it off clean then apply it to the tree.Never had a problem.

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6-Mar-2006	#57
Dale Cochoy Old Bonsaiman-new pots Join Date: Dec-2002 Location: Hartville, Ohio Country: USA USDA Zone: 5 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 2,691	Wow! 6 pages on annealing copper wire. It's very simple and pretty much covered: 1. coil into rolls BEFORE annealing. 2. put in BBQ and heat until glows nice red. If you do it at night it's easier to see it. 3. Use tongs to drop in water, and with a "PPPffffssstt" it instantly cleans it's self. Or, now that so many dealers are doing it for sale, it's fairly cheap to order from Adams Bonsai, Meco Bonsai, Jim Gremmel, etc.I've used Julian Adams' for years and it is excellent, as is Meco's who is now selling it. Regards, Dale __________________ ________________________________ If you want to be Different.... You have to DO something Different! __________________________________________ Some people NEVER take the time to do a job right the first time.... but, they always seem to make the time to do it over again... ____________________________________________ Dale Cochoy Wild Things Bonsai Studio Yakimono no Kokoro Bonsai Pottery Hartville, Ohio

6-Mar-2006	#58
susieq Intermediate Join Date: Jun-2002 Location: Hudson, FL Country: USA Posts: 487	annealing wire Hello, thought I would put in my two cents worth on the copper wire annealing..... I collect all the wire that I have stripped and coiled, throw it into an old beat up metal garbage can that has a lid. I then pile lots of wood, including some pitch pine for a good hot fire. I light it up and let it burn. At some point you put the lid on and just let it cool over a 24 to 36 hour period. Dig it out when cool and you're good to go. I do this every couple of years, when I have collected and stripped quite a lot of wire. One thing you never do ( I'm sure you already know this) is burn wire with plastic coating on it, thinking this is a short cut to the stripping process. Burning plastic is dangerous and releases poisonous fumes into the air. At the very least, you are poluting the air, at the most, you might kill yourself, and it is illegal. I am getting ready for a big burn in the near future as it happens. I hope this gives you a few ideas. Susieq

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