Annealing Copper Wire Finally and Need a Little Advice Pls

[Mike Westervelt]

Attmos, using properly annealed copper wire is almost like wrapping cooked spaghetti around the branches/trunks.

Residential copper wire is immensely harder and nearly impossible to apply without damaging the bark.

Also you state 10 gauge is really easy, 12 gauge gets a little tougher, however actually the smaller a number in the gauge system the larger the diameter,
for instance 2 gauge is .258" or nearly pencil thickness, while 12 gauge is .061" closer to pencil lead sized.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

10 gauge is really easy to bend, 12 gauge gets a little tougher.

10 is actually thicker than 12.

 

[Attmos]

Dead-soft annealed wire used for bonsai is a world away from electrical 'soft', particularly at the larger gauges. You have to handle it to know, the difference is huge.

Regarding colour of annealed wire, annealing in industrial practice occurs in anoxic environments, oxidation can't happen, so no wastage or discolouration from oxidation. I lose about 1% in my amateur kiln process, and have to pickle to de-scale my wire, yet more processes and waste.

Thank you for marking the difference. Annealing copper for use sounds like a huge waste of time.... but I guess I'm not experienced enough yet to make a declaration.

 

[Attmos]

Dead-soft annealed wire used for bonsai is a world away from electrical 'soft', particularly at the larger gauges. You have to handle it to know, the difference is huge.

Regarding colour of annealed wire, annealing in industrial practice occurs in anoxic environments, oxidation can't happen, so no wastage or discolouration from oxidation. I lose about 1% in my amateur kiln process, and have to pickle to de-scale my wire, yet more processes and waste.

My only issue was not understanding that people want super soft copper. To me, electrical is about as soft as usable copper gets. Dead soft copper has no use in real life. I can't even imagine that it's hard enough to do what they want... but OK.

 

[Attmos]

10 is actually thicker than 12.

You're right. My mistake. I guess I'm still just getting over that fact that electrical is still too stiff.

 

[Attmos]

Sorry alpha, we are talking about annealing copper wire here. I have about no idea what you are even talking about and 90-99% of it makes no sense to me at all. I have worked quite a bit of properly annealed wire and don't find it breaking when bent or re-bent. If it does, it was annealed at to high a temperature. My lack of understanding your text might be that you are a rocket scientist and I am not.

To "anneal" a metal, "high temps" don't cut it. You need to heat the metal to a certain temp., which is different for each metal.

 

[August44]

I bet you talk in your sleep...all night long.

 

[Attmos]

I bet you talk in your sleep...all night long.

I am a difficult person. lol
I'm bipolar, and for those who aren't familiar... it means I FEEL all emotions very strongly.... with very little control over any of it.

But I'm really not trying to be difficult. I have explained that I was misunderstanding conversation and just how soft people like the copper to be. My mistake, I'm sorry.

 

[August44]

I am a difficult person. lol
I'm bipolar, and for those who aren't familiar... it means I FEEL all emotions very strongly.... with very little control over any of it.

But I'm really not trying to be difficult. I have explained that I was misunderstanding conversation and just how soft people like the copper to be. My mistake, I'm sorry.

Ur good Attmos