Somehow I Screwed UP Annealing My Copper Wire

[Dorky_gearhead]

Sounds like got that shit WAY too hot.
Maybe you got a weird batch of copper?
Here's a pretty good article on annealing copper
https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/copperwi.htm

 

[hemmy]

As always, another good article from Brent.

Here's another link with pictures and a fun/stinky/messy method for cleaning it.

http://www.thebonsaicast.com/how-to-make-your-own-bonsai-wire-annealing-copper/

I annealed some ground wire (already bare). Some was awesome and some got a little too brittle. I would buy it next time, but it was worth doing once just to watch the pretty colors! Also, it is a good reason to break out the marshmallows!

 

[JudyB]

I also don't like the crunchy sound it makes when it flakes off.

It's like a sizzling sound.... duck and cover!

 

[hemmy]

As always, another good article from Brent.

Here's another link with pictures and a fun/stinky/messy method for cleaning it.

http://www.thebonsaicast.com/how-to-make-your-own-bonsai-wire-annealing-copper/

Just updated for broken link. As I was looking back for wire pickle recipe (1 cup vinegar, 2tbsp salt, “pot” of water [Volume undefined] and bring to boil).
https://web.archive.org/web/2017080...o-make-your-own-bonsai-wire-annealing-copper/

 

[PiñonJ]

Update on my personal experience: This September, I unwired and re-wired my big spruce. A lot of the wire was biting in, so I had to unwind it. I ended up with a lot of useable lengths, so I decided to try annealing it. I threw all the pieces on my gas grill for about 15 minutes, then air quenched them. I got to try them out shortly afterwards and they worked just fine - went on nice and soft. And the surface wasn’t real messy, either.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Hi Folks,
I’m kinda new to Bonsai, with more of a tech background, and am getting really confused about annealing. Isn’t the bare copper electrical wire at Lowe’s, Home Depot and McLendons already annealed?
Has the International electrical standard recently been changed?
Or is cooper Bonsai wire somehow treated differently?
Cheers js sends
See quote below about electrical standard:
(Because of its superior conductivity, (100%) annealedcopper became the international standard to which all other electrical conductors are compared. In 1913, the International Electrotechnical Commission defined the conductivity of commercially pure copper in its International Annealed Copper Standard....)

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Hi Folks,
I’m kinda new to Bonsai, with more of a tech background, and am getting really confused about annealing. Isn’t the bare copper electrical wire at Lowe’s, Home Depot and McLendons already annealed?
Has the International electrical standard recently been changed?
Or is cooper Bonsai wire somehow treated differently?
Cheers js sends
See quote below about electrical standard:
(Because of its superior conductivity, (100%) annealedcopper became the international standard to which all other electrical conductors are compared. In 1913, the International Electrotechnical Commission defined the conductivity of commercially pure copper in its International Annealed Copper Standard....)

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

There are degrees of annealing. Ideal wire for bonsai is "butter soft", will initially bend with no resistance, then work harden to rather stiff as applied. Wire for electrical trade is much stiffer, won't bend as easily. Has to do with the temperature and length of time the wire was annealed at.

 

[PABonsai]

Just read through this again and was wondering about Jim Gremel. Why does his website no longer exist? Is there a way to reach him?

 

[Norcalkbonsai]

Just read through this again and was wondering about Jim Gremel. Why does his website no longer exist? Is there a way to reach him?

I tried emailing him a few months ago and never got a response. I was at a class with Jonas last month and he came up. The consensus was that, you should feel lucky if you get a response from him. Peter Tea is selling wire now and I got a response from him in less than 12 hours.

 

[PiñonJ]

You can still get excellent wire through Julian Adams’s website. A guy named Jeremiah McKinney is managing the wire now and he is very responsive and timely.

 

[Adair M]

I tried emailing him a few months ago and never got a response. I was at a class with Jonas last month and he came up. The consensus was that, you should feel lucky if you get a response from him. Peter Tea is selling wire now and I got a response from him in less than 12 hours.

Jim is unfortunately having some health issues.

 

[Norcalkbonsai]

Jim is unfortunately having some health issues.

That’s to bad to head