Survey Says

[Tachigi]

I was pondering a thought the other day about what type wire people most commonly use. The reason the thought came to mind was that we gave away free samples on the net of #20 and #22 copper in 6 to 9 foot lengths. Which may or may not of been a good thing depending if your addressing the packages. However, it did reveal that out of 100+ requests that only 12 had ever used #20 and nobody had used #22. This surprised me that people had never used that size for detail wiring new shoots and fine branches. So the question I pose is, What do you use to get fine detail in your trees when training them?

 

[JasonG]

I use both sizes you mention.... but rarely. I tend to play with large to huge ponderosa where 16 is about the smallest, sometimes 20 that I go. I have used the 22 mostly on larch.

I should have got a sample from you. What I would love to try from you would be #6 thru 12. Any sample in one of those sizes would be ideal. I go through #4-10 in a hurry!!! I currently get my wire for Gremel, which so far is the best I have ever used. If yours is good it would be nice to have a 2nd source......

I wish you the best in this venture..... one can never have too much copper wire around.....

Jason

 

[Tachigi]

I go through #4-10 in a hurry!!!

#4 !? ...... don't you mean rebar?

 

[John Hill]

Hi Tom,
I use mostly #16 and #19 maybe because 20 and 22 are not that much difference is there? I believe #16 is 1.5mm and #19 is 1.0 mm so what mm is #20 and #22? You could thread it through a needle and sew the fine shoots
It could also be that I have not come across 20 or 22. Do you know what mm they are?

A Friend in bonsai
John

 

[Tachigi]

Hiya John,

#20 copper converted is like .8 mm and #22 copper converted is .6mm

#22 is not quite fine enough to thread through a needle but I find its place as a fine wire that does no damage to fine branches and shoots such as those floppy juniper shoots

 

[Chris Johnston]

Such small caliper copper wire is useful for display wiring on the right tree. I find that #22 is too fine for the small ramification on a well developed Japanese black pine, but just right for the fine tufts of foliage on a shimpaku juniper. The problem is that these seem to be the biggest rolls available. After four seasons of using small bits, the roll has been knocked around some no matter how careful I am (I mean, after all, we moved for goodness' sake. So portions of that coil have been work hardened by accident and are not as useful.

Unless an enthusiast has a finely developed tree and wants to wire it for show, those sizes are not as useful