Rope edging on bezels ?

[enigma]

Hahaha! that was brilliant Lydia!
Does the bloke come with them? can I put him away in a cupboard after use?

[LydiaNiz]

He gets really cross when I try and do that :-)

[Goldsmith]

When I make this type of twisted wires I use my bench vice, an old hand drill like one of these;http://www.toolandfix.com/silverline...FaoEwwodxg4P9w
and with a brass cup hook like these;http://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/p...Q&gclsrc=aw.ds fixed in the drill section. Then I anneal the wire, fold the length of wire in half, then grip the two loose ends in the bench vice, slip the cup hook in the wire's fold and then while holding the wire taught, turn the drill winder until the twisted wire is as tight as I want it to be. This method gives a nice straight length of twisted wire and is a method used in trade workshops for years.

James

[metalsmith]

When I make this type of twisted wires I use my bench vice, an old hand drill like one of these
James

update to a modern drill-driver and you have a convenient and easy way of twisting wires. Keep the wires under tension and drill in a controlled manner. Easy.

Lydia, if ever there was a tool invented for the sake of selling a tool!!

Wires can be doubled around a nail or hook, but different wires can be twisted together by fastening the ends in the vice.

[ps_bond]

Lydia, if ever there was a tool invented for the sake of selling a tool!!

Er... Not really, it's just in a different application to usual. Some people like to avoid things coming unbolted due to vibration, so use these lock wire pliers to, um, twist locking wires in situ. Not always feasible to use a drill in those situations.
Having watched Lydia's video, it reminded me I ought to have a pair for the Land Rover (not an aviation application!).

[BarryM]

I have a pair that I used when wire locking nuts and bolts on my aircraft - an ESSENTIAL tool in the aviation industry - as ps-bond said just a different use.

[enigma]

Great thank you! need to see if my hubby has a hand drill when I find which cupboard I left him in…..

[Goldsmith]

One benefit of using a hand drill is that you can make mirror image twisted wires, good for some designs. I don't know if that wire twisting pliers gadget is reversible, maybe it is.

[BarryM]

No they are not reversible, only spin one way.

[Dennis]

For those like me, who were puzzled by the engineering application, this video explains all. Twisted wire hardens and fatigues, so I guess regular inspection for breaks will be needed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XktwpWPFvHs Dennis.