Question time - Wire

Ok I have heard people mentioning that you need hard wire for ear studs etc and so i was having a look on Cooksons as i am gradually trying to build up the range of wires i have.

But i am very confused so i wondered if someone could set me straight please.

A lot of the wires are just advertised as "0.8 Sterling Silver round wire" e.g, then i found some marked "soft" so i thought, oh ok does that mean its hard if not stated?, but then i found some marked "fully hard" and so i thought ok then perhaps its half hard if not stated, but then i found some marked "half hard" SO WHAT BLOODY KIND IS THE BOG STANDARD STUFF:(|:(|:(|

Please put me out of my misery :'(

Cookson's standard wire is soft. However, it's not, in my opinion, as soft as some other bullion dealers' soft!

If it's any help Su', I buy standard wire for anything thicker than 1.0mm. For 1.0, I buy standard and half hard; for 0.8, I generally have all tempers; and for anything thinner than that, I use half hard for maille, and soft for wrapping.

You can always alter the temper yourself, but I find it easier to anneal than to fully harden other than by drawing or rolling.

Su' I'm not an expert by any means but if you're just building up your stock then 0.8mm is the one to go for first - it does just about anything. So get that in all tempers. I was chicken and went downwards from 0.8mm but I think you should probably go upwards next to 1mm - I have cartloads of small diameter wire just sitting there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mizgeorge

Cookson's standard wire is soft. However, it's not, in my opinion, as soft as some other bullion dealers' soft!

If it's any help Su', I buy standard wire for anything thicker than 1.0mm. For 1.0, I buy standard and half hard; for 0.8, I generally have all tempers; and for anything thinner than that, I use half hard for maille, and soft for wrapping.

You can always alter the temper yourself, but I find it easier to anneal than to fully harden other than by drawing or rolling.

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Yes i was worried about being able to actually manipulate the hard stuff.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Moon Cottage

Su' I'm not an expert by any means but if you're just building up your stock then 0.8mm is the one to go for first - it does just about anything. So get that in all tempers. I was chicken and went downwards from 0.8mm but I think you should probably go upwards next to 1mm - I have cartloads of small diameter wire just sitting there.

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I use 0.8 the most myself but its the standard one so i am gonna get some hard too, i also have .6 which i really only tend to use for the drops on my wired earrings, and i have.4 cos i was hoping to use that for multistrand twisting. 1mm is also on my shopping list lol

thanks both of you its nice to know i was heading in the right direction.