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Often it is difficult to order wire without seeing some samples. Having a selection of drawplates enables you to make your own and frees you from the constraints of the stock list. The next problem is that to draw down thicker wires smoothly and easily you will need a draw bench and commercial draw benches are bulky, inconvenient and horribly expensive.
Some years back I called in to a yacht chandler, Arthur Beale in Covent Garden and they came up with this solution. To provide the traction I bought the smallest hand operated winch, one and a half metres of non stretch rope and a steel ring to attach to the end. I happened already to have my faithful work horse with a woodworking vice at one end. An old table or a very stout board might have done. All I needed in addition was some hand draw tongs with one hooked arm. A convenient length for this improvised draw bench is about 85cm, but you will be limited by the reach of your arms, because you have to hold the tongs closed with one hand while winding the winch with the other
A final bonus is that if you clamp annealed wire at one end and stretch it slowly, it will become slightly thinner, but perfectly straight.
The winch, DL600A is still available on line for about £20. Other costs: rope and ring £3, hand draw tongs from Sutton Tools £10, bench vice £25. How does that grab you?
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