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Hi all,
Can anyone tell me whether I can draw down square tube in the same way as round tube?
I need some 1.5mm square silver tube, but most suppliers only seem to go down to about 2.25mm. Am I being too ambitious in attempting to draw down tube this thin?
What shape of supporting wire would I need to put inside it while I'm drawing it down? Would round do, or should I use something square? (I don't really mind what shape the hole ends up being; roundish would be OK).
Any advice gratefully received,
Nina
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Hi Nina, you don't need suppoting wire when drawing down tube, only when bending it to stop it collapsing. Just pinch about 10mm flat at one end and cut and file the resulting bulge until it will pass through the first hole of the draw plate.
1.Keep the end well tapered before each pass, or the bit you grip will snap off.
2.Anneal after about 3 holes.
3.If youn can borrow the use of a draw bench for this the result will be more even and less curved.
Hope it goes well, Dennis.
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Thanks, Dennis - I'll give it a try!
Nina
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Dennis do you still have the pictures from this thread? I don't see them here, I was interested in seeing the bail made of tubing in particular.
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Well Sandra,
It's a really sad story, because one day I found all my uploaded pictures, in a list here and thought I could save space by deleting it. I never dreamed that it would delete all my pictures to date. The Devil makes work for idle hands.
As you will see from today's posts, I am unable to upload any more pictures today, so for the moment there is only this year's album to look at, using the link below.
Dennis.
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That's a bummer Dennis - I've not seen this thread before and would love to see the pictures!
Also intrigued by modification of the tube jig you described. I have one of these: [URL="http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Special-Joint-Filing-Tool----------Chenier-Cutter-prcode-999-597"] and I find the slot far too wide and can never get a straight cut, thus defeating its entire purpose.
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Yes Lauren, the better the saw blade fits the slot, the straighter the cut will be. So:
You can select a saw blade fat enough to fit, but still move, or
You can undo the screws at the front, to reveal that the space is determined by metal washers, or sometimes a thin metal plate. Rub these/this down on flat sandpaper to match the sawblade of your choice.
All you need in addition is some calipers. I have also restored the pix as requested and one extra for good luck. Dennis.
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Thank you Dennis! I love your work, it's great inspiration! It helps to see the tube bail pics, looks like I may need another new tool.
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