Wire Forming

[scmw]

I'm looking for some suggestions on good books or websites that cover wire forming. By this, I mean taking a straight wire and bending it into various patterns such as miniature hand grabs, antennae, etc. My understanding is that it can be done manually or pneumatically using a series of dies that will form the various bends in the pattern.

Any ideas on where to learn more information on this technique?

Thanks,
Terry

[Dunc]

I expect that this little grooved plate is too limited
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/pag...=1,43456,43407
but it is cheap and within its capabilities works well.

I haven't tried but could it be enlarged somewhat to do bigger & better things?

[smalltime]

Do some research on a "four slide" machine. We have one at the shop, but I have yet to get to play with it.
They sound, and look like exactly what you want.

[Tony Ennis]

Check youtube. There are some amazing videos for spring winding. I bet there are some for wire bending too.

[boslab]

I went to a factory last year making supermarket trollies, they had a couple of CNC wireworkers, italian i think, like baby CNC tube benders, there was a US factory for the beasties too, they were really fascinating to watch as they were also doing stainless brake lines
regards
mark
http://www.aimmachines.com/

[Forrest Addy]

You can do an amazing amount of fancy wire bending jigging from boards and nails.

A friend of mine once made a line of Rocco bird cages using a HF spotwelder and a pile of boards with shaped edges and bending posts made by driving nails. old them for thousands.

[PTSideshow]

I'm with Forrest on this one if you are doing small numbers, the boards and nails or they have what looks like a peg board with loose pins that can be moved to form different wire forms. The pins also have different dia. They are called thing-a-ma Jigs the aluminum one in the photo they also come in plastic in assorted sizes under different names.

You can also get a set of bending wire form pliers,From MicoMark or any of the model hobby sites, Tower RC sell one that is used to bend music wire for the control throws. Jewelry supply shops will have a number of pliers that will have two different shaped jaws or stepped sized jaws. the set from MircoMark is in this next photo along with, all of my wire shaping pliers.


I have been making stainless wire hangers for parrot toys, for over 25 years. with a couple of pairs of custom adjusted pliers.
Cut notches in cheap pliers, either round or plain needle nose.
As in this photo

You can do the out side of spring load pliers if you need to open some thing.

[PTSideshow]

And these are great as they are cheap to make, you can get any number of benders out of one nut. I showed these to somebody that has up to six holes on a flat. That way he only needed to find 2 used large size nuts. Frugal doesn't describe him.

All you need is large hex/square nuts and some assorted taper pins





The distance between the taper pins, allows differing sized wire/rod the rod pictured is 3/16"

Diarco's site has a PDF download on the art of bending that should help
MicroMark hobby tools

[PTSideshow]

You may want to look for books on Scroll wire method of jewelry making, also most any book on wire jewelry will have all the basic wire forming moves in it. Either on line or at the local library. Wire formed jewelry is currently enjoying a renewed following.
There are a large number of dvd's out including one on forming names for jewelry.

[RobbieKnobbie]

I have been making stainless wire hangers for parrot toys, for over 25 years.

I can't believe I just read that sentence. To be honest, I feel a bit traumatized.


The Di-Arco company makes a variety of benders and their online catalogs have a TON of good information