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[Howard]

Hi guys I need help as I don't know what am doing wrong. I have a coil/spool of fine  brass wire  0.5 mm I wanted to use for the hand rails on my 1:72 Clyde Puffer but I cant straighten it out tried pulling between two pairs of  pliers just springs back as it was, tried rolling under a peace of glass still cant get it to straighten  is there another way or should I just use it as it is and see if it will straighten  between the stanchions as most of the stern is rounded anyway.
                  Regards Howard. 

[Colin Bishop]

You actually need to stretch it. Best way is to stick one end in a bench vice and wind the other end aroung pliers and pull hard so the wire stretches. That should straighten it OK.
Colin

[Howard]

Thank you Colin,
 I have tried that but maybe not hard enough will try it again.
            Regards Howard.

[John W E]

hi there Howard sometimes you may have to, what is called the annealing process (www.steamshed.com/annealing%20process.html) where the brass is heated up to remove the stress in the wire .


john

[barriew]

Howard
John just beat me to it.

I believe there are two types of brass wire. One type is relatively soft and can be straightened and hardened by pulling as described by Colin. The other is hard and springy and can't be drawn. I'm no metallurgist, but I think you have to heat it.

Barrie

[Umi_Ryuzuki]

"Third, straightening out..."
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?844589-How-to-make-your-own-Hand-Rails
 
(the photos are returned now that photobucket eased up)

[malcolmfrary]

This works with copper, probably OK with brass -
Clamp one end in a firmly fixed vice.
Clamp the other end in a chuck.
Stretch the wire tight, put several turns in the wire by rotating the chuck.
Heating should  anneal unwanted hardness out before stretching.  Stretching and twisting it should re-harden and stiffen it into its new straight shape.

[Bob K]

Brass wire is often sold in either Soft or Hard types.  I usually go for Soft as it is much more malleable and easy to "stretch" straight (one end in vice, the other held in pliers)

[derekwarner]

Bob....


The mechanical condition or aspect with softness [of metals] in this case is the ductility of the brass being able to be drawn into wire  [or and hence straightened under tension]


Conversely, malleability is the ability to be beaten into shape 


Derek

[Howard]

Thank guys,
I have just ordered some soft 0.5mm wire and will try again with that and bin the hard stuff as normal Mayhem has come up trumps.
                          Regards Howard.

[Brian60]

The technique I use is to cut the length I require plus an extra 6 inches. Hold one end in the bench vice and hold the other end in pliers. I stretch it out and then slowly play a blow lamp along the length of brass wire. You don't need a fierce heat. If you start at the end where the pliers are, you can feel the wire begin to give as it stretches slightly under your pressure. Once the flame has reached the vice turn off the blow lamp but hold the tension on the wire until it cools. You should be left with a nice straight wire afterwards.
Of course I always cut corners on this process as well. Two pairs of pliers and stretch out the wire, then I move the length of it across the naked flame of the gas hob in the kitchen - but I don't really recommend this to anyone

[Big Ada]

Put one end in a Vice the other in the chuck of a electric drill, pull on the drill to give tension and give a short burst on the drill.
This is how the guys fitting Suspended Ceilings straighten the wire to suspend the Frame work.