Straightening wire with the drill versus stretch straightening.

This has got to impact a build, right? I can see that the diameter of the wire is smaller where it's not held by the chuck or the pliers at the other end. Also you can easily feel that the wire has a texture versus smooth wire.

I haven't had luck pull/stretch straightening long pieces of wire.

What do you prefer, and why? I would rather have it smooth and accurate, but I haven't found a good way to straighten wire without changing it in some way.

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I have never been pleased with my results stretching straight. Maybe I am doing it wrong. IDK. I drill straighten. Perfectly straight every time.

If you can actually see the diameter of the wire is thinner then I have to say you are twisting it way too far or long to straighten the wire and you also must have some really good freaking eyesight! Doesn't take more than a few turns to straighten the wire in my opinion.

My eyesight is actually getting shitty. Especially things close to my face. Aging is awesome!

Kanthal I don't usually have a problem with (typically 24g). Stainless seems to love to get wiggly around the last half of the length. I haven't straightened much of my nichrome. I usually watch the light on the wire and stop the drill as the light changes at the end. I don't go long enough for it to break.

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A professional coil builder told me that I should only straighten wire by hand stretching.

Apparently, straightening it with the drill messes with the molecules, which does affect performance.

But I've had very inconsistent results with hand straightening. Nichrome is a relatively soft wire and some people make hand stretching seem so easy, like if you see m terk do it, he does it so effortlessly, but I just can't seem to hack it.

Straightening with a drill works perfectly every time, but I just don't know how majorly it affects performance. Perhaps it affects longevity too.

It will probably take me a while to get to the bottom of this, seeing as coils tend to last me a long time, but I do intend doing a practical experiment in this regard.

I tested how much difference happens with stretching a while back. I took some 28 awg wire and stretched it slowly until broke, then stretched it some more - the difference wasn't even enough to call it 29 gauge wire. I forgot the measurements, I was using a micrometer though.

Straightening wire is my favorite part of building, it's the easiest and most relaxing stage lol. I only "stretch" but man hard to say that, since a 14 inch length might get about 1 mm longer. I don't like how wire looks after twisting, I can see the twist in round wire and it bugs me. I also suppose (no proof, just suppose) that the twists are harder on the wire than a "stretch", and make the wire rougher and more grabby on thinner gauges I want to decore.

I straighten everything without spinning a drill, even 22 awg, with both arms, needle nose pliers, and my drill in a bolted-down vice lmao (I rarely use 22 awg for anything, if I did I would probably not always do that, it's hard and kind of scary)

But my little wire gets a little tug, then it's snug as a bug in a very straight rug.

Drill straightening will open up the surface of the wire more and if the wire is going to give off anything harmful it seems like it would give off more stuff with more surface area open?
Might be harder to clean good as well...
But since it is usually inside of a clapton then the cleaning angle is kinda moot anyway.

Drill

I will run it forward, then reverse, then bada bing bada boom she's all ready. For me the secret is not to over twist, just enough to get it relatively strait enough. Too much of a twist makes is more springy so I just twist enough to do the job which isn't much.

Smallest I straighten is 32g wire, not worth it for 34g.

i pull mine off the spool to the length i need (ruler on desk to measure), stretch it, then cut it off the spool. it falls in a neat little pile with all the other cores and i can just grab them and work with them right away. it takes an extra 3 seconds per wire, at most, to straighten it before you cut it. seems a lot easier and faster imo.

Pegleg Meg said:

I tested how much difference happens with stretching a while back. I took some 28 awg wire and stretched it slowly until broke, then stretched it some more - the difference wasn't even enough to call it 29 gauge wire. I forgot the measurements, I was using a micrometer though.

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very interesting. i have seen people suggest that it will change the gauge of the wire, but (to the best of my recollection) they are never builders. good to see some facts instead of theories in disguise

Always stretch my wire now although the thicker stuff requires a gorilla tug ...much more consistent results and you’ll notice it more when de-coring Clapton’s for aliens

I have always used a drill to straighten my round wire, but I always use minimal rotation. I tug ribbon wire straight, per usual. Haven’t noticed deviations in my wire gauge, at least anything major, but now I’m curious lol.

I'm going to overstretch different gauges tonight and see what the micrometer says, for science