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What is the minimum bend radius for different sizes of music wire?

I've also heard that heating the music wire red hot and bending it is a bad plan. Do you heat your music to bend it?

Ron,

My rule of thumb is the bend radius of wire is = to the diameter of the wire but I do violate this allot. It really depends on the angle of the bend. For bends of 45 degrees or less I bend my wire using a drill press vice and brass hammer. I have never had a landing gear or anything else break up to 5/32" wire bent this way. For sharper bends 90 degrees and more I use the 1 diameter rule.

Absolutely do not heat the wire. If you do the temper will be gone and you won't have music wire any more just annealed 1010 steel wire.

Depends on the quality of the wire. When we were kids we used to stick 1/16 wire in a vise and smack it with a hammer to get an absolutely square corner for pushrods. Same with 1/8 landing gear wire althought less than 90 degrees. Try that with today's wire and you will have probably have two pieces of wire! As an old test engineer, I would say run some tests and find out for yourself, then publish the results in Stunt News so we can all benefit from it.

Has anyone tried using the music wire sold by SMALL PARTS, INC.? Their description says ".... hardened spring steel...tensile strength is at least 220,000 psi...this material can only be cut by a cutting wheel or carbide jawed cutters...". Sounds like it should be better than what they have at the LHS. It's a little bit pricey the way you have to buy it but probably worth it if it will do a good job and not be too difficult to work with.

>Depends on the quality of the wire. When we were kids we
>used to stick 1/16 wire in a vise and smack it with a hammer
>to get an absolutely square corner for pushrods. Same with
>1/8 landing gear wire althought less than 90 degrees. Try
>that with today's wire and you will have probably have two
>pieces of wire! As an old test engineer, I would say run
>some tests and find out for yourself, then publish the
>results in Stunt News so we can all benefit from it.

Already been there, done that. LHS music wire breaks when put in a vice and whacked with a hammer... I just didn't know if the wire benders worked or if the best bet was to anneal, bend, harden, heat treat...

I bend my wire using a drill press vice and brass
>hammer.

Randy,

I'm sure you use a vise. I can assure all the SSW faithful that you are a man of good character, and have no serious vices.

Just couldn't resist, and BTW, this topic is of great interest as I bend LG for my Ukey 35. I bought Harry Higley wire bending tools for the job.

Heating the wire to bend it is ok as long as you temper the wire afterwards.
I apply this to any wire over 1/8". Heat it dull red bend it quench it see if it fits THEN re-heat to 450-600 then air cool.
Also If you want GOOD wire good to a music store that re-tunes pianos. Lots of good scrap. There is more carbon in USA wire and makes bending easer. Overseas wire has less carbon.

I was always taught to heat wire to red and let it air cool
Bend wire
Heat up to red and quench (it's now rock hard so don't bend again!)
Clean wire back to silver with scourer or emery paper
Carefully heat wire until you see blue colour run up the wire STOP heating then.
Air cool
Adrian