BillyBonesBonsai
Shohin
I know this has must have been posted a lot but anyway, how can I practice wiring and how can I make it easier?
basic wiring
- Thread starter BillyBonesBonsai
- Start date
For a nice tutorial on basic wiring, Colin Lewis has some tutorials on www.craftsy.com. They're free but you have to register with Craftsy.
He demonstrates wiring and talks about how to choose wire.
He demonstrates wiring and talks about how to choose wire.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
You can make it easier by using annealed copper. I know it is hard for you to source.
Aluminum if not copper.
Practice a lot.
It's worth checking out that craftsy Adair posted too!
Just remember, if you don't anchor, and start succesfully, you can't really finish successfully!
Sorce
Aluminum if not copper.
Practice a lot.
It's worth checking out that craftsy Adair posted too!
Just remember, if you don't anchor, and start succesfully, you can't really finish successfully!
Sorce
BillyBonesBonsai
Shohin
Those free classes are awesome, just wired my olive tree, and I certainly have a lot of practice to do, but that's what I love about bonsai. I especially liked heating up the copper wire, very fun
BillyBonesBonsai
Shohin
Wiring is a lot more fun than I thought.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
There is a book with really great illustrations by Deborah Koreshoff called " Bonsai", it has a whole chapter on wiring, with diagrams for different directional bends and very detailed. The book is also very good at overall techniques.
BillyBonesBonsai
Shohin
I will check it out, thank you all for the help, it has given me more confidence, I was dreading wiring. Now I'm hitting all my trees
Eric Group
Masterpiece
One good way to learn how to wire is to REMOVE wire from a tree that was wired correctly. If you have a local club or friends who do Bonsai.. Offer to help in someone's garden. This time of year they may have a few trees that need their wire removed, and just studying how it was put on there, what effect they used it to achieve, and how long they left it on ( IOW, how much they let it dig into the bark prior to removal- as most trees need to have it left on until it has probably bit into the bark some before the branches are set most likely, but out don't want to leave it TOO long and severely scar the bark.. It is a very fine line..)
The other thing you can do is practice on live branches of trees in your back yard. Lop off a few branches that ramify down to smaller twigs and practice wiring them out to the tips then uncoil it and do it again, you will get better anpd faster the more you practice. This helps you understand how to use different gauges of wire in different sized branches.
A few tips:
To determine what size is best- grab the wire with an inch or so exposed beyond your fingers and press down on the branch you are about to wire. If the BRANCH moves, then you probably have a strong enough piece of wire to bend it, if the wire bends before moving the branch, use a thicker piece.
When adding movement to a branch, don't wire just to "lower" ( that could be acheived with a guy wire..) the branch- put a wiggle in it and do it in three dimensions. Up/ down and side to side... Don't just bend it one direction- if possible add some interest to it. Obviously with larger branches/ trunks you won't be able to do this...
Al vs Copper- Al is softer, easier to bend so you have to use a larger piece to bend the same branch as a smaller piece of Copper generally.. But Al is reuseabe, copper has to be annealed again prior to reusing. I haven't found a distinct advantage to one over the other personally to be honest. Some people SWEAR Copper is SO much better to use on certain trees... But if the Al does the job (bends the branch) and cost HALF or ONE THIRD as much, AND you can reuse it... Well especially for beginners, I recommend Aluminum. JMHO, and I am sure plenty will tell you Copper makes a big difference. Let your experience and your WALLET be your guide!
Wiring is kind of fun.. I think all aspects of Bonsai are pretty fun or I wouldn't do it. I even enjoy argu- err I mean TALKING to people on this forum.
The other thing you can do is practice on live branches of trees in your back yard. Lop off a few branches that ramify down to smaller twigs and practice wiring them out to the tips then uncoil it and do it again, you will get better anpd faster the more you practice. This helps you understand how to use different gauges of wire in different sized branches.
A few tips:
To determine what size is best- grab the wire with an inch or so exposed beyond your fingers and press down on the branch you are about to wire. If the BRANCH moves, then you probably have a strong enough piece of wire to bend it, if the wire bends before moving the branch, use a thicker piece.
When adding movement to a branch, don't wire just to "lower" ( that could be acheived with a guy wire..) the branch- put a wiggle in it and do it in three dimensions. Up/ down and side to side... Don't just bend it one direction- if possible add some interest to it. Obviously with larger branches/ trunks you won't be able to do this...
Al vs Copper- Al is softer, easier to bend so you have to use a larger piece to bend the same branch as a smaller piece of Copper generally.. But Al is reuseabe, copper has to be annealed again prior to reusing. I haven't found a distinct advantage to one over the other personally to be honest. Some people SWEAR Copper is SO much better to use on certain trees... But if the Al does the job (bends the branch) and cost HALF or ONE THIRD as much, AND you can reuse it... Well especially for beginners, I recommend Aluminum. JMHO, and I am sure plenty will tell you Copper makes a big difference. Let your experience and your WALLET be your guide!
Wiring is kind of fun.. I think all aspects of Bonsai are pretty fun or I wouldn't do it. I even enjoy argu- err I mean TALKING to people on this forum.
BillyBonesBonsai
Shohin
Thanks that's some good advice. I'm loving copper
Billy, copper is the best for conifers.
Annealing your own is fine. Once you do it a lot, you will find that some wire anneals better than others.
The best annealed copper available is by Jim Gremel. He has all sizes. Every year, I place an order for a couple rolls of each size. (Except size 4... I have a roll, but I don't have any trees big enough that I have to use it. But if I ever NEED it, I have it!)
Eric's advice about learning to wire well by removing wire is good, IF: 1) the tree was wired properly to begin with; 2) you UNWIND the wire; 3) start by removing the smallest wires on a branch first, then move to the larger wires.
To unwind: use Jin pliers to grab the end of the wire, and hold the wired branch with your other hand, one turn back. Then spin the Jin pliers in your hand to loosen the wire. Do one spin, then move your supporting hand back one turn. Then turn the pliers again. Repeat until you get back to the "anchor" point. (Usually a branch crotch.). Then move to the other end of the wire (two branches should always be wired with one wire), and repeat over there.
Most of the time, I can remove the wire in one piece. But, if the unwound wire is really long, I might shorten it by cutting it.
Usually, the Jin pliers, and the hand holding them are never inside the canopy. So, you're less likely to damage other parts of the tree than if you are trying to get a pair of wire cutters and your hands way in there.
What I generally DON'T do is use the bonsai wire cutters and cut it off in small "chunks". Large wire, yes I do. For gauge 8 and bigger. Sometimes, I can spin those off, too. Yes, I know, EVERYONE is taught to cut it off. I was, too.
Here's why spinning it off is better: for really small wire on detail branches, it's really hard to cut the wire and not the branch. For wire that's cut in, you can't get the wire cutters to cut across the wire without cutting into the scars on either side of the wire. It's also hard to cut the wire without making it "twist" one way or the other. If you don't have the cutters perfectly perpendicular to the wire, the end being removed will twist as its being cut, and damage the bark. And, you may leave a little chunk in place by accident.
So, learning to remove by spinning is a good thing. Those who have never done it say they would damage the tree by unwiring. I say that there should be no more damage by unwiring than wiring. Yes, you do have to practice being dexterous to learn how to get your hands and fingers in without doing damage. It gets easier with practice. So, unwiring by spinning helps to train your hands for better wiring.
There, I've said my piece about removing wire, and there's no point in arguing about it. If you disagree, fine. If you've never tried unwinding, try it before you condemn the practice. I think you'll find it's easier than you thought.
Annealing your own is fine. Once you do it a lot, you will find that some wire anneals better than others.
The best annealed copper available is by Jim Gremel. He has all sizes. Every year, I place an order for a couple rolls of each size. (Except size 4... I have a roll, but I don't have any trees big enough that I have to use it. But if I ever NEED it, I have it!)
Eric's advice about learning to wire well by removing wire is good, IF: 1) the tree was wired properly to begin with; 2) you UNWIND the wire; 3) start by removing the smallest wires on a branch first, then move to the larger wires.
To unwind: use Jin pliers to grab the end of the wire, and hold the wired branch with your other hand, one turn back. Then spin the Jin pliers in your hand to loosen the wire. Do one spin, then move your supporting hand back one turn. Then turn the pliers again. Repeat until you get back to the "anchor" point. (Usually a branch crotch.). Then move to the other end of the wire (two branches should always be wired with one wire), and repeat over there.
Most of the time, I can remove the wire in one piece. But, if the unwound wire is really long, I might shorten it by cutting it.
Usually, the Jin pliers, and the hand holding them are never inside the canopy. So, you're less likely to damage other parts of the tree than if you are trying to get a pair of wire cutters and your hands way in there.
What I generally DON'T do is use the bonsai wire cutters and cut it off in small "chunks". Large wire, yes I do. For gauge 8 and bigger. Sometimes, I can spin those off, too. Yes, I know, EVERYONE is taught to cut it off. I was, too.
Here's why spinning it off is better: for really small wire on detail branches, it's really hard to cut the wire and not the branch. For wire that's cut in, you can't get the wire cutters to cut across the wire without cutting into the scars on either side of the wire. It's also hard to cut the wire without making it "twist" one way or the other. If you don't have the cutters perfectly perpendicular to the wire, the end being removed will twist as its being cut, and damage the bark. And, you may leave a little chunk in place by accident.
So, learning to remove by spinning is a good thing. Those who have never done it say they would damage the tree by unwiring. I say that there should be no more damage by unwiring than wiring. Yes, you do have to practice being dexterous to learn how to get your hands and fingers in without doing damage. It gets easier with practice. So, unwiring by spinning helps to train your hands for better wiring.
There, I've said my piece about removing wire, and there's no point in arguing about it. If you disagree, fine. If you've never tried unwinding, try it before you condemn the practice. I think you'll find it's easier than you thought.
BillyBonesBonsai
Shohin
Trail and error is the way, I will try everything. Thank you
BillyBonesBonsai
Shohin
How would one a dress a slightly broken branch, from a little over zealous wiring (facepalm)
BillyBonesBonsai
Shohin
Yeah it would happen if you are practicing, it from one of my saplings, just a hairline fracture. I think the wire was too big...
armetisius
Chumono
Happens ti every body from time to time.
You snap -- you learn
You kill --- you learn
Start with the cheap so that "facepalm" doesn't become a desire to
"open a vein" over some great piece of stock you saved and searched for.
Best of luck & good growing
BillyBonesBonsai
Shohin
I hear you, it's not that bad already got the healing process on the go
Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
I assume you're talking about "Bonsai: Its Art, Science, History and Philosophy"?
It's on my list of future purchases. I didn't realize there was a chapter on wiring.
BillyBonesBonsai
Shohin
Hahaha
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
I guess this one is going to move to the top of my list then
Thanks Judy!Similar threads
