There’s a yt video of Adam L’s where he has a 5 gal. bucket full of unwound wire. A q&a thing perhaps??
He demonstrates how to straighten it by tightly pulling it back and fro (ala wire saw) against a stainless steel bench leg.
I was impressed by the conservation of resources and this technique.
Adair, it’s interesting to hear that you mostly remove rather than cut your wire, as I’ve come to trust you know what you’re doing. However, I’ve heard other cats say not to..wires hardened..
Still, I suppose it’s like with all things, the approach. Has there ever been a bull in a china shop? -sure but; Madrid, where are ya?
Thanks Johnathan for this interesting topic. Christmas is coming, and it’s important I tell Mrs. Claus exactly what’s up.
I have long been an advocate of unwinding wire rather than cutting it off. I was heavily flamed when I first suggested that it’s a better way. There’s a thread, I think it’s called “What’s it like to attend an Intensive” or something like that. Fun reading!
I unwind all the thin stuff, and only begin to use wire cutters at around gauge 8. Even then, I’ll usually unwind it some to get the wire away from the wood (bark), and then cut.
I use Jin pliers as leverage to unspin the wire.
I haven’t seen Adam’s wire straightening video. I suspect he uses aluminum. It’s easy to straighten: hold a pair of pliers in each hand. Grab the two ends of the wire, each plier holding one end. Then bring your hands together in front of your chest, and snap (jerk) your hands straight out wide to your sides. The wire should now be straight. Works with both copper and aluminum. Copper needs to be annealed again. Aluminum is good to go.
I’ve never used steel wire to secure a tree into a pot. I use aluminum for that. I use steel wire for guy wires sometimes. Mostly use copper for guy wires.
Ryan probably uses much heavier wire than I do on a regular basis wiring with yamadori junipers. I have a couple of those, but I tend to work with pines which “usually” don’t need super heavy wire. I generally don’t do the really big trees, I like the ones I can carry by myself. I also tend to work more highly refined trees which don’t need heavy wire. I use a lot of 12, 14, and 16 gauge wire. I have some 4, I’ve never used it. My bonsai wire cutters will cut 6, which I have used occasionally.
I’ve been doing bonsai for 50 years. I’ve got a lot of tools. I’ve bought them one at a time over the years. Some I’ve liked, some I haven’t.
I have found that the expensive Masakuni tools have lasted a long time. If you take care of them, they will last a lifetime. Other brands are good, too, but there’s something about the Masakunis that give them a good “feel”.
The key is to get familiar with your tools and learn how to use them properly. A great tool used improperly will yield poor results. While a marginal tool used expertly can give good results.
