Hoping to learn about annealing, specifically how many times I can anneal copper & alum, and whether I can burn-off plastic insulation!

[SU2]

I've finally hit a point where I'm no longer buying wire but simply taking it off, throwing it in the USED bucket, then annealing when I'm running low on good wire!

Firstly I'm hoping to know whether or not you can just keep annealing indefinitely, I swear I'd heard that you cannot however this doesn't really jive with my understanding of work-hardening and structural re-alignment upon annealing so I was hoping to get the skinny on this!! Have really begun loving the thinner aluminum wire I've got, especially on its 2nd/3rd usages without annealing, because it's finally strong-enough to work half decent but it got me wondering what'd happen if I never annealed the alum ones (I still haven't, all my sessions were copper-only, stiff-but-thin alum is still very useful for me, stuff doesn't stiff nearly as much as copper of course), would they work-harden to the strength of copper or would they ultimately get kinks that'd snap like on steel?

Secondly....that plastic sheathing on Romex cabling, does it burn-off the copper wiring fully if you just tossed 2' lengths of insulated 12g into the fire? Obviously I'd be splitting-open the outer-insulation sheathing to get the 3 core 12g copper wires, am just looking to get-around spending half an hour with a razor-blade trying to skin them all and figured to ask so, if it DOES work 'clean' (ie the copper is clean afterward), then I can do all my plastic-covered ones as well in today's/tomorrow's annealing session, otherwise will just toss one in there to see whether or not the fire can fully strip/burn-off that insulation so I know for next time!! (am aware, and at-peace, with the pollution this would cause. Something tells me that, in annealing my own wires for re-use, that I'm probably still 'environmentally-ahead' of someone who's not re-using their wires!)


Thanks a ton for any & all advice on this one!!! Also, since I'm talking wires, I figured I may as well ask something that's been on-mind a while now: *How many people find zip-ties incredibly useful for *some* types of manipulations?* I ask because I've gotten lots of blank stares about my use of them, in fact I use them far more often than regular wiring and guy-wiring because the speed and the precision is just top notch with zip ties, this is of course only for 'setting bones' and not for refinement-type shaping just for shaping the basic orientation/shape of the bottoms of the primaries you're developing! Don't know how I could do what I do w/o zip-ties!!

 

[Anthony]

@SU2 ,
https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/copperwi.htm

https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/copperwi2.htm

Marty is an easy guy to talk to.
Contact him through IBC.
Good Day
Anthony

* You can also get this information on a jewellery forum,
like Ganoskin, if they are still around.

 

[Shibui]

I've been re-annealing the same copper wires for a number of years and there's no sign of any problem. They do tend to get a bit thinner because I straighten out the kinks by pulling between 2 pairs of pliers or pliers and vice.
You may have problems annealing Al wire. It melts very easily.

I do not burn off plastic insulation. That stuff is toxic in the atmosphere and even little amounts do add up. Once started a bit the plastic can usually be pulled off with just occasional use of the knife to keep it coming off. I don't know Romex cabling so maybe you have some different sheathing?

I have also started to use zip ties for some bonsai work. Obviously not as versatile as wiring form most work but really great for pulling a side branch up against a chopped trunk as replacement leader and they can be tightened up whenever needed. Always on the lookout for more new uses for them.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I use wire strippers to get the plastic off. Just wrap it around a fat tree in the yard and strip it off at the other end. It's good upper body exercise.

 

[sorce]

(am aware, and at-peace, with the pollution this would cause. Something tells me that, in annealing my own wires for re-use, that I'm probably still 'environmentally-ahead' of someone who's not re-using their wires!)

This is like thinking all your half dead bonsai are good because some people have all dead ones.

It's like thinking because someone killed their mother it's ok for you to stab yours as long as she'll live.

It's like thinking licking turds is ok because your dog eats them.

It's like cutting down a perfectly good tree cuz some other guy spiked it.

Sorce