How do you remove your wire?

[cheap_walmart_art]

Just thought about this topic reading a comment on another thread and wondered how all you B'nuts go about wire removal? I'm mostly a cutter, getting in there at each of the wraps with snub nosed bonsai wire cutters and snipping it ring by ring. If I have a bit of wire that has cut in, I will unwrap that part carefully and cut the rest. How do you guys go about it? Do you save your cut off bits for recycling? Just a bit of curiosity on my part on this question - couldn't find any topics in the search where anyone has talked about it.

 

[Warpig]

Same way i been going about it.

 

[MrWunderful]

Unwrap where I can, cut where I cant. It also depends on if its deciduous or not, in leaf etc.

 

[Smoke]

Just thought about this topic reading a comment on another thread and wondered how all you B'nuts go about wire removal? I'm mostly a cutter, getting in there at each of the wraps with snub nosed bonsai wire cutters and snipping it ring by ring. If I have a bit of wire that has cut in, I will unwrap that part carefully and cut the rest. How do you guys go about it? Do you save your cut off bits for recycling? Just a bit of curiosity on my part on this question - couldn't find any topics in the search where anyone has talked about it.

Thats because it's a dumb topic and personal. It's one of those things you just do in the privacy of your backyard and no one needs to know about or cares. Just do whats best for you. It's always an argument in the making, and frankly so much of a non issue.

 

[Starfox]

Well if you don't unwrap it then how can you re-use it?

 

[Smoke]

I would much rather see some of the beautiful trees you have wired and what effect the wire has had on them in the long run. Taking wire off, there is only two ways....pick one.

Post up the trees...

 

[Paulpash]

So where is your tree in this thread rather than clutter it with negativity? I'm sure if you used the search function you'd find his trees if you were the slightest bit interested.

I'm tired of hearing this continual mantra from you in information based (rather than show your work) threads. Maybe Instagram would suit you better?

I unwind - I also have a recycling box where I reuse wire on stuff I'm going to sell.

 

[Sansui]

Just thought about this topic reading a comment on another thread and wondered how all you B'nuts go about wire removal? I'm mostly a cutter, getting in there at each of the wraps with snub nosed bonsai wire cutters and snipping it ring by ring. If I have a bit of wire that has cut in, I will unwrap that part carefully and cut the rest. How do you guys go about it? Do you save your cut off bits for recycling? Just a bit of curiosity on my part on this question - couldn't find any topics in the search where anyone has talked about it.

The majority of time I cut. I primarily use aluminum wire. The dark color fades overtime from sunlight exposure so I don't reuse it for tree wiring. I do make guy wire S hooks from the larger gauge cut-offs and stakes to support seedlings with the wire I unwrap like this:

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Thats because it's a dumb topic and personal. It's one of those things you just do in the privacy of your backyard and no one needs to know about or cares. Just do whats best for you. It's always an argument in the making, and frankly so much of a non issue.

I wasn't looking for an argument or to offend, just having a slow day at work and figured itd be a nice way to further get to know people on here (I enjoyed reading another "get to know you" post by @BunjaeKorea).

I would much rather see some of the beautiful trees you have wired and what effect the wire has had on them in the long run. Taking wire off, there is only two ways....pick one.

Post up the trees...

Sure, I'll post what I have wired. I'm honestly not sure what you will get out of it since my skill and experience levels in the hobby are pretty low. Here are some from last year, the first year I tried wiring. Before that I just concentrated on keeping trees alive.




With the Hinoki, I removed the wires and it all snapped right back to where it was before I ever put the wires on. That one taught me to leave them until they start biting in a bit. I've gone a different direction with this particular tree and guy wired the branches down this year, I'm hoping that will result in the branches holding better while opening up the interior to more air and sun.



This one is my first juniper - the one I bought from a van on the side of the road. This is also the best its ever looked - its pretty jacked up right now and I'm thinking about just ground planting it and forgetting about it for a few years.

Here are a few from this year:


Here is a Bald Cypress I wired out. This is the first tree I tried downloading and studying some pictures of in the wild to get a more naturalistic idea for the shape. This is also one of my first major wiring sessions using copper wire. I ended up wasting a lot because I would remove wire I was less than happy with and try to rewire those branches, figured with a tough species like this it wouldn't hurt the tree to get bent up a few times if the final placement was good. (Tried to post a defoliated pic of the wiring but it wont upload for some reason.) Pic below is after the foliage grew back.




Here is a Ponderosa Pine I've posted before from a work shop I did with Golden Arrow. As far as the shape of the tree, I feel like this is my best one. The tree itself made it easy for me though as the lines were mostly already there. Andy helped me with the wiring and so far its one of my better wiring jobs. I still have difficulty with copper wire as I think I am prone to using too thick a gauge to get the job done. I'll be leaving this wire on well into next year or until it starts visibly cutting in.




Hopefully you saw whatever it was you were looking for in asking me to post these. If you want to see more of these or anything else I have done, just let me know and I'll be happy to follow up.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Here is my most recent tree wired. I t had grown branch tips far out past the previous wire, but the previous wire had not cut in. So I used the previous wire as anchor points for new wire to open it up to light and air and get it back into a shape.




Also, here is the Bald Cypress from the previous post defoliated, you can see the wiring better this way.

 

[Smoke]

I think your wire has done great things to the material you are working with. You are definitely in a class by yourself in what you have posted versus what others have posted. Now you just need the time, which there is no way to speed that up.....sigh...

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

I think your wire has done great things to the material you are working with. You are definitely in a class by yourself in what you have posted versus what others have posted. Now you just need the time, which there is no way to speed that up.....sigh...

Thanks. At this point in the game I consider it a win if the material looks better after wiring and growing out some than it did before. I intend to hit up as many workshops as I can moving forward to learn more, and as far as time goes I'm just enjoying the moment.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Well if you don't unwrap it then how can you re-use it?

I've not been successful trying to reuse wire, either aluminum or copper. It may be my skill level, but I find it too hard to get a good wrap or smooth application once its all gnarly and twisted up, even after straightening it out best I can.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

The majority of time I cut. I primarily use aluminum wire. The dark color fades overtime from sunlight exposure so I don't reuse it for tree wiring. I do make guy wire S hooks from the larger gauge cut-offs and stakes to support seedlings with the wire I unwrap like this:

View attachment 263220

Cool reuse of it. The longer scrap that I have I will usually use for marking the front of the tree, staking down fertilizer bags, or as twist ties. I may have to start making some seedling stakes moving forward as I hope to do more propagation next year.

 

[Sansui]

Cool reuse of it. The longer scrap that I have I will usually use for marking the front of the tree, staking down fertilizer bags, or as twist ties. I may have to start making some seedling stakes moving forward as I hope to do more propagation next year.

I do wire related stuff 'on the cheap' whenever I can and share my ideas on my website. graciebonsai.com.

 

[Dav4]

I used to cut but now I unwire if the gauge will let me mainly because it's faster for me, less traumatic to the bark/tree, and getting the wire cutters inside the canopy of shohin/smaller trees and at the correct angle to be used is difficult sometimes.

 

[sorce]

Resorce.

Effective wiring goes to the brink of permanent scarring.

Therefore effective wiring can not be cut off without scarring the tree.

Effective wiring MUST be unwound.

If you cut off your wire it was ineffective.

We don't have time for that.

This means our attention to detail just get more detailed.
Applying wire the same way all the time.

Argue, and I'll find your posts about branches springing back.

Sorce

 

[Sansui]

Resorce.

Effective wiring goes to the brink of permanent scarring.

Therefore effective wiring can not be cut off without scarring the tree.

Effective wiring MUST be unwound.

If you cut off your wire it was ineffective.

We don't have time for that.

This means our attention to detail just get more detailed.
Applying wire the same way all the time.

Argue, and I'll find your posts about branches springing back.

Sorce

Then how do I get my return on investment from my expensive wire cutters?

 

[Pitoon]

I've not been successful trying to reuse wire, either aluminum or copper. It may be my skill level, but I find it too hard to get a good wrap or smooth application once its all gnarly and twisted up, even after straightening it out best I can.

When I unwire I usually take two pliers....one on each end and with one quick snap I pull them apart. It's enough to get the wire straight again. But every time you pull the wire stretches getting thinner each time you do it.

 

[M. Frary]

I gnaw it off with my teeth.

 

[Woocash]

Funny, I was looking this exact subject up earlier. Seems like such a waste of to just cut it off after a few months of use. Anybody invented a home smelting / extrusion machine yet?