Wire Straightener Tool

One of the things that really niggles me are models that include wire as part of the component makeup but rather than supply nice straight wire the manufacturers insist on coiling it up which in many cases make it almost useless and good only for the waste bin.

There are several methods for straightening wire you will come across from clamping one end in a vice, grabbing the other end between the jaws of a pair of pliers and giving a sharp pull.

Other methods would suggest you can straighten wire by rolling it between 2 flat surfaces.

While looking through eBay recently I came across an item in the craft tools section called “Wire Straightener Tool “by Artistic Wire.

Always being one for a gadget I sent off for one to see what benefits it might give me.

What was interesting is that the item is stamped up “made in India” but mine came all the way from China – quite amazing to think how small the world has now become, and how international trade now is.

The tool is listed as being made of Nylon and I was not convinced that would be a strong enough plastic to work with wire. However, on receiving the item I thought at first the plastic parts might in fact be made of white glass as they are extremely hard and have that look and feel of white glass.

They are in fact plastic but a very, very hard type.

The tool is hinged and forms a triangle shape that you clamp the wire between before pulling it through and straightening it.

In the example pictures below I have taken a coil of Steel wire from a Model Expo kit and this is extremely hard and I cannot think this would be easy the straighten and remove the kinks from.

Having pulled the wire through the tool 3 times you can see that it does indeed straighten and remove kinks in the wire.

I am not sure to what gauge wire this would work to but brass wire could be annealed with heat to soften it if of significant gauge and I am sure would work just as well.

Cost of this little tool is around the £10.00 mark

From the couple of practices, I have had with it I think it will certainly have a place in my tool box from now on.

Nice find, Thanks.

I`ve got quite a bit of wire in both the Occre tram and dio kits, so purchased one.

For a few quid more than the tenner I got a metal anvil block as well.



Regards
delboy271155
(Derek)

Dave

Must admit when i saw this one i could not fathom how something that was not totally smooth would work but it does really well. Its also good having very hard plastic rollers which means the wire does not leave score marks in the surface.

Your postman has been kept busy Derek

I think with some of the thicker coiled wires annealing over a flame softens brass.

Tried some 2mm recently and having given it a blast with the heat it went through the little machine well.