AusBonsai

Hi all,

In need of copper wire. Anyone stocking?

PM prices and weights!

Thanks all.

-Mo

http://www.j-bonsai.com/

Hi Luke308 have you purchased anything from them before ?

I actually have, problem is I don't like waiting.

Was hoping for someone local?

Cheers.

Leong from Bonsai South in Sydney, is now stocking it now, $75 per kilo.

http://www.bonsaisouth.com.au

My club (Bonsai Northwest) also now stocks imported Japanese copper wire for members in 1kg rolls.

Let me know if interested.

Thanks
David

hi David
how much is the club selling the copper wire per kilo for members? might be an incentive to rejoin the club.

Tien

Crickey, in the early days of bonsai we purchased copper cable from the scrap metal yard. Its a bit of work stripping off the insulation and annealing the wire but it saves a fair amount of money.

DavidN wrote:My club (Bonsai Northwest) also now stocks imported Japanese copper wire for members in 1kg rolls.

Let me know if interested.

Thanks
David

Hi David what about Visitors from the West?

Ps yes Brian that used to be the go here too.

Check that the copper wire is annealed before you buy.

I think one of the vendors at the Canberra convention (Bonsai Environment?) supplied copper wire for Ryan's workshop but he rejected it because it was not annealed and too stiff to work with.

Shibui, Thanks for the tip mate.

I didn't realise non-annealed wire would be much more stiff than annealed, if I'm honest I thought it was little more than a gimmick!



How exactly does one anneal their own copper wire anyway?

Search for George White in melb. He stocks annealed copper wire in most widths at 36 dollars a kilo. I have seen it but I haven't yet used it.

Adam

Webos wrote:Search for George White in melb. He stocks annealed copper wire in most widths at 36 dollars a kilo. I have seen it but I haven't yet used it.

Adam

Absolute ripper mate, cheers.

Webos wrote:Search for George White in melb. He stocks annealed copper wire in most widths at 36 dollars a kilo. I have seen it but I haven't yet used it.

Adam

It's been 10 or 15 years since I have seen Geo White copper and it was very shiny. It will dull over time.The wire David is talking about has a very dull flat finish to start with. It looks much better IMO.

To anneal metal, including copper wire, you heat it to dull red heat then allow it to cool again. That makes it softer and easy to apply but as you bend it it 'work hardens' and gets stiffer again so has more holding power. I anneal my copper wire in the wood heater when we have it going in winter but any decent fire will do the job. If you get it too hot you can melt it.

Bright shiny copper wire is generally not annealed and will be stiff and harder to use. Annealing makes it a dull colour.