Draw plates can come in handy for the wire and metal jewelry maker. They can be used to straighten wire, resize wire, or create wire. While a draw plate is a pretty basic piece of equipment, there are a number of other tools needed and steps to follow in order to use a draw plate.
In order to use a draw plate, besides the plate, you’ll need:
jewelers’ files
lubricant
vise
wash cloth
gripping pliers
1. Add drops of lubricant onto the holes of the plate that you’ll be using.
2. Place the draw plate in the vise and use the wash cloth to wrap around the par of the plate that the vice is up against in order to keep from scratching up the plate. Also, make sure that the holes you’ll be using are not covered by the vice.
3. Use a file to file the end of your wire so it is tapered.
4. Cover the wire with the lubricant.
5. Now feed the wire through the back side of the plate where there are no numbers. Insert it through whichever hole it fits through snugly.
6. Use the gripping pliers to pull the wire through the plate. Try not to use jerky motions so you don’t bend up your wire. Instead, try to draw the wire through slowly and smoothly.
7. Continue to draw the wire through the holes until you get the size you want.
Most jewelry tool and equipment suppliers sell draw plates. The one pictured here was purchased from Rio Grande for about $30. It has 31 holes. The largest hole is for 9 gauge wire and the smallest is for 24 gauge. I also purchased a small bottle of "Bur-life" ® which is a fatty alcohol based lubricant used to help you pull the wire through the holes.
Here's a printer friendly copy of this file.
All graphics created by Tammy Powley.
