Anybody else do this?

[PhreakySTS9]

Lately instead of heating my wire with a lighter before wrapping, what I do instead is I attach one end to the center post in a genesis, and one end to the negative, so that it just makes a big loop. Just an "O" kind of shape. I then just heat it up a bunch of times. I think it's easier to do it this way rather than burning it, and keeps lighter residue off the wire. It's not like it's a huge time saver or some miracle or anything, I was just curious if i'm the only person that does this? I would take a picture but my DID and my Cobra are both coiled amazingly right now and I don't want to screw them up just to take a picture! LOL

 

[b0redagain]

Meh, I just use a lighter...haha.

 

[PhreakySTS9]

I just do it because this way I know it will "pre-treat" it evenly, and also it really hurts my eyes using a lighter in this way. It's also fun and looks super cool!

 

[b0redagain]

I'll give it a go and see how I like it.

 

[PhreakySTS9]

I like feeling the warmth coming off the wire while it's glowing. I'm so weird and YES i'm aware! Bwah ha ha ha ha haaaa!

 

[WillyB]

... It's also fun and looks super cool!

You need to get out more.

 

[Tibby]

Why are you supposed to do that in the first place? I have heard it makes the wire easier to work with. I have watched a video where the guy did not even burn the wire.

 

[b0redagain]

Why are you supposed to do that in the first place? I have heard it makes the wire easier to work with. I have watched a video where the guy did not even burn the wire.

You don't have to do it, but it does make it easier to work with. Applying heat to the wire takes some of the tension out of it.

 

[PhreakySTS9]

And it helps get rid of the machining oils that are sometimes on it.

 

[MISTer E]

I only use Kanthal (but the following seems to apply to both it & nichrome). I do not burn treat my resistance wire until the coil is wound set in place. As I comprehend it, once fire/heat is applied to the wire, a shell of chromium oxide forms & if disturbed after fire I imagine it forms cracks.

Oxidze SS mesh. Absolutely it is clearly needed & serves a function.

Oxidize wire before wound & set. I know of no reason to on Kanthal. A dry burn removes manufacturing oils just fine & I feel that my coils last longer.(nichrome is much more stiff, so a preburn of strait wire may help nichrome users. I do not know, as I do not use nichrome.)

*Source with info about the shell layer of chromium oxide.

 

[PhreakySTS9]

Yeah I prefer nichrome to kanthal and it's pretty much all I use.

 

[JPoodles]

I torch my kanthal. It shows you any soft spots that would snap when fired (more in a roll than you'd think unless I got shoddy wire) and yes it does help keep it in its place. If you don't heat treat then it expands away from wick once its fired in my experience.