How do u twist the kanthal? And what size is the coil 1/16?
Me wonders the same - twisting????
I use a dremel with the sanding bit attached since it has a screw in the center. I measure out about 2-3 feet, even them out in terms of exact length, and then twist each end slightly. I then raise the screw on the sanding bit, wrap a bit of the kanthal around the screw, much like you'd wrap a lead around a post, and then tighten it down. I take the other end and either wrap it around a key ring (threading it like you would a key) or a pair of pliers.
Once both of these are in place, I'll turn the dremel on low and pulse in one hand while keeping the wire straight with the other using the key ring until I see the wires twisting. As you pulse, the overall length of the kanthal is going to get shorter, so you have to make sure you're not pulling them hard, rather, allow them kanthal to shrink as it needs to while you continue to pulse. If you pull too hard, it's going to snap on one end and you could potentially get hit with the wire - so it's important to go slow and not use the high setting.
You'll know it's pretty much done when the two pieces of wire look like they're one twisted pair. The twists will be tiny and should be even across the entire length of the wire. When it's done, it looks as if it's one solid piece that's been etched. If done right, there won't be any kinks or imperfections.
I managed to get it right the second time. My first piece snapped.
The wire in the picture is 32g Kanthal wrapped on a 1/16" allan key, but a drill bit works the same. The key is all I had on-hand at the time of wrapping. I've tried using 3 and 4 pieces of 32 but they don't work as well and they are not as flexible, so wrapping a coil becomes hard to do.
None of the wire is torched, but I suppose you could do that before to strengthen the wire a bit and allow it to be more malleable when it comes time to wrap.
