Silversmithing: Using a Drawplate

This short tutorial shows you how to reduce wire diameters with a drawplate. This is a very useful tool, especially if you run out of a particular gauge. All you need are the drawplate, some draw tongs or vice grips, and some lubricating wax. If you find it helpful or interesting, please give it a like! If you'd like to see more useful videos like this, please subscribe to my channel:). It would be great if you would share this with others who might find it useful. Ring the bell so you get notifications when I upload a new video.
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[@patredden4557]

Good information, thanks for sharing.

[@chadssilversmithing]

You're welcome Pat!

[@Austin1990]

Wow, such smooth, steady draws! Very nicely done, and thank you for the helpful video. My thought is to buy a spool of thicker wire and draw smaller gage as needed to avoid spending money on multiple spools that will sit around.

[@chadssilversmithing]

I use 14 to pull into smaller sizes pretty often:). Thanks for the nice comment!

[@Lisa-yj8dt]

Cool😎! I have never tried this. Clamping the wooden blocks is a good idea. I will be interested to try this. Thank you for the lesson.

[@splinteryfingerswoodworkin4215]

One could also just clamp it in a vise:)

[@chadssilversmithing]

That other reply is me as well Lisa, just from my other channel.

[@anthonygallegos4342]

What year did you start smithing? I started in 04, what was your first tool,when you started out?

[@kerrievenner6137]

Hey Chad - excellent tut very helpful and full of great advice. I’m a largely self taught maker and occasionally my excellent 🇬🇧 wire supplier doesn’t have quite the gold filled gauge wire I (and my customers) prefer for earring wires. I’ve purchased a draw plate and tongs to take the 0.9 mm gold filled down to 0.7mm. Any tips to look out for drawing down gold filled please?

[@smac3662]

Can you please tell a novice why someone invests in draw plates of the sizes and shapes instead of purchasing quantities of wire of the size that they most commonly work with? Is this an investment for when you need an unusual size that you may not keep? Thank you for responding.

[@smac3662]

Sorry, saw your description above explaining afterwards. But, it seems a big investment of money for when you run out of the correct wire; no?

[@chadssilversmithing]

Hello S Mac. You can certainly get by without them, but I use them pretty frequently. Some people just like recycling their own scrap into new useable wire. Thanks for the good question!

[@kimauger4293]

Can you put round wire in a square draw pate and make square wire?

[@kerrievenner6137]

Hey Chad - excellent tut very helpful and full of great advice. I’m a largely self taught maker and occasionally my excellent 🇬🇧 wire supplier doesn’t have quite the gold filled gauge wire I (and my customers) prefer for earring wires. I’ve purchased a draw plate and tongs to take the 0.9 mm gold filled down to 0.7mm. Any tips to look out for drawing down gold filled please?

[@chadssilversmithing]

Hello Kerrie! I have never worked with Gold filled wire, so I am unsure. When I looked it up, it seemed that if you have a highly polished drawplate it is possible:)