I'm still a newbie and haven't tried for a weld, yet, but I've seen discussion and videos where some welds are bundled and tied with wire.  What wire is used for that?

 

I'd expect steel fence wire to be galvanized, so I wouldn't want to try that, and I'm not sure MIG wire would qualify as cheap and disposable enough for the task, nor do I know its melting characteristics, but I'm not sure where to look for plain uncoated steel wire.

 

I have the usual selection of Lowes & Home Depot, and there's a Tractor Supply Company nearby, too.

Coat hangers, bailing wire, anything flexible that will take the heat. The key is to twist it on tight.

I've not used it myself yet but one of my instructors mentioned using rebar wire, a bundle runs about $6 at my local home store.

Coat hangers, bailing wire, anything flexible that will take the heat. The key is to twist it on tight.

 

Coat hangers are far too heavy.  Baling wire is a good idea, though I'd need to find quantities suitable for hobby use, not the mile long wire an actual baler would use.

 

Black annealed rebar wire is a good idea (as opposed to galvanized) though and it can be had at Home Depot for under $6 for 400 feet.

 

Thanks!

For larger bundles of material, like for making damascus billets it is also common to either tig or mig a bundle together.

common?  not desired, because it leaves weldment in the billet that has to be ground out later. also the bundle needs to be able to shift, else it buckles from heat differentials

I weld only the handle/tong end then wrap the rest of the billet with tie wire (black annealed wire for rebar ) Using mig wire doesn't offer the flex and twistability as well as being more expensive. Then, as I weld from the handle end, flux can be forced out of the non-welded edges as its hammered

I've not used it myself yet but one of my instructors mentioned using rebar wire, a bundle runs about $6 at my local home store.

 

this is what you want. it's soft and easy to work with. some places call it 'mechanics wire' or 'tie wire'

Now why didn't I think of that? :P

Bailing wire is sold in big box stores in reasonable lengths as mechanics wire. Tie wire is thicker and lower carbon, it doesn't have to have the tensile strength of bailing wire so it's lower carbon but thicker to resist shear when concrete is poured.

 

What I like a about concrete (rebar) tie wire is it's very low carbon. I can wrap a billet like a mummy and it'll shield the higher carbon stock from the air and being lower carbon when you get the tie wire to welding heat the higher carbon steel is in the sweet spot. It can also make a nice contrast in the etch if you don't want to grind it off. It also grinds easier being so soft.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

In the olden days, I read about wrapping wire, so I tried it on a to-be basket handle, four lengths of 5/16" round. The wrap got hot and the bundle unbundled in all directions. I then tried two wraps twisted tight. One loosened, slid down and got in the end weldment. The result was ugly and unusable. Then I started end-tacking them with the arc welder. That worked but it seemed an extra step and kind of a pain. One day, a little epiphany! I picked up a pair of bolt tongs that FIT the four pieces and clamped the reins with a tong clip. I then proceeded to weld both ends without a problem or any extra preparatory steps.

 

Sayings and Cornpone

   "Don't rule out working with your hands. It does not preclude using your head."

   Andy Rooney

I prefer to weld the billet together. If I weld the ends, not the sides I usually dont need to worry about grinding the weld material off. When I cut up a forged out billet for a restack, I cut the very ends off anyway because they are not straight. 

Now why didn't I think of that? :P

 

if I think it was a good comment I just repeat it. cranking up the click count you know.  :P