DIY Wire Draw Bench for Jewelry Making

For the cost of a boat winch, 1200mm of square hollow tubing, two off cuts of rectangle you can build your own draw bench. Supply company price US$500+ for a pre-made one, that is, admittedly, a lot more handsome than mine. Allthough mine can easily be packed away or hang on the wall until the next time you need it.

Clamped

Welded, both sides and then angle ground down.

So here I show two pieces of angle iron that are welded on, to act as stops for the draw plate.

On the other end the boat winch is attached.

The underneath view. I also bolted a lip on at the same time so the draw bench is easy to hang on the wall for storage.

I had to bend the draw tongs a little more radically. I put them in a vise and heated the area where it's bent to bright orange and then bent the steel. This is actually very easy, since at that temperature the steel becomes like putty, and you have to watch that you don't over bend it. I slipped the chain over the handles and through the winch eye.

Just finished bending the draw tongs to adjust them.

Drawing the wire. Now the first thing that I thought was that when the silver wire gets to the end it's going to go BANG and whip back and loosen some of my teeth. That does not happen. It simple goes BOING and drops. This is however silver wire that I am drawing. I imagine that when you draw 9kt or titanium wire there might be a stronger whiplash, so caution is advised.

A picture of the finished machine. I simply clamp it in my vise when I want to use it .

And then for storage,  I hang it on the wall out of the way.

And the finished product produced. Square and round silver wire. I am going to make some heavy men's chain out of this sectioning.