General > General Technical Chat
How did they make wire conductors in the early years ?
MathWizard:
I was looking at a timeline of EM discoveries and inventions. And I was wondering about how hard and expensive it would have been to make round, thin/long conductors/wires back then, and buy them. There's actually a book "The History of Electric Wires and Cables ". I guess they never made the documentary yet, but I'd watch.
I can think of 20 questions, I've seen a lot of blacksmithing video's and history, but IDK if any long metal wire was in use for much anything, maybe on some early musical instruments? Or mechanisms ? Maybe Gold thread which was hammered and rolled. No one was making chain-link fence, or did some castle have such things ?
If you only had a local blacksmith, but did have copper, how hard it is to go from ingot, to a single 10ft, 24AWG wire ?, or 100ft ?
And when did they start making wires in a mechanized way in machines, and someone made sold it besides just in some big city at some University or something ?
ataradov:
Wire was made and used way before electricity was discovered. It was used for fencing and other household needs. There are varying timelines for that, but I think drawing through dies in an industrial way was perfected in 1400s. And for small lengths it was used in BC times.
Someone:
Its like people someone stumble upon forums without knowing about this thing called internet search engines!
https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=wire+drawing+history
MathWizard:
Ok so people were drawing wires in the 1400's and making fences. I have a propane torch, 1 of these days I want to see how soft copper wire gets.
I wonder when/how they 1st made flux filled solders ? I bet people were not afraid to try chewing on solder back then. I guess I better not try yet.
ataradov:
Annealed copper is very soft, it can be easily drawn though a die in a cold state. But it work hardens like crazy, so you need to anneal it after every work cycle.
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