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can you get element pinning wire at mcmaster-carr?

updated fri 26 jan 07

 

Vince Pitelka on sun 21 jan 07


> Has anyone bought this stuff from Mcmaster before? Is NiChrome wire the
> correct name for it?

Paul -
I've never bought high-temperature wire from them, but you don't want
NiChrome wire for element pins, because it is too soft at red heat. It is a
lower-temperature element wire. You want Kanthal wire. Euclid's Elements
is a good place to buy it in bulk, but I expect that places like Bailey also
have it. For element pins, I expect you would use wire about 16-gauge.
- Vince

Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft, Tennessee Technological University
Smithville TN 37166, 615/597-6801 x111
vpitelka@dtccom.net, wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka/
http://www.tntech.edu/craftcenter/

Paul Borian on sun 21 jan 07


i need a lot of element pinning wire for my old bisque kiln and i have a
feeling they have it at McMaster-carr and i could just add some on to my
next order with them, and probably get it for cheaper than ceramic
suppliers.
But when i searched for "Nichrome wire" the stuff that came up had a max
temp of 1850 F, plus it came in so many different gauges that i could not
figure out what size would be best.
Has anyone bought this stuff from Mcmaster before? Is NiChrome wire the
correct name for it?
thanks,
Paul

Ben Shelton on mon 22 jan 07


Paul,
The element wire I used to wind elements for my kiln is Kanthal A-1 and is
rated to near cone 10. I just bought some smaller guage wire to make element
pins when I bought my element wire from Euclids Kilns/Pottery Supply House
out of Canada. My elements were 12ga and 13ga so I bought 14ga or 16ga for
the pins.

Kanthal isn't listed at McMaster Carr from what I see.

Hope this helps

Ben

Don Goodrich on mon 22 jan 07


It doesn't look like McMaster carries Kanthal, but the element
suppliers will have it. Whenever I order new elements from
Duralite, they send along several extra feet of uncoiled
element wire, presumably to be used for pinning the elements.

Measuring what's here now, there appears to be
some 15 gauge (.057") and some 17 gauge (.045").
Kanthal gets hard and brittle after it's fired, but can be
cut pretty easily before firing, so it should be
fine for your pins.

Don Goodrich

Yarko Flange on thu 25 jan 07


Kanthal wire:
http://www.resistancewire.com/mainpage.php?page=home