I use a LOT of twisted wire in my art. So looking about for good ideas on different things I could do, I noticed there was no instructable (at least that I could find) for twisting wire. Even with all the really great instructables available on the site, I still couldn't find one. Of course this doesn't mean there isn't one, but I thought I might share this little secret on how to twist wire easily, and get the perfect twist. I have seen a lot of people trying to twist wire by hand, and having a hard time just to get inferior results, and I have seen "manual wire twisting" gadgets that cost a fortune. But why spend anymore than what you absolutely have to, especially when the easiest way to twist a perfect wire is by using things you probably already have around the house.
For this instructable you will need:
Wire cutters to cut the wire
Wire - any pretty much any guage can be used determined on what you need the twisted wire for
A phillips head screw driver, the longer the better so you can hold onto it while twisting
A power drill ( I personally prefer to use my hubby's cordless, just because there is no cord to deal with and I don't have to find a place to plug it in)
And even though I didn't mention it, or put them in the photo, you really should protect your eyes!
Step 1: Cut the wire and fold it in half
Remember you will need more than twice the length of wire you would require for a single wire peice. You will be doubling the wire over, and you will lose a certain amount of wire in the process of twisting. I don't recommend twisting more than the length you can stretch your arm to hold (see the photo as an illustation). You can twist a longer amount if you have someone or something to hold the opposite end, but since I generally have no volunteers when it comes to working around me and power tools, I stick to the shorter lengths and make do as I can.
I cut a 20 inch piece of wire for this project, and after twisting and trimming I had a 5 inch piece left. This will vary for the guage of wire and the amount of twisting applied.