Run out of 0.8 mm wire mid-project, with only 1.2 mm on the shelf? A drawplate solves it. This deceptively simple steel plate — a row of tapering holes — lets you pull thick wire down to any thinner gauge you need, and into square, half-round or other profiles too. It's one of the oldest tools in metalsmithing and still indispensable.
How a drawplate works
Each hole in a drawplate is slightly smaller than the last and tapered so wire feeds in easily. You taper the end of your annealed wire, push it through from the back, grip the protruding tip with draw tongs, and pull it through in one smooth motion. The metal is squeezed thinner and longer — it doesn't lose volume, it redistributes it, so a short thick length becomes a long thin one. Step down one hole at a time; skipping sizes strains the wire and the plate. Plates come with hardened-steel or tungsten-carbide holes; carbide costs more but stays sharp far longer and draws a smoother wire — worth it if you draw often.
The technique
Anneal the wire first and re-anneal every few passes — drawing work-hardens metal fast, and a brittle wire snaps in the plate (see annealing and forging silver). A drop of beeswax or drawing lubricant on the wire eases each pull and protects the holes. Grip with a proper hand-vise drawtong and pull steadily in line with the hole — jerking or pulling at an angle marks the wire and wears the plate oval.
Beyond round wire
Drawplates come in profiles — square, half-round, knife-edge — so you can draw decorative wire you simply can't buy off the shelf. Drawn square wire twists beautifully; half-round makes elegant ring shanks and bezels. Pair a drawplate with a wire-coiling tool and you can produce custom coiled findings and jump-ring stock in any gauge — which leads straight into making your own jump rings.
Looking after it
Keep the plate dry and lightly oiled — the holes are precision-ground and rust ruins them. Don't force oversized wire into a hole, and trim the tapered grip-end off (don't draw the marred tip into your finished length). Knowing your gauges matters here, so keep our wire gauge guide to hand. Cutters and wire tools are in Pliers & Cutters.
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