Wire versus Wire

This may sound like a dumb question, and maybe it is. Would like a knowledgeable response(s) anyway.
Is there a difference between copper wire, say taken out of an electrical cord, and copper wire specifically spooled for fly tying?

A post under the thread about materials gotten during the holiday season reminded me about something. That is, I recall hearing(reading?) years ago that the spooled copper wire we use for fly tying has been treated to slow down oxidation whereas the copper wire taken from an electrical cord has not been treated. Anyone know about this or is it just an 'urban legend'?

Allan

Not sure this is really knowledgeable but I will try. You can visible see that the tying wire has a coating that is not on wire being used for electrical purposes. The coating gives the tying wire some protection from elements and also makes the wire shiny. The electrical wire is not coated because it relies on the insulator for protection and the coating would interfere with its intended use.

I think electrical wire could be used if you plan to use the fly before it has much time to oxidize. Since this wire will be dull in appearance you may need to use thread that contrast a tad more. I'd also suggest leaving this wire in the insulator until you are ready to use it.

Now if you can find some solenoids, old relays or fuel injectors and strip them of their copper windings you would be getting a coated wire that will work and hold up quite well for fly tying.

C

I use a lot of copper wire from old wires, bulk spools, etc. I did notice that some of the wire sold as fly tying wire does not tarnish as quickly.

When I use wire from old cords, electrical motors, etc for patterns like brassies and copper johns and similar patterns I coat it with Sally Hansens Hard as Nails or other lacquer. No more oxidation- or at least it is held at bay for a long long time.

As far as fly tiers are concerned there are two kinds of copper wire from electrical/electronic sources. The insulated wire that isn't coated, and the wire from coils that is. The original Pheasant Tail Nymph was tied with coated copper wire. There are patterns that call for old tarnished wire

As I use a lot of colour coated copper wires I do not buy the ones spooled for fly tying any more. Beading supplies are a good source. Locally a spool of UTC wire will cost me about 2:20 UKP for about 10 yards. Similar wire from beading supplies costs me 1 UKP for about 100 yards. Even better is that the fly tying wire usually comes in sizes Small, Medium, Large, Brassie, as a sizing system this doesn't really mean much to me. Your idea of small may be my idea of medium. The beading wire I buy has a stated size. Most often I get 0.3 mm and 0.4 mm. Now that's a size that means something. This wire is so cheap it isn't worth the effort to search out old electrical coils any more.

One of the best sources I've found is here. This is UK based but I'm sure that there will be a company selling similar your side of the big pond.

Cheers,
C.

Amazon had a great selection of colors in various gauges (34, 32, 28 ) that I used for tying, 125 yard spools for around $7.00, but their supply seems to be a bit low right now, with some colors out of stock.

Regards,
Scott

Back in my days as a property insurance loss prevention consultant I inspected a copper wire plant for purposes of quoting insurance. I remember they coated some of the wire with a ink so the diameter of the wire could be identified by color by the end user. Most of it was very small diameter so you could run up on some colored/coated copper in some devices.

Allan,

Here's my take on the wire thing.

People above have hit on the tarnishing thing. Wire that use in electric cords and that sort of thing may oxidize and turn a dull color. A lot of this wire may be made with Oxygen-Free Copper. When they manufacture the cord, they extrude the copper and clad it with the cord's insulation at the same time. This keeps air out of it and keeps the copper wire from oxidizing inside the cord. When you strip the wire cord insulation off, you have shiny, new looking copper strands. They will oxidize over time.

Wire made for fly tying is coated to keep from tarnishing. I have no idea what they coat it with.

Copper wire from motors, coils, solenoids and that sort of thing have been treated with an insulating varnish. Any electric device that has copper windings will have some of this varnish on the wires. This is to keep the winding from shorting out to one another. The number of windings are specific for the intended voltage that is to be used. So if you short out some of the wires to each other, you are going to reduce the number of winding and it will affect the solenoid, relay, or what have you. The insulating varnish is usually some shade of red or reddish brown, but I've seen a few other colors, too.

Looking around in old electric devices has given me more than a lifetime supply of copper wire. From larger gauges all they way down to wire that I could put on a size 32 hook.

Brian

Copper wire, used for winding coils, is coated with an enamel. It is often referred to as magnet wire. It is available from electronics supply sources on bulk spools.

I doubt any wire is made specifically for fly tying.

My observation on this is that electrical wire is softer and more pliable than the wire spooled for fly tying use. That might be because it's not coated. I can strip insulation and pull out a piece of wire and it lays flat and the rest of the wire stays where it's at. Uncoil a spool of fly tying wire and it keeps unspooling and becomes a tangled mess. The electrical wire lasts as long as the fly it's tyed on, which for me lasts usually one trip to the creek. Jim

Jim,

The pliability of copper wire is done in the manufacturing process. Basically, it depends on how it is heat treated. In the power industry, it is referred to as "hard drawn" and "soft drawn" copper. If copper is heated and cooled slowly, it will be more malleable and flexible. If copper is heated and cooled quickly, it will be less malleable and flexible.

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the responses. Very interesting. Personally, I never worry about how long a fly will last or what it'll look like next year, in a few years, etc. So, my main concerns are the size, color, how the wire handles, does it wrap or wind easily and smoothly. Just about what jimsnarocks said at the end of his post.

Allan