Wire bending tool?

In the past, I've taken an old pair of larger needle-nose pliers and cut horizontal grooves across the jaws at intervals with a hacksaw. That gives you a series of lengths for hand rails, grab irons, etc.

I had one set for an overhead catenary experiment where I had lengths set for the support wires between the catenary and messenger wire.

If you can find them, here are some O scale car kits that have a small grooved tool for wire-bending.

You can drill a hole the size of the wire in a piece of flat stock, and insert the wire and bend. This method is used for steel rod, and works well. 

Don

Check Micro-Mark, they have quite a few tools for wire bending.

I had a pair and they worked great. My daughter has them now and uses them for jewelry.

You can get them at Michaels or Hobby Lobby.

franktrain 

The best way to deal with bending piano wire is to heat it cherry red with a torch and let it cool slowly.  This will anneal the steel and make it very easy to bend. If you like, you can make it springy again by reheating it and quickly quenching it in water.

If you want the gory details, try here:

Working Heat Treated Music Wire

These tapered round nose pliers seem to work best.  Right in picture.  

I have wire benders that will bend 500 MCM copper both hand operated and hydraulic. They are interesting tools.

Thanks for all the sugggestions, guys!

I had done some downspouts for a Korber Roundhouse. Brass wire/rod.

Besides the pliers shown above I also use flat nose pliers. Their width is ideally suited for making grabs. Also I think you would find straight half hard brass wire easier to work than piano wire.

Pete

Good point, Pete.  I was thinking yesterday that, at least for .032" and larger diameter, brass would be easier to work with.

They are often called "rosary pliers" as they are useful in jewelery making.

Scotie

My daughter said: any craft hobby/jewelry store, like Michaels, would have these pliers.

Matin:

I got this idea  from Alan Graziano. It is a Micro Mark 'strip and wire bender'. I use it for plastic tubing mostly but the steel pins will handle music wire also.

Joe