Spool of Nitinol Wire

5 metres of Nitinol Wire, to allow you to create your own shape memory objects!

We already sell the 'Hot Wire' - a length of Nitinol Wire that forms the word 'hot' when placed in hot water. However we have had a number of requests from people who want to create their own versions of the Hot Wire, with a different message or design. So here is 5 metres of Nitinol Wire, which will allow you to have a go yourself.

You will need to hold the wire in the final required position. A simple method might involve fixing an array of nails to a piece of wood, and winding the wire around them. You may have other methods available for creating the 'mould'. To set the shape, the wire will need to be heated to a high temperature. At 400 degrees Centigrade, it will take about 15 minutes to 'set' the shape in the wire. At 500 degrees Centigrade, it will only take a few seconds, if you are heating the wire directly, eg with a flame.

These temperatures are much higher than can be achieved with a normal domestic oven. One way to achieve the high temperatures required would be to use a small blowtorch. A kitchen blowtorch (the sort of thing used for finishing a creme brulee) would be ideal, since this produces a small flame, which is easy to control.

Once the shape has been set into your wire, you need to let the wire cool down, and once it is at room temperature you can bend it into any shape you like.

If you then heat the wire to a temperature in the range 80-90 degrees Centigrade, the wire will then revert to the shape that you originally set.

You need to let the wire cool down (holding it under the cold tap is fine if you are in a hurry) before bending it again.

When you are setting the original shape in the wire, it is important that the wire does not get too hot, as this will impair its function.


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