Motivation

I was building a 3d printed Airplane from 3dlabprint. Those use 1mm piano wire as pushrods for the controlsurfaces. The wire must be straightened before use, as it is only available on spools. For this, you can follow a tutorial on Youtube to straighten the wire.

Sadly this didnt quite work out for me, since the wire was constantly jumping around in the drill. To combat this, I designed this “drill-chuck”, in which you can clamp the wire.

What you need:

(the last entries of the table are in grey, since you probably have them. If you dont have a vice, you can print 2 of my wire-straightener and clamp the other end on a sturdy surface)

(The links used are affiliate links. I will get a small provision, if you choose to shop with my links)

Assembly:

1. Insert the two M3 Heatset Inserts with a soldering iron into the smaller block
2. Place the smaller block into the pocket on the bigger block. The two patterns of the Z-Bend should line up
3. Insert two M3x8 Screws (with washers) into the bigger block and tighten them with the bended wire inside

Manual:

1. Cut a wire to your prefered length.
2. Add a Z-Bend to the ends of the wire with the pliers.
3. Clamp one end in the vice and one end in the 3d printed chuck.
4. Tighten the 3d printed chuck into the power drill.
5. Pull slightly on the wire with the power drill while slowly turning it.
6. Stop, when the wire is straight. Don't change the rotation-directions. This will take longer or shorter, depending on the wire length.
7. Anneal the wire with a blow torch or heat gun. It should glow a little. The wire will regain some strength.

The result should be a straight wire with some little marks from the torsion.

Prospect:

This is only the first revision. I have designed the model fairly adjustable and plan to add different alternatives for the heatset inserts (like Hexnuts). You can leave a comment, If you have any recommendation about changes I could implement (like different wirediameter or bending pattern). I am also open to constructive criticism. :)