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Wiring Bonsai

19 years ago

I have a young juniper tree and I know the basics of bonsai. Well I think that I do. I know to use copper wire between 24 and 6 gauge, but I have a young tree and the branches arent very thick. I am simply looking for what gauge wire to use so I dont have to go out and buy a ton of uneeded wire. The branches arent very large, maybe 1/4 to 1/8 of an inch.

Thanks

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Comments (5)

TimZ8
19 years ago
The basics of bonsai will tell you not to use copper wire. If that's what you have don't use it. You need to start with aluminum wire. Big difference! You will most likly damage your first tree trying to learn how to wire with copper. You may have annealed aluminum that looks like copper and that is what you need. Make sure of what you have before you start. If using aluminum your wire should be about 1/3 to 1/2 the dia of the branch you are wiring.
revt
19 years ago
Plenty of us learned on copper wire. It may be all that's readily available. I use both Al and Cu, but still prefer Cu. If you use copper, just be sure it is annealed. It's diameter should be about 1/3 that of the branch.
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>> I read from a website that one could buy >> electrical wire, strip it, and anneal it >> in a grill to soften the copper This actually works very well. Professionally made bonsai wire is a joy to work with, but bhen I was very low on cash, I took a propane torch to coils of various sized leftover electrical wire. With a torch you can be sure to get it all red hot, and use less fuel (and time) than a grill would- unless you're just dropping it into coals while you wait for an ash layer on them. Putting it in the hottest coals of a fireplace works too; also making few coils into the same size as the ring of flame on a gas cooking stove (but its harder to get it all in the flames just right). Electrical wire is about the purest copper wire, and usually less expensive per length than bare wire bought in smaller coils from a hardware store. I used common 12 & 14 gauge stripped electrical wire, leftovers from house wiring, and just bought a few coils of smaller sizes. I also used solid copper bell wire scrap a few times, but it was hardly worth the effort of stripping (I don't burn it off because of the pollution that causes). Not usually much point in wiring branches that small anyway, where weights can work better. You can also recycle the wire a couple times by straightening it and re-annealing. It doesn't work indefinitely though, and the work involved makes it hard to justify the little money saved. I mostly just took my used stuff to a metal shop that had recycling bins.
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bonsaikc
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When I went to my first Bonsai Intensive with Boon Manakitivipart, he set me to wiring a collected Mendocino cypress (using copper as we always do on conifers). It took me two and a half days of the three day class to make it acceptable to him. I wired the tree three times. Of course I excused my atrocious wiring skills by claiming never to have used copper wire.

My next project was a cork oak, which of course needed aluminum wire. Not surprisingly, my work was no better there. The essential thing in wiring is not to learn it from books. You must get some hands-on training from someone who REALLY knows their stuff.

I have had folks with the most tangled mess I have ever seen on their trees tell me that they have been wiring for 30 years, and that they teach wiring. Your wiring should be both effective and beautiful if you want to advance in your knowledge and pleasure of the art of bonsai.

Chris

Here is a link that might be useful: Wiring photos, text, and short video
Sonarctica
Original Author
19 years ago
Thanks for the input. I have one more follow-up question: My bonsai was bought in a small pot already. In order for my tree to start growing a sizable trunk i need to grow a large root system. I cant find good soil to use for this. I stopped at Wal-Mart and they have only flower soil and garden soil. Anyone have any tips? I know the texture and the fact that it needs a large surface area and to let good water flow, but where do i buy or get it from?
bonsaikc
19 years ago
I make my own because of the high cost and low quality of most purchased bonsai soil. Mind you, my soil components aren't cheap, but this recipe is the highest quality bonsai soil in the world.

Chris

Here is a link that might be useful: Bonsai soil recipe

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