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Below are frequently asked questions of The Wireman after his many years of riding the industry's cutting edge. Some inquire about the proprietary technology used by SCS Wire, others assist with specifying and ordering a project.

Click on a question for The Wireman answer
  1. What do you mean by straight? How straight is straight?
The Wireman places a cut test wire on a flat surface and measures the maximum curve height between the wire and the surface in thousandths of an inch. Our standard curve height is .010 inch. Straighter wire is available.

Click image for a Wireman MicroView  
The gap between a surface plate and wire is measured using a wire gauge.measured using a wire gauge
 

  2. What materials do you straighten and cut, and at what tolerances?
Materials: From exotic platinum 20% iridium with PTFE coating to ordinary
   music wire.
Lengths: From .0005 inch x .004 inch flat gold wire cut .025 inch ±.003 inch
   to .030 soft nickel straightened & cut to 110 feet.
Straightness: to .001 inch with a length tolerance of .002 inch.
Call us for a sample: .002 inch stainless steel, straightened & cut to 2 inch.

  3. Does SCS Wire straighten other types of wire besides round?
Yes, shaped and stranded are also a specialty. Click on the below Wireman
MicroViews for a variety of wire precision straightened and cut for clients.
One of the many shapes SCS Wire precision cuts One of the many shapes SCS Wire precision cuts One of the many shapes SCS Wire precision cuts One of the many shapes SCS Wire precision cuts
Click images for a Wireman MicroView

  4. What types of wire do you stock?
SCS Wire is primarily a precision straightening and cutting service with limited quantities of stainless steel and music wire in stock. A way for our customers to save money is to buy directly from wire suppliers and have material shipped to us.

  5. What is torsion straight wire?
Many of our customers want straight wire on a spool or in coil form. The Wireman custom engineered straightening and respooling equipment for fine wire. The result is a continuous length of straight wire ready for fourslides or other continuous feed applications.

Click image for a Wireman MicroView  
The gap between a surface plate and wire is measured using a wire gauge.measured using a wire gauge
 

  6. What is special about SCS Wire cutting equipment?
There are many ways to cut wire. The amount of wire end deformity and the size of the cut off burr depends on the cutting technique used. SCS Wire cutters are custom built and maintained to eliminate deformity and cut off burr.

Click image for a Wireman MicroView  
An example of deformation caused by low quality cutting equipment. SCS Wire's custom designed and built systems eliminates such problems
 

  7. What is the difference between wire with chamfer or radius ends?
A chamfer end is produced by grinding. A radius end can be ground or more economically produced in a deburring machine. SCS Wire offers this service.
Click image for a Wireman MicroView  
A radius end A chamfer end
 

  8. Do you have a minimum or maximum order quantity?
No, but the more pieces you order, the lower the price per piece will be.

  9. What about drawings or prints that use metric or gauge sizes?
Most mills supply wire sizes in the thousandths of an inch. Converting between inches and metric is easy:
Millimeters to inches: Multiply by .03937
Inches to millimeters: Multiply by 25.4
Gauge tables: There are many different gauge tables. To prevent confusion,
   it is best to specify wire in inches or millimeters.

10. How long does it take to get a quote over the phone?
Less than five minutes. We ask a few questions about how precisely the wire needs to be straightened and cut. Please call between 8:00 am and 3:30 pm Pacific Time.
+1 800-394-4566 [Toll free]
+1 805-489-6733
You may also obtain a quote online by clicking here.

11. Are there any special shipping and handling fees?
No, we do not lower the price of our services and make it up by charging large shipping and handling fees. You may choose freight collect.

12. What is the normal delivery time?
One week after receipt of material.

13. Do you offer next day service?
Yes, with Wireman Express Service. Your order is shipped one day after receipt of material on small orders.
Email scswire@wirestraight.com | Phone +1 805-489-6733 | 1035-A Highland Way, Grover Beach, California 93433 USA | ©1993-2025 SCS Wire. All rights reserved.


 
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