The three tempers
Wire makers sell jewelry wire in three tempers. Parawire calls them soft, half hard and full hard; many shops say “dead soft” for the softest.
| Temper | Feels | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Dead soft | Bends easily | Spirals, wrapping, lots of shaping |
| Half hard | Hardened a little, still workable | Loops and frames that must keep their shape |
| Full hard | Very hard to bend | Parts that must stay rigid |
Temper changes as you work
Bending, twisting, coiling or hammering wire makes it stiffer. This is called work hardening, and it’s useful: a dead-soft piece can be shaped first, then hammered to hold its shape. Cooksongold warns that bending too often can make the wire snap.
Heating the metal, called annealing, softens it again. Soft wire is made this way, and Cooksongold advises annealing as soon as the metal starts to feel stiff, rather than waiting.
Temper is separate from thickness; see wire gauge (AWG).