# Draw plate

> The draw plate is a steel plate with decreasing holes through which wire is pulled to thin it or change its section; how it is used.

- Source: https://www.711grados.com/en/draw-plate/
- Language: en
- Note: This entry was drafted with the help of AI and is pending review by the author.
- Published: 2026-09-29
- Updated: 2026-09-29
- Translation (es): https://www.711grados.com/es/hilera-de-trefilar/
- Author: Sandra Sánchez
- Site: 711 Grados (https://www.711grados.com/)

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The draw plate is a hardened steel plate with a series of holes of decreasing size. Pulling wire through them thins and lengthens it.

![The steps for drawing wire through a draw plate: taper, lubricate, pull and anneal](https://www.711grados.com/media/diagrams/draw-plate-steps.en.svg "How wire is drawn")

## Types

With round, square, oval and half-round holes, to give the wire the desired section.

## Use

1. Taper the end of the wire.
2. Lubricate with beeswax.
3. Pass it through the hole and pull with draw tongs, straight and continuously.
4. Anneal the wire when it stiffens. See [rolling and wire drawing](https://www.711grados.com/en/rolling-and-wire-drawing/).

## Care

Keep the plate clean and rust-free; do not hit it.

## Alternatives

The rolling mill with grooved rollers can produce sections without drawing.

## What it achieves

A draw plate lets you **thin** a wire (from 1.5 mm to 0.8 mm, for example), change its **section** (round, square, half-round) and make wire from a strip of metal. It is done in several steps through ever smaller holes; reducing too much at once breaks the wire.

## How many steps

Skip at most one hole and never jump to a much smaller one. When the wire feels like it is “biting” as you pull or stretches with difficulty, **anneal it** and continue.

## Lubrication

Beeswax is the most usual. Without lubrication the wire seizes and gets scratched.

## Safety

Clamp the plate in a bench vise or a holder; pull with draw tongs, not with your fingers, and keep your face away: a wire can come loose suddenly.

## See also

- [Rolling and wire drawing: sheet and wire](https://www.711grados.com/en/rolling-and-wire-drawing/)
- [Rolling mills: how to flatten metal](https://www.711grados.com/en/rolling-mills/)
- [Wire wrapping](https://www.711grados.com/en/wire-wrapping/)