Wireworking Methods?

[Anonymous No.1940439]

tldr does anyone know how to make the kind of stiff, flexible but nonplastic wire hoops used in pop-up laundry hampers and those cloth tunnels children play in
My last minute halloween costume this year is "comically large pumpkin". it is a 4' diameter pumpkin with a design similar to pic or a crinoline. My question is how to construct the hoops so they are like those in the products I mentioned above.
It seems they are pre-tensioned, but all wire is sold in loops of less than 4'Ø. could be wrong tho.
I could make the hoops from flexible pipe, but this is heavier and involves more calculations due to pipe thickness.
ill post progress in this thread

[Anonymous No.1940442]

>>1940439
>My question is how to construct the hoops
Buy a packet of 3/32" weld rod, spool of steel wire or some solid core copper wire in 16 gauge thickness (0.050" Minumum). You can use large pliers to bend or distort either material into a hoop shape following a drawn template on a large cardboard box using a pencil, a nail, and a piece of string.

[Anonymous No.1940444]

>>1940442
>Buy a packet of 3/32" weld rod
Sorry, 1/16" would be plenty. And steel weld rod will due regardless of alloy. Though they're limited to 3-feet in length so they won't be long enough to make a 4-foot diameter hoop without having to tack them together.

[Anonymous No.1940825]

i used pex pipe

[Anonymous No.1940841]

>>1940442
>>1940444

Garage-tier welder here. I wouldn't use welding rod. It's not very elastic. It just bends.

I would suggest music wire. Being made of spring steel, it won't deform so easily. It's kind of expensive for something like this, though.

You may get away with just using plain steel wire. It's got the same "bends real easily" problem, but at least you won't have to screw around with 36" lengths like you do with TIG rod.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/OOK-200-ft-55-lb-16-Gauge-Galvanized-Steel-Wire-50143/100141392

[Anonymous No.1940908]

>>1940841
>Garage-tier welder here. I wouldn't use welding rod. It's not very elastic. It just bends.
>I would suggest music wire. Being made of spring steel, it won't deform so easily. It's kind of expensive for something like this, though.

This. Welding wire will just bend. You'll need a spring steel of some sort. The Pex above is a unique solution, another method that might work would be either fiberglass tent poles or fiberglass fish rods for running electrical. They're relatively small diameter and very springy.

[Anonymous No.1940911]

>>1940908

Another idea. High tension electric fence wire. That shit is hard enough that you cannot splice it very well. Quite springy too. Regular electric fence wire is quite malleable but that high tension stuff is not.

[Anonymous No.1941100]

understructure complete, will add fabric tmrw morning

[Anonymous No.1941332]

1/3 covered