steamer wrote:
--OK here's the thing: I can get 8 gauge aluminum ground wire
in coils that are pretty tightly wound; i.e. about 8" dia. What I
*need* are dead straight pieces, maybe 10 to 12ft long. I'm thinking if
I could clamp one end in a bench vise and yank the other end hard
enough I could take the metal past the ...what's the correct term,
elastic limit?, then I could straighten out the waves, kinks, etc, yes?
--So the question is, could I do this with a pair of pliers or
do I need to hook it up to the rear bumper of my truck?
--Any help appreciated,

One type of straightener I've seen in some mechanic's kinks books is a
piece of tubing bent in a lazy "Z" shape, like 10 or 15 degrees off
axis for both ends. I've used this in EMT for thin wire(#16 copper),
bent with an EMT bender, it worked. Just pull the wire through and it
gets straightened out. For 8 gauge, you might want to go to 2" tubing.
I've seen a similar thing using wooden cleats nailed to a support
board, the path was the same. Probably wouldn't last as long as the
tubing, though.

Let us know what works.

Stan