A little smaller than 1/16"

im building this hotair pencil and am stuck at the heating element part

https://www.dansworkshop.com/SMT Hot Air Pencil.shtml

i need to wind a piece of MIG welding wire around something round that is just a tad smaller than the 1/16" brass pipe

i tryed a drill bit but that didnt work out well due to the cuts in the bit

this coil must be slightly smaller than the 1/16" brass pipe so that it stays on there good and tight even when it expands with the heat

any ideas on what to use for this step?

ahh.. whats wrong with the non cutting end of a drill bit? =\

Piano wire is available at many hobby shops. I think the smallest starts at 0.002" and goes up well past 0.125". The drill bit might be a bit stiffer because it is hardened.

1/16" = 0.0625"
#53 = 0.0595"
#54 = 0.0550"
#55 = 0.0520"
3/64" = 0.0469"
#56 = 0.0465"
#57 = 0.0430"
#58 = 0.0420"

Our world does not revolve around fractional drill sizes. If you need an assortment of coil-winding diameters, buy a cheap number drill set from one of those tool outlets like Harbor Freight. Those Chinese imports aren't worth a darn as drill bits, but they will give you some diameters from which to choose for winding coils.

Dean