wipe 12b and guided by two transfer pulleys 13b 14b before it enters the second die 7b which is also conduction cooled by heat transmission from the die to liquid coolant circulating in passages in the block containing the die the coolant inlets in fig1 and 4 are shown by the arrows c emerging again through a cooling tube 15b again flooded with liquid coolant during drawing the wire passes around the driven wheel 1b which provides the tractive pull for the reductions of area effected in each die this wheel 1b may be either a v grooved wheel as described in the first noted patent specification referred to above in which case less than one turn of wire is necessary for traction or a flanged capstan block or u grooved wheel as described in the second noted patent specification referred to above where more than one turn is used after leaving the wheel 1b the wire w is dried by an air wipe 2b and passes to a transfer pulley 3c of the next stage of the apparatus the idler and driven wheels 10b and 1b are surrounded by a common shroud 16b to retain the liquid coolant e g water in contact with the wire the shroud 16b is axially movable in the directions of the arrows m in fig3 on support rods 19b to give access to the wheels 1b and 10b for threading when the apparatus is threaded a die holder 17b loaded with the two dies 6b and 7b is slid halfway across the outlet of a composite soap box 18b so that the first die.