1.1   This test method is intended as a procedure for the performance of rotating bending fatigue tests of solid round fine wire to obtain the fatigue strength of metallic materials at a specified life in the fatigue regime where the strains (stresses) are predominately and nominally linear elastic. This test method is limited to the fatigue testing of small diameter solid round wire subjected to a constant amplitude periodic strain (stress). The methodology can be useful in assessing the effects of internal material structure, such as inclusions, in melt technique and cold work processing studies. However, there is a caveat. The strain, due to the radial strain gradient imposed by the test methodology, is a maximum at the surface and zero at the centerline. Thus the test method may not seek out the “weakest link,” largest inclusions, that govern uniaxial high cycle fatigue life where the strain is uniform across the cross section and where fatigue damage initiates at a subsurface location (1-5).2 Also, pre-strain, which can influence fatigue life, is not included in this test method.