A method of and an apparatus for guiding at least one steel wire (3) from a furnace (1) into a lead bath (2), whereby the said steel wires (3) are kept separated, and, after leaving the furnace (1), guided over a cooled roller (5), which roller (5) is turning at a peripheral speed that nearly equals the speed of the steel wires (3), after which the steel wires (3) disappear into the lead bath (2) and are guided further under an immersed roller (6), the steel wires (3) making an angle larger than 150 DEG over the cooled roller (5) and under the immersed roller (6), and whereby the furnace-lead bath transition is sealed by a hood (7) that lets through as little air as possible.