Subject: Re: What Does 16 Gauge Mean ?

From: [email-masked] (Clive Washington)
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 1994 08:23:19 +0000

In article <[email-masked]>,
[email-masked] (Albert Wu) wrote:

> Hello, friends.  I know my question probably sounds silly but I have not
> been able to find the answer from my books.  I know that gauge is a
> retrogressive measure of thickness of sheet metals, but how does that
> gauge value convert to absolute measure such as mm or mil ?  Can anyone
> shed some light on that ?  There are various types of gauges, right ?  If
> so, when people say 16 gauge, which gauge do they usually mean ?
> 
> Thanks a lot for your kind help.

The trouble is there are several different gauges.  They are listed in
most data books, but they're called "wire gauges" because that's what
they were originally used for.  In the UK we use the standard wire
gauge (S.W.G.), in which 16 gauge is 0.064" or 1.63 mm.  But is that the
U.S. standard?  I though I heard that the U.S. generally uses the Browne
and Sharpe gauge (16 = 0.0508").  There is also a Birmingham gauge
(16=0.065")
a Stubs steel gauge (16 = 0.175"), and a U.S. Standard Plate gauge
(which might be what you use for sheet; 16 = 0.0625").

The moral of the story, of course, is to use inches, or at least be sure 
which gauge you are talking about.  Can anyone clarify the use of
gauges in the U.S.?

-- 
!!!According to my contract, this place owns my opinions!!!

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From: [email-masked] (David Jenkins)
Date: 12 Sep 1994 09:02:45 GMT

>From article <[email-masked]>, by [email-masked] (Clive Washington):
<deletia>
> and Sharpe gauge (16 = 0.0508").  There is also a Birmingham gauge

I like 16 swg ... roughly equivalent to 1/16", which is roughly equivalent
to 1.6mm!  Easy to remember!

> which gauge you are talking about.  Can anyone clarify the use of

I'd rather move to metric...

(Excuse me, does anyone have a flame-proof suit they'd like to rent out?)

:-)

-- 
David Jenkins

Speed is n subsittute fo accurancy.

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From: [email-masked] ("Paul C. Dickie")
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 1994 19:28:46 +0000

In article <[email-masked]>

>so, when people say 16 gauge, which gauge do they usually mean ?

Wire gauge.

< Paul >

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From: [email-masked] ("Paul C. Dickie")
Date: Tue, 13 Sep 1994 16:22:57 +0000

In article <[email-masked]>
           [email-masked] "Clive Washington" writes:

>Can anyone clarify the use of gauges in the U.S.?

They're mostly "Go -- No-go", aren't they? ;')

< Paul >

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From: [email-masked] (Jeff Gates)
Date: 14 Sep 1994 07:39:12 GMT

>so, when people say 16 gauge, which gauge do they usually mean ?

As far as I know, "16 gauge" means "16 per inch".  Therefore, 16 gauge
wire has a diameter of 1/16th of an inch.

Similarly, "120 mesh" or "120 grit" means particles that will go through a
seive with slots per inch (not sure about the wire thickness, though!).

Retrogressive ...... yes, the "American Customary" (i.e. British Imperial)
system of units is.  Roll on S.I.  :-)  

                                     _  .
Jeff Gates                        ,~' (_|\    Dept Mining & Metallurgical Eng'g
  [email-masked]         ,-'        \     University of Queensland
  Ph. direct: +61 7 365 3726  (            * <----Brisbane
  Ph. Dept: +61 7 365 3738     \    __     /        Qld   4072
  Fax: +61 7 365 3888           \,~'  "\__/           AUSTRALIA
                                         v

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From: [email-masked] (Jeff Gates)
Date: 14 Sep 1994 07:45:12 GMT

>to 1.6mm!  Easy to remember!

I must admit, when replying to the original article a few moments ago,
I was puzzling over SWG.  I use 28 SWG fuse wire in a spark eroder, and
I know it is about 0.37 mm diameter -- clearly that's not the same as 1/28th
of an inch.  Thanks for clarifying this!

>(Excuse me, does anyone have a flame-proof suit they'd like to rent out?)

Ah, a like mind (see my reply to the original article).  I'll lend you mine.

                                     _  .