Subject: Draft FAQ on gage/gauge

From: [email-masked] (James Kirkpatrick)
Date: 30 Sep 94 13:26:19 MDT

I have put together a draft FAQ entry on gages, and present it for review,
corrections, and suggestions:

86.   What does "gage" (or "gauge") mean?

      Webster's seems to prefer "gauge", but Machinery's Ready Reference
      uses "gage" for sheet, and "gauge" for wire.  Strictly speaking,
      "gauge" is a measuring device, and "gage" a measurement system,
      but common usage has corrupted the distinction.

      An arbitrary assignment of numbers to size, used on sheet, wire,
      and many other things (tubing, shotgun bore, needles, and so on).
      Unfortunately there are so many different standards that using gage
      to specify a material is almost useless, and perhaps even dangerous.
      If in doubt, use decimals.

      For example, in U.S. gage, the standard for sheet metal is based
      on the weight of the metal, not on the thickness.  16-gage is listed
      as approximately .0625 inch thick, and 40 ounces per square foot
      (the original standard was based on wrought iron at .2778 pounds per
      cubic inch; steel has almost entirely superseded wrought iron for
      sheet use, at .2833 pounds per cubic inch).  Smaller numbers refer
      to greater thickness.  There is no formula for converting gage to
      thickness or weight.

      Wire might be specified in American or Browne & Sharpe, Birmingham or
      Stubs, Washburn & Moen, Trenton Iron Co., Stubs' Steel, Imperial Wire
      gage, music wire gauge, or others.  In the US, I've commonly seen
      electrical wire in AWG (American Wire Gauge); even-numbered values
      are much more common than odd ones.  As an example, 12-gauge wire
      is .081" (AWG), .109" (Birmingham or Stubs), .105" (Washburn & Moen),
      .028" (music wire gauge).  In most cases a larger gauge means smaller
      wire, except music wire goes the other way around!

      On September 20, 1994, Rowland Carson posted a nice list of most of
      the gauge systems in use worldwide:

      Alhoff & Muller Music Wire Gauge         music wire
      American Screw & Wire Co Music Wire Gauge    music wire, spring wire
      American Zinc Gauge                      zinc sheet
      ASA B32.1                                uncoated thin flat metals USA
      Birmingham Gauge                   BG    iron hoop & strip, steel sheet
      Birmingham Wire Gauge              BWG   iron & steel telephone wire
      Birmingham Wire Gauge for Silver & Gold      silver & gold
      Brown & Sharpe Wire Gauge          B & S non-ferrous sheet & strip
      Brunton Music Wire Gauge                 music wire
      Card Wire Gauge                    CWG   fibre yarns
      Continental Zinc Gauge                   sheet & strip
      English Music Wire Gauge                 music wire
      English Zinc Wire Gauge                  zinc sheet
      Felten & Guilleame Music Wire Gauge      music wire
      German Sheet Gauge                       sheet metal
      Instrument Wire Gauge                    instrument wire
      ISO Metric Preferred Series (R388)       all applications
      Junge de Paris                           copper wires
      Lancashire Pinion Wire Gauge       LPG   cast steel drill rods
      Mathieson & Hegeler Gauge          M & H zinc sheet
      Millimetre Wire Gauge                    steel wire
      National Wire Gauge                NWG   steel wire
      Poehlimann Music Wire Gauge              music wire
      Printers Wire Gauge                      printers wire
      Roebling Wire Gauge                      steel wire
      Sewing & Darning Needle Series           sewing & darning needles
      Standard Wire Gauge                SWG   wire & strip, tube thickness
      Stitching Wire Gauge
      Stubs Iron WIre Gauge                    iron wire
      Stubs Steel Wire Gauge                   steel drill rod
      Tinplate                                 finished tinplate
      Twist Drill & Steel Wire Gauge           drill rod
      US Galvanised Sheet Gauge          GSG   galvanised sheet
      US Manaufacturers' Standard Gauge  MSG   iron & steel sheets & plates
      US Standard Gauge                  USG   stainless steel
      US Steel Wire Gauge                USSWG steel wire
      Washburn & Moen Gauge              WG    steel wire
      Warrington Wire Gauge                    steel wire
      Yorkshire Wire Gauge                     steel wire