Increasing gauge numbers denote decreasing wire diameters, which is
similar to many other non-metric gauging systems such as British
Standard Wire Gauge (SWG), but unlike IEC 60228, the metric wire-size
standard used in most parts of the world.


This gauge system originated in the number of drawing operations used to
produce a given gauge of wire. Very fine wire (for example, 30 gauge)
required more passes through the drawing dies than 0 gauge wire did.
Manufacturers of wire formerly had proprietary wire gauge systems; the
development of standardized wire gauges rationalized selection of wire
for a particular purpose. -- Wikip

Did all know this?

On Friday, February 9, 2018 at 2:00:26 AM UTC-5, micky wrote:
Increasing gauge numbers denote decreasing wire diameters, which is
similar to many other non-metric gauging systems such as British
Standard Wire Gauge (SWG), but unlike IEC 60228, the metric wire-size
standard used in most parts of the world.


This gauge system originated in the number of drawing operations used to
produce a given gauge of wire. Very fine wire (for example, 30 gauge)
required more passes through the drawing dies than 0 gauge wire did.
Manufacturers of wire formerly had proprietary wire gauge systems; the
development of standardized wire gauges rationalized selection of wire
for a particular purpose. -- Wikip

Did all know this?

A-merican W-ire G-auge

Somewhere between Caliber (which is fractions of an inch) and arbitrary convention. Once upon a time, wire was measured in fractions-of-whatever, much as railway timetables were arbitrary and based on local time. After a large number of crashes, railroads created a convention which is now GMT.

And, US wire manufacturers adopted a similar convention so as to be able to sell products beyond their back yards - somewhere just before the Civil War as I remember - mid 1850s or so.

https://www.rapidtables.com/calc/wir...uge-chart.html

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

On 2/9/18 12:25 PM, wrote:
A-merican W-ire G-auge

Micky, if you've paid any attention at all, the AWG numbers follow
a logarithmic pattern.

The "gauge" refers to the cross section area of the wire.
Moving the "gauges" 3 numbers either doubles or halves the area.

In doing so, it doubles or halves the current carrying capacity of
the wire.

#1 can carry twice the current as #4.
#12 can carry half the current of #9;
And so forth.



--
"I am a river to my people."
Jeff-1.0
WA6FWi
http:foxsmercantile.com