Can't get my head around what wire to use

[VapingBad]

Sept 20, 2015 21:48:23 GMT sydsut said:

Sept 20, 2015 20:27:57 GMT beedee said:

May already know this snow. but I've recently discovered that AWG is the USA measure and mm the UK one. There's a conversion chart here. link

At my advanced age I don't remember anything but AWG when I started my apprenticeship umpteen years ago. Nuts bolts etc all in BSF, AF, Whitworth and so on. I never used metric.

Surly you would have used SWG for wire, the one that is a pain for me lately is getting a few small screws in US threads like 0-80, larger stuff like 1/2"-20 (1/2" UNF) is OK though.

[sydsut]

I was told then that they were very much the same but I've just read this

Difference Between SWG and AWG

• Categorized under Career and Certifications | Difference Between SWG and AWG


SWG vs AWG

Wire size standards are important as it gives an easy to remember numerical chart of commonly used wire sizes. The problem with standards is that they are not compatible with each other. A good example of this is the SWG and AWG standards. The main difference between SWG and AWG is where they originated from. SWG was derived from the British Standard Wire Gauge, dropping the British part eventually. In comparison, AWG stands for the American Wire Gauge and it originates from North America, which is composed of the US and Canada.

When it comes to the actual cable sizes, the two are actually not equivalent in size. In general, an SWG wire would be bigger than an AWG wire of the same gauge. For example, with a gauge value of 1, an SWG wire would have a diameter of 0.3 inches while an AWG wire would have a diameter of 0.2893. This is true throughout the entire chart. This is then reversed when you go up to larger wires, denoted by X/0. Another difference is the number of steps. SWG has 50 steps, resulting in a thinnest wire diameter of 0.001 inches. AWG only has 40 steps and the smallest wire diameter under it is 0.003 inches.

The size of the wire is quite important not only because it adds to the strength of the wire, but because it directly correlates to the amount of current it can carry. If you use a wire that is too small for the current that needs to pass, the wire would eventually heat up and lead to fires.




Although SWG and AWG were once widely used with electrical wires, SWG has gradually fallen out of popularity in favor of the AWG standard. Despite that, SWG is still used in other industries that do not actually deal with electrical wires. An example of this would be guitar wires, which still use the SWG size standards.

Summary:

1.SWG is a British standard while AWG is an American standard
2.SWG wires of the same gauge are bigger than AWG wires
3.AWG is still widely used in electrical wires while not so much SWG

We live and learn.

[TallPaul70]

Sept 20, 2015 16:08:20 GMT chykensa said:

snow - I have .4mm Kanthal and 8 wraps of that will give me about .6ohm wound on a 3mm former, perfect for me. The thicker the wire, the less resistance, and the more wraps for the coil. More wraps equals more contact area for the juice, and a 3mm former gives plenty of room to get a good wick into the hole.
Hope this helps, and apologies if you have already sussed this bit

It's certainly helped me, chykensa, cheers for that clear explanation. Time to order some more wire...

[beedee]

Sept 20, 2015 21:48:23 GMT sydsut said:

Sept 20, 2015 20:27:57 GMT beedee said:

May already know this snow. but I've recently discovered that AWG is the USA measure and mm the UK one. There's a conversion chart here. link

At my advanced age I don't remember anything but AWG when I started my apprenticeship umpteen years ago. Nuts bolts etc all in BSF, AF, Whitworth and so on. I never used metric.

This brings back memories, I was at secondary school when everything went metric and I remember thinking 's**t, only just got the hang of imperial then the ba*****s go and change it all...'  

[robby]

I have started ignoring the AWG and just going by wire thickness, seems to sink into the old grey matter a bit easier