I was reading an old code book from 1973 and the wire gauge numbers threw me off

I always thought the numbers were just random, but they actually come from a drawing process from the 1800s. The number of times the wire gets pulled through a die to make it thinner is what gives it the gauge, like 12 AWG was drawn 12 times. Found this in a footnote in a book from the library in Springfield. Does anyone know if this is still how they make wire today, or is it just a naming thing now?

3 comments

3 Comments

kevin_bailey28d ago

My buddy's shop still draws wire, like @the_jennifer said.

abby_king2221h ago

That's a cool fact but does it really matter now? The numbers are just a standard like @kevin_bailey's friend would use. People get way too deep into old trivia sometimes.

the_jennifer28d agoTop Commenter

I saw a video where they still draw copper wire through dies, but the gauge numbers are just a standard now, not a count.

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