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RE: thickness of different gauge sheetmetal.

To: "shop-talk@autox.team.net" <shop-talk@autox.team.net>
Subject: RE: thickness of different gauge sheetmetal.
From: Mark Miller <markm@tutsys.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 14:24:05 -0800

----------
From:   Mike Lee - Team Banana Racing[SMTP:mikel@ichips.intel.com]
Sent:   Friday, January 10, 1997 1:39 PM
To:     shop-talk@autox.team.net
Subject:        thickness of different gauge sheetmetal.


A very basic question I'm sure, but they say the dumbest question
is the one that isn't asked.....
I always thought that was the one asked often, because the answer wasn't 
listened to . . .

What is the correlation between the thickness of a piece of sheetmetal
and it's gauge?  I know the gauge is used as a measurement, and is
inverse to the thickness (i.e the higher the gauge number, the thinner
it is), but what is the actual correlation?  Or, what is the formula
for determining that #16 is .xxx" thick, and #22 is .xxx" thick?  Or
is there a table that I must memorize?

United States Standard Gage (as described in Pender/McIlwain's EE Handbook, 
1936 edition) is a weight gage; they spell it without the u.  It is based 
on weight per square foot.  A formula doesn't hold in that it includes gage 
numbers from 0000000 to 0 to 1 to 44.  So . . . you've got to memorize a 
table.  There will be a quiz later in the day.

<switching to non-proportional font, and I recommend you do the same>

gauge           ounces/ thickness,
                sq. foot        inches

0000000 320             0.490
000000  300             0.460
skipping a bunch
4               150             .2298
5               140             .2145
and some more
10              90              .1379
11              80              .1225
12              70              .1072
13              60              .0919
14              50              .0766
15              45              .0689
16              40              .0613
17              36              .0551
18              32              .0490
19              28              .0429
20              24              .0368
21              22              .0337
22              20              .0306
23              18              .0276
24              16              .0245
skipping some more
43              3 1/8           .0048
44              3               .0046

and be sure to add 2.5 ounces per square for galvanized stock.

Not as straightforward as wire gauges.  There each successive gauge is the 
39th root of 92 bigger than the previous.  (but 3 gauge sizes doubles the 
amount of wire, give or take)
Mark Miller
possessor of some very old but easy to understand reference books.


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