Galvanized Iron Wire
Two galvanizing routes, two gauge ranges, and a zinc coating figure you can actually specify against.
Reference Guide
Wire Gauge Conversion Between SWG BWG and Millimetres
One gauge number, three different diameters. This is where most wire ordering errors are made.
The problem in one line
A 14# wire is 2.03 mm under the Standard Wire Gauge and 2.11 mm under the Birmingham Wire Gauge. On a purchase order those look like the same wire. On a weaving loom, or in a mesh with a published aperture tolerance, they are not.
The conversion table
The full table published on the galvanized iron wire page covers 8# to 22# in SWG, BWG and metric millimetres. It applies to galvanized wire, steel wire and annealed wire alike. Some gauges - 9# and 14# among them - have no standard metric equivalent listed at all, which is itself worth knowing before you write a metric diameter on an order.
Where it bites
Mesh specifications are quoted in gauge bands. Welded wire mesh 1/2 inch is supplied in BWG 22 to BWG 16, which is 0.71 to 1.65 mm. Hexagonal netting quotes BWG 16 to BWG 27 depending on mesh size. Insect screen quotes BWG31 and BWG32 for metal screens and SWG34 to SWG38 for stainless. Mixing the systems inside one order is how a mesh arrives at the wrong weight.
Read the band, not just the number
Most mesh apertures are supplied across a band of gauges rather than at one fixed wire. Choosing the heavy end of the band buys durability; the light end buys price. Both are correct answers to different questions.
What to write on the order
The gauge number, the gauge system, and the millimetre equivalent you expect. Three pieces of information, and a mill cannot misread them.
Check on arrival
Measure the wire with a micrometre against the millimetre figure you specified. It takes a minute and it is the only check that catches a gauge-system error before the mesh is installed.
Every figure in this guide is taken from our own published product data. Where we have never published a number, this guide says so.
Related Product Images
Galvanized Iron Wire in Our Own Photographs
Products In This Guide
What This Applies To
Welded Wire Mesh
Nine export mesh sizes with the wire gauge band published against each one.
Hexagonal Wire Netting
Eleven mesh sizes with the minimum zinc coating and the tolerance standard published against each one.
Chain Link Fence
Diamond mesh that follows the ground instead of fighting it, in eight openings and five wire materials.
FAQ
Quick Answers
Is 14# 2.03 mm or 2.11 mm?
2.03 mm in SWG, 2.11 mm in BWG. There is no standard metric equivalent listed for 14#.
What gauges does your table cover?
8# to 22# in SWG, BWG and metric, applicable to galvanized, steel and annealed wire.
Why do mesh specifications quote a range of gauges?
Because most apertures are woven or welded across a band of wire diameters. The heavy end lasts longer, the light end costs less.
Still Not Sure Which Specification You Need
Tell us the application rather than the part number. We will work back to the specification with you.