I am always scavenging good wire and cable and, a lot of the time, I just have to use my best judgement as to what AWG size it actually is.


Is there an Outside-Diameter listing of the wire sizes anywhere, such that I could use a plain old drill-bit gauge to ascertain the size of wire ??


I just finished crimping lugs on a length of cable that WAS stamped 2/0; this cable just barely would not pass through the 1/2" hole, so maybe 33/64 or 17/32 O.D.


If anyone knows of such a chart, please point me in the right direction.


Thanks.

 

This should help.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_wire_gauge

 

If it says made in China, go up 2 sizes...

 

I have attached a link that you may find useful.

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/wi...ges-d_419.html

 

Thanks for the information.

I haven't yet read all of either link; but, from what I did gather so far, the diameters listed in the charts are for solid un-stranded copper wire.

If I understand correctly, stranded automotive wire of any given gauge is of a larger diameter, as gauge is determined by the square area of each individual strand and the total of all strands added together.


According to some measurements I have just taken with a drill-bit gauge, 2/0 stranded is almost 17/32; whereas, a solid wire of the same gauge is .3648 diameter = just less than 3/8".



Thanks again for the help; I look forward to reading every word and doing the math.

 

I dont think it necessarily applies to un-stranded wire but it does apply to bare wire.

 

Yes; one would want to measure the bare wire, as insulation can be very thick or rather thin.