Gauge Definition
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gage?
Re: Gauge Definition -- Bandrasco	Post Reply	Top of thread	Forum

Posted by: RKimball ® 08/16/2003, 19:15:28 Author Profile eMail author Edit

Bill has a very valad question. To me the fact that after the change away from the 1892 standard set by congress it is not clear by what means a gage has been defined. Simply because a 1" X 12" square plate weighs aprox 40 pounds does not explain how a sheet of steel called a 10 gage is .134" thick, nor does it explain how a 16 gage sheet is .0568" inches thick. While the 16 gage is clearly pretty close to .0625" which 1/16", the 10 gage is a good ways from 1/10" (.1). Then we have the fact that aluminum, copper and other alloys are gaged by the dec. thickness. Then let us consider that 10 gage steel wire is .135" in diameter but a 10 gage music wire is .024" in diameter. It makes as much sence as our 12" foot, 36" yard, 72" fathom all being divided into 1/16 segmented inches. Something having been passed down from "back when". As the foot was a human foot, the span (18") is the forearm with fingers extended, the fathom being the reach of a man from finger tip to finger tip and an inch being the length from the last joint to the tip of the index finger. I'd like to hear someone explain how we established the modern concept of a thickness gage in terms of what criteria was used to determin the thickness that comes out as a gage. If you take the 10 gage and the 16 gage thickness above, and do the math, they do not "jive". Clearly what 10 gage is 1/10th of is not what 16 gage is 1/16th of. Could someone wash the mud from my vision? -randy- ** The worst suggestion of your lifetime may be the catalyst to the grandest idea of the century, don't fail to listen to suggestions. -randy-

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gage? .. a follow-up
Re: gage? -- RKimball	Post Reply	Top of thread	Forum

Posted by: RKimball ® 08/16/2003, 19:35:55 Author Profile eMail author Edit

The term gage or gauge actually comes from the technology to standardize and extablish a means to control all sizes and weights to a central location. Including the ability to establish a means to trickle down to industry these standards, and to provide a method to insure that a product manufactured in one location will fit and or equal a product manufactured elsewhere. The main idea is that a gage or gauge is maintained somewhere that all other control gauges can be checked against. Thus any company doing any serious measuring should have a set of gage blocks, locked up, that are traceable back to the national standard. These same companies should have an additional set of gage blocks used to check micrometers and such against on a timely basis. The locked up gage blocks are only used to check controled inspection equipment and should be certified by a certified gauge checking company from time to time. Each nation in turn has a system to check their standard set together with cooperating nations. This insures that an imported part will fit a domestic product, and visa-versa. It the case of gages for sheet metal and wire. Gage sizes were set and published, we just need to comply so that we are all uniform. Each company that manufactures a product tends/should tend to produce gauges to check the size, texture, color, weight, flexability, durometer, longevity and so on of the product they wish to control. These are in turn calibrated to the national standard of the measurements involved through the "trickle down" effect. ...this in no way means the increments do or should make any sense..... logically. It is not a perfect system but it has produced some very complex internationally cooperative projects,(several of which are faithfully zooming over our heads everyday) ... so it apparently works fairly well. -randy- ** The worst suggestion of your lifetime may be the catalyst to the grandest idea of the century, don't fail to listen to suggestions. -randy- Modified by RKimball at Sat, Aug 16, 2003, 19:50:52

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Re: Gauge Definition
Re: Gauge Definition -- Bandrasco	Post Reply	Top of thread	Forum

Posted by: Marshell ® 08/15/2003, 10:04:16 Author Profile eMail author Edit

The spelling for it is Gage. The gage of sheet metal defines its thickness. That defenition taken further... has been defined as 41.82 lbs per square foot per inch thick. Wire gages define its diameter.. A good starting point would be to look up gages in a machinists handbook. It will give you all the charts, and refer you to the appropriate standards. Hope this helps Marshall Modified by Marshell at Fri, Aug 15, 2003, 10:05:08

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Re: Gauge Definition
Re: Re: Gauge Definition -- Marshell	Post Reply	Top of thread	Forum

Posted by: Cramog ® 08/17/2003, 16:13:19 Author Profile eMail author Edit

The term "gauge" refers to the measurement of wire with a go-no go type gauge being used to determine the size of the wire. Sheetmetal was made using the same standards because people were familiar with the standard. There are a number of different wire gauge standards: American Wire Gauge (AWG - sometimes known as 'Brown & Sharpe')used for electrical conductors. Most sparkies have conversion charts to convert gauge sizes to cross sectional areas as the area information is more useful in calculations. Imperial Standard Wire Gauge (SWG), developer around 1884, used for sheetmetal and wire. And is the International standard. Metric sizes however are now being adopted (UK standard now). Birmingham Wire Gauge (BWG), used prior to 1884, also referred to as Stubbs, was used to gauge wire used in pianos, and was developed to differentiate between Birmingham made wire (considered stronger) than the German made product. Check out www.uk-piano.org/history/main/history_1800_1900.html for more information on piano wire. There are other gauges about, such as Stubs' Steel, US standard plate, and Washburn & Moen Very good article on https://www.ukbodyart.org/written/gaugeinfo/ Some information on gauge https://www.ukbodyart.org/written/gaugeinfo/ Modified by Administrator at Mon, Aug 18, 2003, 06:39:02

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