Finding Draw Plate Gauge

Answer:

Hi Mollie,

Most wire jewelry uses gauges ranging from 14-gauge (thick) to 28-gauge (thin), though some designs may use even thicker or thinner wire.

The higher the number, the thinner the wire. I remember it by picturing a small tube lots of thin wires like 28-gauge can fit, but only a few thick ones like 12-gauge.

Wire jewelry patterns typically use even-numbered gauges, plus 21-gauge.

In North America, wire is usually measured using the American Wire Gauge (AWG) system.

Wikipedia offers helpful details on how this system works, including how sizes are calculated and some handy rules of thumb.

Here on WireJewelry.com, we have a handy page for finding the diameter (width) of the wire in inches and millimeters. Simply go to our Resource Center and look under "All About Wire" it's called Wire Gauge & Footage Charts. The first two charts are for converting the weight of wire to footage (because some people are used to ordering wire by the ounce or the pound, and we offer jewelry wire by the foot); the last chart will help you convert AWG to inches and millimeters.

To determine the gauge of a hole in your draw plate, measure its diameter using a millimeter ruler, wire gauge tool, or caliper.

Then, use the chart I mentioned earlier to convert the millimeter measurement to AWG.

Keep in mind that many draw plates are chamfered, meaning the hole is wider at the entry point and tapers to a smaller finished size.

I hope this helps!