Understanding Wire Thickness and Gauge

Standard Wire Guage (SWG) is an obsolete method of measuring the thickness of wire which dates back to the 1700s. However, it is still much used in Floristry and for Guitar Strings!

Basically the thinner the wire the higher the guage, so 32swg is a very fine wire and 18swg is a thick wire.

Here is a simple chart to help you:

SWG = Diameter (mm)
18 = 1.25mm
19 = 1.00mm
20 = 0.9mm
22 = 0.71mm
24 = 0.56mm
26 = 0.46mm
28 = 0.38mm
30 = 0.32mm
32 = 0.28mm