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Cheaper Wire
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:33 pm
by DNicolson
I have a site here which is a source of cheaper wire of a great range of diameters and colours,
it is here in europe and may be of more use to members on this side of the pond.
http://www.wires.co.uk/acatalog/fly-tying_wires.html
There is also a very good Wire Gauge chart on wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire_gauge
Down at the bottom of the page under External Links:-
there is an excellent Wire Gauge conversion .pdf
Re: Cheaper Wire
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 5:44 pm
by fflutterffly
Don't shoot the messenger, but I take electrical wire of the finest gauge an use it in my tying. Talk about cheep. Yup, I'm in that category.
I'll still have a look see at these sites.
Re: Cheaper Wire
Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 11:29 am
by DNicolson
Here is a North American manufacturer, a good colour range and gauge range.
You'll have to judge for yourself if they are cheap enough. 
http://www.artisticwire.com/index.htm
Re: Cheaper Wire
Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2012 12:26 pm
by DNicolson
As UTC UltraWire is the commonest wire used in flytying,
I measured the various sizes with a micrometer and these are the results.
Large = 25AWG = 0.018thou = 0.455mm
Medium = 27AWG = 0.014thou = 0.36mm
BR = 32AWG = 0.008thou = 0.201mm
Small = 34AWG 0.006thou = 0.16mm
ExSmall = 38AWG = 0.004thou = 0.10mm
A thou is 1/1000 or .001 of an inch.
As a lot of the other sources of wire refer to various guages
and diameters, I thought this would be of use when buying wire.
Old Transformers and relay coils a a good and cheap source of copper wire
but the coloured and enamelled wires look great on fly bodies.
If you can buy cheaply and on large capacity spools, they are well worth
the extra expense, and that is from a true born Scot.