Cheaper Wire

[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

[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.

[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

[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.