The thickness of sheet metals is measured by a small instrument called a gage. It is a flat circular disk of hardened steel with slots in the edge, Fig. 1. The slots are numbered, the smallest one into which the edge of the sheet metal slips easily is said to be the gage of the metal in thickness.

In the United States we have unfortunately adopted a system of using different gages for different metals, or for various groups of metals. We even go so far in some cases as to use different gages for the same metal in different trades, which sometimes causes annoying complications. For example, plumbers and coppersmiths measure their copper, brass, zinc, etc., with the Stubs gage, while silversmiths, goldsmiths, and art metalworkers measure the same metals with the Brown and Sharpe gage (so called after the famous machine manufacturers of Providence, Rhode Island). Art metalworkers when measuring or when ordering metals should always use and specify the Brown and Sharpe gage.

Table I shows the differences between the various gages used in this country. Table II shows the weights per square foot of copper and brass of the most common gages of metals as measured by the Brown and Sharpe gage. Table III shows the weights of the same metals as measured by the Stubs gage. Table IV shows the weights per lineal foot of solid, round, and square brass and copper rods.

Fig . 1. Brown & Sharpe's American or new gage.

Fig. 1. Brown & Sharpe's American or new gage.

Table I. Table Showing the Differences Between Standard Wire Gages.

No.

of

Gage

American or Brown & Sharpe

Birmingham or Stubbs

New

British

Old English or London

Washburn

&

Moen

United

States

Standard

No.

of

Gage

5-0

.432

.430

.4375

5-0

4-0

.460

.454

.400

.454

.393

.40625

4-0

3-0

.40964

.425

.372

.425

.362

.375

3-0

2-0

.36480

.380

.348

.380

.331

.34375

2-0

0

.32486

.340

.324

.340

.307

.3125

0

1

.28930

.300

.300

.300

.283

.28125

1

2

.25763

.284

.276

.284

.263

.265625

2

3

.22942

.259

.252

.259

.244

.25

3

4

.20431

.238

.232

.238

.225

.234375

4

5

.18194

.220

.212

.220

.207

.21875

5

6

.16202

.203

.192

.203

.192

.203125

6

7

.14428

.180

.176

.180

.177

.1875

7

8

.12849

.165

.160

.165

.102

.171875

8

9

.11443

.148

.144

.148

.148

.15625

9

10

.10189

.134

.128

.134

.135

.140625

10

11

.09074

.120

.116

.120

.120

.125

11

12

.08081

.109

.104

.109

.105

.109375

12

13

.07196

.095

.092

.095

.092

.09375

13

14

.06408

.083

.080

.083

.080

.078125

14

15

.05706

.072

.072

.072

.072

.0703125

15

16

.05082

.065

.064

.065

.063

.0625

16

17

.04525

.058

.056

.058

.054

.05625

17

18

.04030

.049

.048

.049

.047

.05

18

19

.03589

.042

.040

.040

.041

.04375

19

20

.03196

.035

.036

.035

.035

.0375

20

21

.02846

.032

.032

.0315

.032

.034375

21

22

.025347

.028

.028

.0295

.028

.03125

22

23

.022571

.025

.024

.027

.025

.028125

23

24

.0201

.022

.022

.025

.023

.025

24

25

.0179

.020

.020

.023

.020

.021875

25

26

.01594

.018

.018

.0205

.018

.01875

26

27

.014195

.016

.0164

.01875

.017

.0171875

27

28

.012641

.014

.0148

.0165

.016

.015625

28

29

.011257

.013

.0136

.0155

.015

.0140625

29

30

.010025

.012

.0124

.01375

.014

.0125

30

31

.008928

.010

.0116

.01225

.0135

.0109375

31

32

.00795

.009

.0108

.01125

.0130

.01015625

32

33

.00708

.008

.0100

.01025

.0110

.009375

33

34

■ .0063

.007

.0092

.0095

.0100

.00859375

34

35

.00561

.005

.0084

.009

.0095

.0078125

35

36

.005

.004

.0076

.0075

.0090

.00703125

36

37

.00445

.0068

.0065

.0085

.006640(i25

37

38

.003965

.0060

.00575

.0080

.00625

38

39

.003531 .003144

.0052 .0048

.005 .0045

.0075 .0070

39

40

..........

40

Table II. Table Of Weights Per Square Foot Of Copper And Brass Sheets

AMERICAN. OR B. & S. GAGE

COPPER

Brass

No.

Thickness.

Lbs.

Lbs.

000

. 46 in., or 7-16 in. full ...........

20.838

19.688

000

.40964 in..........................

18.557

17.533

00

.3648 " or 3/8 in. scant...............

16.525

15.613

0

.32486 "...........................

14.716

13.904

1

.2893 "..........................

13.105

12.382

2

.25763 "or 1/4 in. full................

11.670

11.027

3

.22942 "............................

10.392

9.819

4

.20431 " ....................

9.255

8.745

5

.18194 " or 3-16 in. scant ...........

8.212

7.788

6

.16202 " ...........................

7.340

6.935

7

. 14428 " ........................

6.536

6.175

8

.12849 "or 1/8 in. full ............

5.821

5.499

9

.11443 " ........

5.183 4.616

4.898

10

.10189 " ...........................

4.361

11

.090742" ..........................

4.110

3.884

12

.0808 ".............................

3.66

3.457

13

. 0720 " .....................

3.26

3.08

14

.06408 ".....;..................'.....

2.90

2.743

15

.057068" ............................

2.585

2.442

16

.05082 " .........................

2.302

2.175

17

.045257" ..........................

2.05

1.937

18

.0403 ".........................

1.825

1.725

19

.0359 ".............................

1.626

1.536

20

.0320 "..........................

1.448

1.367

21

.02846 ".........................

1.289

1.218

22

.02535 •'.........................

1.148

1.085

23

.02257 ".............................

1.023

.966

24

.0211 " ...........................

.910

.860

25

.0179 ".......... ...........

.811

.766

2(5

.0159 "...........................

.722

.682

27

.01419 " ............. .........

.643

.608

28

.01264 " ............................

.573

.541

29

.01126 "........................

.510

.482

30

.01003 " .............................

.454

.429

31

.0089 " .....................

.101

.382

32

.0079 " ...........................

.360

.340

33

.0071 " .............................

.321

.303

34

.0063 " ........................

.286

.269

35

.0056 " .........................

.254

.240

30

.0050 " ........................

.226

.214

37

.00445 " ............................

.202

.191

38

.00396 " .......................

.180

.170

39

.00353 " ...................

.160

.151

40

.00314 " .........................

.142

.135

Table III. Table Of Weights Per Square Foot Of Copper And Brass Sheets

STUBS' GAG

Copper

BRAss

No.

Thickness

Lbs.

Lbs.

0000

.464 in.

or 7-16 in. full ..............

20.556

19.431

000

.425 "

................................

19.253

18.19

00

.380 "

or 3/8 in. full ...............

17.214

16.264

0

.340 "

15.402

14.552

1

.300 '•

" 19-64 ■' full..............

13.59

12.84

2

.284 "

"9-32 " " ................

12.865

12.155

3

.259 "

" 1/4" "................

11.733

11.09

4

.238 "

" 15-64 " " ................

10.781

10.19

5

.220 "

" 7-32 " " ................

9.966

9.416

6

.203 "

" 13-64 " " ..............

9.20

8.689

7

.180 "

" 316 " scant..............

' 8.154

7.704

8

.165 "

" 11-64 '• " ............

7.475

7.062

9

.148 "

" 9 -64 " full................

6.704

6.334

10

.134 "

" 9-64 " scant..............

6.070

5.735

11

.120 "

"1/8 " " ............

5.436 4.938

5.137

12

.109 "

" 7-64 • ..................

4.667

13

.095 "

" 3-32 " full................

4.303

4.066

14

.083 "

" 5 - 64 " full

8.760

3.552

15

.072 "

3.262

3.08

16

.065 "

" 1-16 " full.............

2.945

2.78

17

.058 "

" 1-16 " scant

2.627

2.48

18

.049 "

"3-64 " full................

2.220

2.10

19

.042 " .035 "

" 3-64 " scant.............

1.90 1.59

1.80

20

" 1-32 " full...............

1.50

21

.032 "

" 1-32 " scant..............

1.45

1.37

22

.028 "

.....................................

1.27

1.20

23

.025 "

.....................................

1.13

1.07

24

.022 "

....................................

.997

.941

25

.020 "

..........................................

.906

.856

26

.018 "

.......................................

.815

.770

27

.016 "

or 1.64 in ...................

.725

.685

28

.014 "

................................

.634

.599

29

.013 "

.....................................

.589

.556

30

.012 "

...................................

.544

.514

31

.010 "

................................

.453

.428

32

.009 "

.....................................

.408

.385

33

.008 "

....................................

.362

.342

34

.007 "

........................................

.317

.2996

35

.005 "

........................................

.227

.214

36

.004 "

.181

.171

Table IV. Table Of Weights Per Lineal Foot Of Brass And Copper Rod

BRASS.

COPPER.

Inches.

ROUND.

SQUARE.

ROUND.

Lis.

SQUARE.

Lis.

Lis.

Lis.

1-16

.011

.014

.01155

.0147

1/8

.045

.055

.047

.060

3-16

.100

.125

.106

.13497

1/4

.175

.225

.189

.241

5-16

.275

.350

.296

.377

%

.395

.510

.426

.542

7 16

.540

.690

.579

.737

1/2

.710

.905

.757

.964

9-16

.90

1.15

.958

1.22

%

1.10 1.35

1.40

1.182

1.51

11-16

1.72

1.431

1.82

3/7

1.66

2.05

1.703

2.17

13-16

1.85

2.40

1.998

2.54

%

2.15

2.75

2.318

2.95

15-16

2.48

3.15

2.660

3.39

1

2.85

3.65

3.03

3.86

1 1-16

3.20

4.08

3.42

4.35

1 1/8

3.57

4.55

3.831

4.88

1 3-16

3.97

5.08

4.269

5.44

1 1/4

4 41

5.65 6.22

4.723

6.01

1 5-16

4.86

5.21

6.63

1 3/8

5.35

6.81

5.723

7.24

17-16

5.85

7.45

6.255

7.97

1 1/2

6.37

8.13

6.811

8.67

6.92

8.83

7.39 7.993

9.41

15/8

7.48

9.55

10.18

1 11-16

8.05

10.27

8.45

10.73

1 3/4

1 13-16

8.65

11.00

9.27

11.80

9.29

11.82

9.76

12.43

17/8

9.95

12.68

10.642 11.11

13.55

1 15-16

10.58

13.50

14.15

2

11.25

14.35

12.108

15.42

2 1/8

12.78

16.27

13.668

17.42

2 1/4

14.32

18.24

15.325

19.51

15.96

20.32

17.075

21.74

2 1/2

17.68

22.53

18.916

24.09

2 5/8

19.50

24.83

20.856

26.56

2 3/4

21.40

27.25

22.891

29.05

2 7/8

23.39

29.78

25.019

31.86

3

25.47

32.43 38.77

27.243

34.69

3 1/4

30.45

31.972

40.71

35.31

44.96

37.081

47.22

4

46.124

58.73

48.433

61.67

To find the weight of Octagon Rod, take the weight of Round Rod of a given size and multiply by 1,084.

To find the weight of Hexagon Rod, take the weight of Round Rod of a given size and multiply by 1.12