What thickness is 14-gauge steel?
For example, a 14 gauge stainless steel is . 07812 inches thick.
So higher numbers (like 16 gauge) are thinner than smaller numbers (like a 6 gauge). When discussing gauges, references to a "larger gauge" means bigger around, not a bigger number. That is to say that if you're told that you need a larger gauge than 14, you need to look at 12 or 10 which are wider, not at 16.
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Fraction Decimal Millimeter Conversion Table.
FRACTION | DECIMAL | MILLIMETER |
---|---|---|
5/32 | .1563 | 3.9688 |
11/64 | .1719 | 4.3656 |
3/16 | .1875 | 4.7625 |
13/64 | .2031 | 5.1594 |
Everything You Need to Know About Gauge of Steel
The rating for steel gauge may seem backward: the smaller the number, the thicker the steel.
If you want to find out what gauge your sheet metal is, measure its thickness using a regular tape measure. Then, using a sheet metal gauge chart, you can match that thickness up with the appropriate numbered gauge of your product.
12-gauge (. 106) steel is 2.86 times stronger than 14-gauge (. 075), even though it is only . 031 thicker.
A36 mild carbon steel alloy. Common structural steel in U.S.A. Minimum yield of 36,000 PSI (250 MPa) and ultimate tensile strength of 58,000 to 80,000 PSI (400-550 MPa).
The lower the number, the thicker the steel. Therefore, 16 gauge is thicker than 18 gauge steel. The reason we promote using 16 gauge steel for your sinks versus 18 gauge is 16 is more rigid. You will hear the difference between these two thicknesses when you drop a knife or other utensil in the sink.
11-gauge steel is 1.45 times stronger than 12-gauge steel. 10-gauge steel is 1.42 times stronger than 11-gauge steel.
Even though you might only need a couple of square feet of sheet metal to repair your car, you will have to buy a standard 8 foot by 4 foot sheet from your local steel stockholder.
How much does a 4x8 sheet of 16 gauge steel weigh?
--Weight: 8.70 lbs. per sq. ft.
The 14-gauge steel is the industry standard of frame thickness and the most nationally accepted gauge for carport and metal structures.

Number of gauge | Approximate thickness in fractions of an inch | Weight per square foot in kilograms |
---|---|---|
16 | 1/16 | 1.134 |
17 | 9/160 | 1.021 |
18 | 1/20 | .9072 |
19 | 7/160 | .7938 |
Automotive sheet metal once ran in the range of 18-gauge, which was 48 thousandths of an inch thick (actually 0.0478 inch). 20-gauge became common in more recent times, and this meant 0.0359-inch-thick metal—still a lot to work with in-bumping and metal finishing.
Gauge is (100) x (mils), so for example 0.3 mils = 30 gauge. To go from mils to microns, you multiply mils x 25.4. SolveTech makes thickness gauging technology for measuring plastic film.
Wire Number (Gauge) | A.W.G. or B&S (Inches) | A.W.G. Metric (MM) |
---|---|---|
13 | 0.072" | 1.829mm |
14 | 0.0641" | 1.628mm |
15 | 0.0571" | 1.45mm |
16 | 0.0508" | 1.291mm |
Thus, a 10 gauge steel sheet which has a thickness of 0.1345 inches will weigh 41.82*0.1345 = 5.625 pounds per square foot.
Shotguns are classified by gauge, which is a measure related to the diameter of the smooth shotgun bore and the size of the shotshell designed for that bore. Common shotgun gauges are 10-gauge, 12-gauge, 16-gauge, 20-gauge, and 28-gauge. The smaller the gauge number, the larger the shotgun bore.
The lower the number, the thicker the steel. Therefore, 16 gauge is thicker than 18 gauge steel. The reason we promote using 16 gauge steel for your sinks versus 18 gauge is 16 is more rigid. You will hear the difference between these two thicknesses when you drop a knife or other utensil in the sink.
Few people know why the thickness of steel diminishes as the gauge increases (ie: 16 gauge steel is thicker than 20 gauge steel). The explanation comes from the early development of a steel gauge measurement system in which the control measurement was based on a 1″ thick steel plate.
Which is thicker 12 or 14 gauge wire?
Here's a simple visual. Twelve gauge is about the thickness of a nickel, and 14-gauge is about the thickness of a dime. Also, look at the breaker for the circuit in question to see if it's a 15-amp or a 20-amp breaker. A 20-amp circuit requires wire that's 12-gauge or larger.
Because of this composition, you will sometimes see this referred to as 18/8 steel, especially in reference to flatware. It is highly resistant to corrosion, but it is non-magnetic (again, important if you are using a magnetic flatware retriever).
A better quality stainless steel kitchen sink is the 18-gauge, which is 0.0500 inches. Many home improvement choices recommend 16 to 18 gauges as a good choice for a stainless steel kitchen sink. The more costly, a 16-gauge stainless sinks is often touted as a luxury sink and are 0.0625 inches thick.
Automotive sheet metal once ran in the range of 18-gauge, which was 48 thousandths of an inch thick (actually 0.0478 inch). 20-gauge became common in more recent times, and this meant 0.0359-inch-thick metal—still a lot to work with in-bumping and metal finishing.