"Keep it clean" wire ?

[Mastiff]

I ordered this wire for my electric fan project:

http://www.amazon.com/Keep-It-Clean...JFE4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337142084&sr=8-1

I thought it would just be regular 10 gauge wire. The stuff is really soft and does not appear to have anywhere near the amount of copper as the other 10 gauge wire I have. Has anyone ever used this stuff? They have a full website and everything... Is there any way wire can look so different yet still be the same gauge?

I'm confused and kind of irritated that I'll probably have to return this at my own expense and source wire someplace else.

 

[dremu]

Gauge is, more or less, the diameter of the conductor. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire_gauge -- note that they talk about cross-section area as well as diameter.

If it's soft, as in flexible, it's made up of lots of little strands, often stranded together into sub-strands. Your usual automotive 10AWG would be like, I donno, eight strands of #22 or so twisted together, but stuff like welding cable is made up of bazillions of like #30's twisted together.

The other thing is the jacket; the cheap wires use like poly, i.e. plastic, versus the good stuff has a rubber or silicone sleeve. These can come in varying thickness, so they can make a smaller diameter wire appear larger overall.

If you remember the toolbox thing in the Lounge some years back you'll laugh, but if you can estimate the diameter of the metal itself (not just the sleeving), ideally with a micrometer or calipers, we can determine what the wire actually is.

-- A

 

[Mastiff]

I'll snap some pics and take the calipers to it tomorrow. I also have an E-mail in to the manufacturer asking WTF.

 

[Gunny65]

I'll snap some pics and take the calipers to it tomorrow. I also have an E-mail in to the manufacturer asking WTF.

Just because it is more Flexible does not mean it is bad or of poor quality. It isn't as durable as the heavier wire but it should conduct great. The heavy stuff stands up to generated heat better and is tougher but isn't necessarily better. Depends on the conditions in which you plan on using it.

 

[Fordum]

Sounds like you got some class K stuff. Gauge is gauge, no matter what class. If it measures 10 gauge at the conductor, then its fine.
Class K is super fine stranding for high flexibility. Is almost always combined with extra good insulation to prevent wear and chafing.

I have used it when building robot machines that have to move back and forth while being supplied with power.
Its great stuff, but a little tricky to work with. When stripping the insulation you have to be careful because the tiny strands inside are easy to nick and cut.

A wire gauge measuring device works better than calipers because it takes into account the shape of the wire, but you should be able to get close enough to see if its 10 gauge or not.

 

[Blue85]

For underhood apps, it's best to use "automotive" wiring, but to a certain extent, all you care about is the heat resistance of the insulation. If the insulation is melting off as you try to solder it, you probably shouldn't put it underhood. Abrasion resistance is important if the wire snakes along by itself, but less critical if you are using convoluted tubing or such.

What does the insulation say on it?

All else being equal, a more flexible wire is considered more desirable. It's more expensive to use the smaller strands and softer insulation of the same temp range. Really crappy insulation can also be really soft.

 

[Mastiff]

This stuff did say automotive primary wire. The insulation says 10 gauge and it does seem like high quality stuff. Here's a pic of the new wire (right) compared to "normal" 10 gauge wire. How in the world can these both be 10 gauge? I'd estimate less than half the copper in the new wire.

 

[wheeler]

id call the manufacturer like you said and see what they say. maybe its magic copper?

 

[Blue85]

They may be infringing on my patent for low-cost room-temperature superconducting wire. Once I invent it I will be rich enough to start my warp-drive research independently. Ultimately these plans depend on my final invention - the time machine - which will really make all of this possible.

 

[Blue85]

I've run into the same problem with wire before. While it's probably made overseas where they don't really use inch/AWG, somebody is trying to make money hoping nobody will notice. If you read the fine print they may be be selling "10AWG equivalent" or something like that with fine strands and low O2. The finer strands pack together tighter and have lower impedance at higher frequencies, but for DC current like this, the amount of copper is really the most important variable.

I think you should contact them.

 

[73k5blazer]

I ordered this wire for my electric fan project:

http://www.amazon.com/Keep-It-Clean...JFE4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337142084&sr=8-1

I thought it would just be regular 10 gauge wire. The stuff is really soft and does not appear to have anywhere near the amount of copper as the other 10 gauge wire I have. Has anyone ever used this stuff? They have a full website and everything... Is there any way wire can look so different yet still be the same gauge?

I'm confused and kind of irritated that I'll probably have to return this at my own expense and source wire someplace else.

I had a thread about wire here: Clicky.
Basically, "primary" wire is no specification, could be anything. Insulation could (and 99 out of 100 times is) be the worst possible, they use thicker strands inside (thicker strands=less means to transfer electricity efficiently, which is why welding cable is made up of thousands of small strands). Gauge is supposed to be standard. If you measure the diameter of the strands, then count the strands, you can "gauge" the wire accurately. Some cheap wire has been known to skimp a few strands here and there.