The wire on the Brooklyn Bridge -- How thick, and where do I get some?

[stuyguy]

For an upcoming walking tour I’m giving, I want to show people a sample of the size of the wire used to create the main cables of the Brooklyn Bridge. There are over 5,000 of these wires bundled into each main cable. Because the wires are wrapped on the outside, bandage-like, with more wire, they are invisible even when the main cables are examined up close.

All the descriptions I’ve found put the wire’s thickness in layman’s terms. Most say, “a little thinner than a pencil.” One says “a little more than 1/8” thick."

Surely there is an exact gauge or dimension that describes the size.

Now for part II of this question: Where could I get a sample of like-sized wire today? I’d only really need a foot or two of the stuff. If I could get a piece that came close to matching the metallurgical specs of the original wire – I know, for example it was galvanized steel – all the better!

Thanks all, in advance.

[MsWhatsit]

From David McCullough’s book The Great Bridge:

The specifications called for steel wire of what was known as Number 8, Birmingham Gauge (this was a diameter designation), with a breaking strength of not less than 3,400 pounds. The steel was to be of medium quality, neither too hard nor too soft, and the wire had to be “straight” wire, that is to say, when a ring of it was unrolled on the floor, the wire had to lie perfectly straight, without any tendency to spring back into coils.

I hope that helps somewhat? (Great book, btw.)

[Joey_P]

My quick googling says it’s about a 6 A.W.G. You can go to most any hardware store and find that. But since you said it’s galvonized steel, I’m gonna go out on a limb and say the closest thing you can easily* use to demonstrate that is the wire from a chain link fence.

*I said easily, not exact.

[Fear_Itself]

Birmingham Wire Gauge #8 is equal to .165"