View Full Version : Table of MIG Wire Size - Feet on a Spool

Rick V
01-12-2007, 01:53 PM
How Many Feet of MIG Wire on a Spool?

Once in a while I need the answer, so here it is.

I provide one sample calculation (that you can ignore) followed by a Table for the common MIG
wire sizes in steel, stainless steel (SS), aluminum and for reference - copper.

Material Density------gm/cm^3----lbs/in^3
Iron/Steel------------7.7--------0.27812
Stainless Steel ------8.0--------0.28896
Aluminum--------------2.7--------0.09752
Copper----------------8.9 -------0.32147

Sample Calculation
How many feet of 0.035 inch diameter mild steel wire in a 2 lb spool of MIG wire?
Density conversion factor: 1 gm/cubic cm = 0.03612 lbs/cubic inch
Density of steel = 7.7 gm/cubic cm or 7.7 x 0.03612 = 0.27812 lbs/cubic inch
2 lbs of steel wire has a volume of 2 lbs / 0.27812 lbs/cubic inch = 7.191 cubic inches.
Wire of 0.035 inch diameter (D) has a cross-sectional area of = pi/4 x DxD = 3.14156/4 x 0.035
x 0.035 = 0.000962113 square inches.
Wire Volume = Wire Length x Wire Area.
Wire Length = Volume/Area = 7.191 / 0.0009621 = 7,474.3 inches or 622.8 feet.

Formula: Wire Length = [weight of wire (lbs) / density (lbs/in^3)] / [3.14159/4 x Diam^2
(inches^2)]

TABLE: FEET OF MIG WIRE ON A SPOOL (Solid Wire, not Flux Core)

Wire Diam---Spool--Steel----SS------Aluminum---Copper
(inches)---(lbs)---(feet)--(feet)---(feet)-----(feet)
0.023--------1-------721------694-----2056-------624
0.023--------2------1442-----1388-----4112------1248
0.023--------10-----7210-----6940----20560------6240
0.023--------44----31724----30536----90464-----27456

0.030--------1-------424------408-----1209-------367
0.030--------2-------848------816-----2418-------734
0.030--------10-----4240-----4080----12090------3670
0.030--------44----18656----17952----53196-----16148

0.035--------1-------311.4----300------888-------269.4
0.035--------2-------623------600-----1776-------539
0.035--------10-----3114-----3000-----8881------2694
0.035--------44----13703----13189----39080-----11855

0.045--------1-------188.4----181------537-------163
0.045--------2-------377------362-----1074-------326
0.045--------10-----1884-----1810-----5373------1630
0.045--------44-----8289-----7978----23640------7172

0.060--------1-------106------102------302--------91.7
0.060--------2-------212------204------604-------183
0.060--------10-----1060-----1020-----3022-------917
0.060--------44-----4662-----4488----13298------4034

Rick V
pulser
01-12-2007, 05:46 PM
Good info Rick.
Based on wire feed rate and arc time, or on weld joint volume, you can figure how much wire
you're using in lbs or feet.
Rick V
01-13-2007, 02:29 PM
Hey Pulser, your are right... and once in a while folks tell us tales of how many lbs per hour they
were laying down.

Not only that, the Table is interesting/useful if a fellow takes the time to measure (calibrate) the
wire-speed at various settings of his welding machine.
e.g.
Here is the Wire Feed Measurements from my Lincoln Mig PAK 15 (SP-175T)
Setting inches/min
Min……………. 48
1………………. 51
2………………. 90
3………………. 140
4………………. 190
5………………. 265
6………………. 320
7………………. 380
8………………. 440
9………………. 500
10…………….. 560
Max…………... 563

Question: If my welder was loaded with a new 2 lb spool of 0.023 inch diameter steel MIG wire,
I could weld continously at setting #4 for how long?

According to the Table, 2 lbs of 0.023 = 1442 feet or 12 x 1442 = 17304 inches.
Setting #4 = 190 inches/minute
Therefore, number of minutes = 17304 / 190 = 91 minutes or about 1.5 hours.

How much gas would I use? If I were running a typical gas flow of 15 cubic feet per hour, I
would use/need 1.5 hours x 15 ft^3/hour = 22.5 cubic feet.

The range of my welder settings, maximum speed to minimum gives me from 1/2 hour to 6
hours continuous welding from a 2 lb spool of 0.023 solid wire.

Rick V
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.1 Copyright © 2014 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights
reserved.

Formulas
Our designing team uses various wire drawing formulas for designing a variety of wires with our
wire drawing machines such as weight / length relationship formula, surface area formula, zinc
coating formula and formula for reduction in area

FORMULA ONE   FORMULA TWO

Weight / Length   * Surface Area:
Relationship: The surface area of one
foot of wire is:
The weight per foot of wire (4) a = X 0.090 / 12 =
is : 0.0236 ft2/ft

(2) The surface area of one lb

Example : The Weight per
foot os .090" wire is :
The length per lb of wire is:
(3)
Where:
w = weight per foot (lbs/ft)
d = wire diameter(inch)
L = length per lb (ft/lb)
of wire is :
(5) a/w = 1 / (36 X d X y)
Where:
a = surface area of one
foot of wire (ft2/ft)
a/w = surface area of one
lb of wire (ft2/lb)
d = wire diameter (inch)
w = weight of one foot of
wire (lb/ft)
y = specific weight (for
steel, 0.283 lbs/in3)

Example : The length per lb
of .090" wire is:
FORMULA THREE
ZINC COATING
The Percent zinc coating
on d" diameter wire coated
with coz/ft2zinc is:
(6)
Example : for 0.090"
diameter wire coated 0.3
oz/ft2 :
(6)
The weight of zinc on d"
diameter wire coated with
p% zinc is :
(7)
Where :
p% = weight percent of
zinc(%)
c = zinc coating weight
(oz/ft2)
d = wire diameter(inch)
Example: for 0.090"
diameter wire, 2.00% zinc
coating weights :
Example : The surface
are of one lb of 0.090"
diameter wire is :
a/w = 1 / (36 X 0.090 X
0.2836) = 1.088 ft2lb
* Refer to Page 369,
Volume 2, Steel Wire
Handbook
FORMULA FOUR
Reduction in Area:
Step reduction, drawing wire
from di-1to di
(8)
Examples :drawing from
step 3 to step 4:
r4[1-(0.090/0.102)2] X 100
drawing 0.102" wire to 090"
r = [1-(0.090/0.102)2 X 100
= 22.15%
Total Reduction, drawing
from d0 to di
(9)
Examples :at step 4: r = [1-
(d4/d0)2] X 100
drawing 7/32" rod to 0.102":
r = [1 - (0.102/0.219)2] X
100 = 78.31%
Overall reduction, drawing
from d0 to df
(10)
Examples :drawing 7/32" to
0.090" :
rf= [1-(0.090/0.219)2] X 100
 = 83.11%

NOTES :
1. Reduction in area is not
* Refer to Page 301,
additive, rf is not f1 + r2 + ...
Volume 1, Steel Wire
+ rn
Handbook
2. Reduction is always
positive.
Graph for Formula Four 3. Reduction is never larger
than 100%.
4. For ferrous wire, step
reduction is usually between
7% and 38% (limits depend
on the product).
5. For overall reduction
greater than 85%, the
process has to be carefully
designed.
6. Clue : for final diameter
of one half the original,
INCLUDING DIE reduction is 75%.
ANGLE, degrees
To Compute the diameter
Work Sheet for designing from reduction :
tooling geometry to
prevent central bursting. (11)

Example:Drawing 7/32" rod

25% reduction:

Given the small diameter,

the large diameter is:

(12)

Where:
r = drawing reduction in
area(%)
d = wire diameter(inch)

Example: For an overall

reduction of 83.1%, an
0.090" wire will require a
starting diameter of:
do =
 The Required Percent
Reduction Between the
Bottom and Top Block of a
Double-Draw Single-Block

Our Products