What does 'gauge' mean as a unit of measurement?

[Johnnytheboy]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gardman-Culti-Mulch-Sheet-...

Through work, someone has asked me for detailed spec of the above product.

What does "240 gauge" actually mean?

[anonymous-user]

•100 gauge = 25 microns = 0.025mm = Very light-weight, economy black bin liner typically sold in discount stores.
•120 gauge = 30 microns = 0.03mm = Standard bin liner.
•160 gauge = 40 microns = 0.04mm = General purpose, quality black bin liner for domestic kitchen waste.
•200 gauge = 50 microns = 0.05mm = Heavy duty black bin liner - suitable for commercial kitchen waste.
•300 gauge = 75 microns = 0.075mm = Heavy duty garden waste bag.
•500 gauge = 125 microns = 0.125mm = Tough rubble sack - suitable for up to 40kg load.

[R8VXF]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=plastic+gauge+thickness+chart

[Looket]

http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/managing_plastic_mulc...

[weeboot]

http://www.uspackagingandwrapping.com/blog/Gauge-T...

[Benrad]

Am I the only one that thought this was going to be a question about pressure measurement relative to current atmospheric conditions?

[Johnnytheboy]

MDMA . said:

•100 gauge = 25 microns = 0.025mm = Very light-weight, economy black bin liner typically sold in discount stores.
•120 gauge = 30 microns = 0.03mm = Standard bin liner.
•160 gauge = 40 microns = 0.04mm = General purpose, quality black bin liner for domestic kitchen waste.
•200 gauge = 50 microns = 0.05mm = Heavy duty black bin liner - suitable for commercial kitchen waste.
•300 gauge = 75 microns = 0.075mm = Heavy duty garden waste bag.
•500 gauge = 125 microns = 0.125mm = Tough rubble sack - suitable for up to 40kg load.

Many thanks, that's just what I needed.

[Paul_M3]

Benrad said:

Am I the only one that thought this was going to be a question about pressure measurement relative to current atmospheric conditions?

Nope. But then I am a Control and Instrumentation Engineer.

[sebhaque]

Benrad said:

Am I the only one that thought this was going to be a question about pressure measurement relative to current atmospheric conditions?

I thought of gauge in terms of guitar string thickness, but then realised there's actually quite a few different measurements defined by "gauge". Shotgun shell bore and railway track width are some others I could think of off the top of my head.

ETA:

Paul_M3 said:

I am a Control and Instrumentation Engineer.

I'm sorry to hear that (used to be in MRO)

[Paul_M3]

sebhaque said:

ETA:

Paul_M3 said:

I am a Control and Instrumentation Engineer.

I'm sorry to hear that (used to be in MRO)

Haha, don't be sorry, I like my job.

(Although it's probably a bit different to what you're imagining).

[JustinF]

It's also used in measuring the width of cigars and is used as millimeters, the plastic measurement may well be microgauge but much as we count calories when really we mean kilocalories.

[abbotsmike]

My first thought was of wire size!

[Johnnytheboy]

I'm actually using the product as a waterproofing layer in some plant pots. I've been doing it for years but someone asked me for the specification of the product, and I thought I ought to find out what it meant.

Despite the not-entirely-unexpected smart-arse lmgtfy post, my googling of 240 gauge just took me to the Amazon link above, which wasn't that helpful and a Wikipedia page about wire gauge.

[droopsnoot]

abbotsmike said:

My first thought was of wire size!

Me too, though I think of it for metal thickness. Still SWG though.

[bobtail4x4]

and I was thinking shotguns