10 gauge wire
Shop 10 gauge baling wire and 10 gauge bale ties online. Baling Wire Direct provides the highest quality 10 gauge wire products.
Our 10 gauge wire products
We sell 10 gauge baling wire in the form of double loop bale ties (bright and galvanized), stem wire, and box wire.
10 gauge black annealed wire by the box
10 gauge black annealed box wire is used to bale paper, cardboard, and other recyclables. Its elongation properties are great for baling materials that expand after compaction. Our annealed products are finished with a wax coating for smooth feeding into auto-tie balers and moderate corrosion resistance.
We sell 10 gauge black annealed box wire in 50 lb (approx. 1,028 feet) or 100 lb (approx. 2,057 feet) boxes.
10 gauge black annealed wire by the stem
10 gauge black annealed stem wire (or carrier wire) is the same as our 10 gauge black annealed box wire, but on a stem. A stem is a large spool that contains much more wire than a box. Stems are commonly used in high-volume industrial applications with auto-tie balers.
10 gauge black annealed wire stems weigh about 1,600 lb and come with 39,083 feet of wire.
10 gauge bright double loop bale ties
10 gauge bright double loop bale ties have two loops for easy tying. They are unfinished, which gives them a smooth, shiny appearance, making them great for consumer-facing applications or short-term storage in dry locations.
We sell 10 gauge bright double loop bale ties in bundles of 50 at lengths of 228 or 234 inches.
10 gauge galvanized double loop bale ties
10 gauge galvanized double loop bale ties also have two loops for quickly tying bales of recyclables or other materials. They offer exceptional load and tensile strength, and the galvanized finish provides extra corrosion resistance for outdoor use and harsh environments.
We sell our 10 gauge galvanized double loop ties in bundles of 50 at lengths of 228 or 234 inches.
How we make baling wire
You need high-quality baling wire to do the job right. Here’s how we consistently make the best baling wire in the world:
- We begin by purchasing 100% American steel rods from select family-owned mills, bought with metallurgical documents for comprehensive material traceability.
- The raw materials are shipped to our state-of-the-art factory where our team of over 100 trained technicians and 5 engineering experts get to work.
- The rods undergo an innovative mechanical reverse-bending mechanical descaling process. This technique reduces die wear and removes mill scale and surface rust, leaving behind a smooth surface (Mechanical descaling eliminates the need for hazardous chemicals and protects the environment.).
- The wire rods are drawn through a continuous bull-block wire-drawing machine. The rods are progressively narrowed through increasing die gauges until the desired diameter is achieved. The inverse relationship between wire diameter and gauge means a smaller wire gauge correlates to a thicker wire.
- After the steel wire has been drawn to size, we gently air-cool it to produce consistent tensile strength.
- We send wire that requires annealing or galvanization for further processing.
We exercise strict quality control to produce wire that exceeds industry standards. Any wire that doesn’t pass testing is removed from supply, so our customers only receive exceptional baler wire.
Our galvanizing process
Galvanization improves a wire’s resistance to corrosion and rust. It involves coating the wire in a durable zinc shield to serve as a sacrificial anode. Here’s how we hot-dip galvanize our wire:
- Surface preparation: We clean the wire to prepare it for zinc adhesion, removing all surface impurities.
- Pickling: We immerse the wire in an acid solution to remove the remaining oxides and scale, creating a clean substrate for the zinc.
- Fluxing: We immerse the wire in a flux solution, which prevents oxidation and promotes a uniform zinc coating.
- Galvanizing bath: We dip the wire in a molten zinc bath (around 450°C or 850°F).
- Alloy formation: While immersed in the molten zinc, a metallurgical reaction occurs between the iron in the wire and the zinc, resulting in the formation of a series of zinc-iron alloy layers.
- Withdrawal: We slowly remove the wire at a rate that allows excess zinc to drip off and creates a uniform layer of zinc.
- Quenching: We rapidly cool the zinc-coated wire in a quenching solution, solidifying the zinc and completing the galvanization process.
We offer two galvanization classes on our galvanized wire products. While Class 1 is cheaper, its basic zinc coating wears out a lot faster. Class 3 galvanization features a robust coating that withstands (up to 50+ years) extreme environmental conditions; premium galvanization saves you money in the long run.
Our annealing process
Annealing enhances a wire’s ductility and flexibility while reducing brittleness and hardness. It optimizes wire for baling expansive or shifting materials. The three stages of the annealing process are:
- Recovery: We heat the wire below its recrystallization temperature to relieve internal stress, reduce linear defects, and restore some of the wire’s conductivity.
- Recrystallization: Additional heat causes the wire to form new grains, resulting in the elimination of dislocations and the development of a new, strain-free microstructure, which further enhances ductility and reduces hardness, creating a slightly weaker, more flexible wire.
- Grain growth: As the grains continue to grow, the wire loses some additional strength. We anneal until the wire achieves a 25% elongation potential.
After annealing, we coat the wire in a protective wax that offers minor rust and corrosion protection and allows smooth feeding into high-volume auto-tie balers.
What is 10 gauge wire used for?
Recycling and waste management operations use 10 gauge wire to bundle and bale materials. Baler wire allows facilities to compact and securely bind materials into manageable bales for efficient handling, transportation, and storage.
| Recycling applications | Other applications |
|---|---|
| Cardboard, Aluminum and steel, PET and HDPE plastics, Rubber and tires, Magazines, Foam, Plastics, Plastic film, E-waste, Paper, Tissue paper | Agricultural fencing and animal enclosures, Vineyard trellises, Baling hay, Reinforcing rebar, Orchard tree supports, Electric fencing, Binding construction materials |
How thick is 10 gauge wire?
Our 10 gauge wire products are .135 inches (3.429 mm) in diameter.
A wire’s gauge is inversely correlated to its thickness; smaller gauges correlate to thicker wire and vice versa.
North America primarily uses the American Wire Gauge (AWG) system, while in the United Kingdom and some other countries, the British Standard Wire Gauge (SWG) system is most commonly used. To learn more about wire gauge, read our baling wire gauge guide.
How strong is 10 gauge wire?
10 gauge wire is strong enough for most applications. It sits in the middle of our available gauge range. It provides sufficient load strength, tensile strength, durability, and flexibility to tackle most jobs.
| Tensile strength | Load strength |
|---|---|
| 65,000–220,000 psi | 932–1,850 lb |
Further reading
- 10 gauge vs. 9 gauge baling wire
- 10 gauge vs. 11 gauge baling wire
- 10 gauge vs. 12 gauge baling wire
- 10 gauge vs. 13 gauge baling wire
- 10 gauge vs. 14 gauge baling wire
Shop baling wire
Baling Wire Direct sells the following high-quality baling wire products.
