12 gauge wire
Shop 12 gauge baling wire and 12 gauge bale ties online. Baling Wire Direct provides the highest quality 12 gauge wire products.
Our 12 gauge wire products
We sell 12 gauge baling wire in the form of single and double loop bale ties, stem wire, box wire, and high-tensile stem wire.
12 gauge black annealed single loop bale ties
12 gauge black annealed single loop bale ties feed into manual baling machines and feature a single loop. The wax coating ensures smooth handling, and the increased flexibility of annealed wire is perfect for baling expansive materials.
We sell 12 gauge black annealed single loop bale ties in bundles of 125 and 250 at lengths of 10–23 feet.
12 gauge galvanized single loop bale ties
12 gauge galvanized single loop bale ties are compatible with manual vertical or horizontal balers. They can be cut to any length, which allows operators to tailor the tie to fit fluctuating bale sizes.
We sell 12 gauge galvanized single loop bale ties in bundles of 125 and 250 at lengths of 10–23 feet.
12 gauge bright double loop bale ties
12 gauge bright double loop bale ties have two loops for easy tying. They are unfinished, which gives them a smooth, shiny appearance (bright finish), making them great for consumer-facing applications or short-term storage in dry locations.
We sell 12 gauge bright double loop bale ties in bundles of 125 at lengths of 156 and 180 inches.
12 gauge galvanized double loop bale ties
12 gauge galvanized double loop bale ties also feature two loops for easy tying. Their corrosion-resistant zinc coating makes them great for baling materials that will be stored outside or in contact with chemicals.
We sell 12 gauge galvanized double-loop bale ties in bundles of 125 at lengths of 156 and 180 inches.
12 gauge black annealed wire by the box
12 gauge black annealed box wire is used to bale cardboard, paper, and other recyclables. Its flexibility makes it a great choice 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 12 gauge black annealed box wire in 50 lb (approx. 1,685 feet) and 100 lb (approx. 3,369 feet) boxes.
12 gauge black annealed wire by the stem
12 gauge black annealed stem wire is the same as our 12 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.
12 gauge black annealed wire stems weigh about 1,900 lb and come with 64,011 feet of wire.
12 gauge galvanized wire by the stem
12 gauge galvanized stem wire is perfect for outdoor applications. Baling wire will rust without additional protection. Galvanized wire withstands corrosion in wet locations, corrosive environments, and outdoors. Galvanized wire is commonly used for fencing, trellising, and tree supports.
12 gauge galvanized wire stems weigh about 1,330 lb and come with 34,340 feet of wire.
12 gauge hi-tensile galvanized wire
12 gauge high-tensile galvanized wire takes on the toughest jobs. It has a maximum tensile strength of 175,000 psi for baling dense, heavy materials. Its galvanized finish also makes it excellent for use outdoors and in corrosive environments.
12 gauge high-tensile wire stems weigh in at about 1,330 lb and come with 44,807 feet of wire.
Our manufacturing process
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 120 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 larger wire gauge correlates to a thinner 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 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.
Our galvanizing process
Galvanization improves a wire’s resistance to rust and corrosion. It involves coating the wire in a durable zinc shield to serve as a sacrificial anode. Here’s our hot-dip galvanization process:
- 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.
What is 12 gauge wire used for?
Recycling and waste management operations use 12 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 |
|---|---|
|
How thick is 12 gauge wire?
Our 12 gauge wire products are 0.102–0.106 inches (2.59–2.69 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 12 gauge wire?
12 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 | 565–1,385 lb |
Further reading
- 12 gauge vs. 9 gauge baling wire
- 12 gauge vs. 10 gauge baling wire
- 12 gauge vs. 11 gauge baling wire
- 12 gauge vs. 13 gauge baling wire
- 12 gauge vs. 14 gauge baling wire
Shop baling wire
Baling Wire Direct sells the following high-quality baling wire products.
