26 Gauge Wire for Frames is strong enough for all your bee hive framing needs. Use with metal frame eyelets to strengthen the frames wooden end bars and prevent the wire from cutting into the wood. This strong frame wire keeps wax foundation from sagging. Consider using a crimping tool to remove the slack from the wire and create tension in the lines. A frame wire form board will help keep your beeswax foundation and frame lined up during assembly and a spur embedder will “set” help the wire into the wax.
Wire Features:
- The 26 wire gauge diameter is .4039 mm in size
- Wire comes on a handy spool
- Available in 1/2 pound, 1 pound and 5 pound spools
- Designed to be used with wooden frames with end bar holes for frame wiring
- Exact style of wire spool may differ from photos – contact us for exact style wire spool for details
What is 26 gauge wire used for and what wire types are available:
- Tinned Wire: typically used for wiring wax beehive frames with wax foundation. The thin 26 tinned wire gauge is embedded into the wax by using a jig and heating the wires to melt them in place. The wire helps support the wax foundation as the bees build it out and fill it with brood, honey, pollen, etc. This framewire is safe for honey contact.
- Stainless Wire: this strong 26 gauge stainless steel wire can be used for wiring bee hive frame foundation. See specifications and uses above for tinned wire. This stainless framewire is safe for honey contact. Stainless wire can be used for many projects where a thin durable wire is needed. Can be easily cut with regular wire cutters or scissors. This stainless wire works great in hobby projects and is rust resistant and durable. Wire can be soldiered, brazed, or welded into various shapes and patterns. Stainless steel wire can also be manipulated and bent by hand to create many shapes. This SS wire is sometime used as floral wire due to the clean appearance of the wire and the thin 26 gauge wire almost disappears among the floral leaves and stems.
- Galvanized Wire: this coated wire should not be used for bee hive frames as the acidic nature of honey that contacts the wires can release traces of the galvanizing into the honey and wax. Galvanized 26 wire gauge works well in areas exposed to the elements and will not rust.
Gauge 26 Wire is available in several spool sizes:
- 1/2 pound spool, approx 700 ft (213 m) allows you to framewire approx. 50 frames with 4 wires
- 1 pound spool, approx 1400 ft (427 m) allows you to wire approx. 105 frames with 4 wires
- 5 pound spool, approx 7000 ft (2133 m) allows you to wire approx 525 frames with 4 wires
Note that is you are looking for a heavier gauge wire than 26 consider looking at 24 gauge wire which is slightly heavier / thicker.
