MTFCA Forum

I am working on a finishing and assembling a reproduction 1909 Coil Box that uses wires to connect the switch to strips like original. I believe the originals were a solid strand wire. Maybe 20 or 22 gauge??

Any recommendations on what to use in todays environment (wire size, -and stranded vs. solid)??

Original was 18ga. Single strand, cloth covered. Lang’s sells it.

But have used stranded and tinned the strands for hook shaping, or soldering. IMO stranded resists beaks, have taken apart the metal coil box switch mount and found busted solid wire at the sharp bend to the wood panels.
Plastic covered stranded replacement wires.

Thanks Dan. I stock 18ga cloth braided wire anyway, so I will tin the ends and form loops onto the ends.

2nd on Dan
I had no continuity thru my switch, the common lead to the coil box strip had corroded at the switch lug and broke...
I replaced with stranded with soldered tips....nobody sees those wires anyway to argue purity...