# Coat-hanger wire Ø2.0 mm and paper-clip wire Ø1.0 mm

> What diameter is coat hanger wire and paper clip wire?

- Category: Hardware › Found & household materials
- Kind: Standard part
- Basis: Measured consumer wire: wire coat hanger Ø2.0 (1.9–2.3 by maker), No. 1 paper clip Ø1.0 (jumbo Ø1.2); drawn as straight stubs
- Page: https://xemstudio.com/objects/coat-hanger-and-paper-clip-wire/ · JSON: https://xemstudio.com/api/geometry?object=coat-hanger-and-paper-clip-wire · Plain text: https://xemstudio.com/objects/coat-hanger-and-paper-clip-wire/sheet.txt
- License: dimension sheet CC BY 4.0 (Xem Studio); linked files under their publishers' licenses

**Exact dimensions.** True size, with no printing tolerance added.

## Notes

- Wire coat-hanger wire is about Ø2.0 mm (1.9–2.3 depending on the hanger); the file is a straight Ø2.0 × 200 mm stub.
- A No. 1 paper clip is Ø1.0 mm wire and a jumbo clip Ø1.2; the file is a straight Ø1.0 × 100 mm stub.
- On the can engine I bend coat-hanger wire into the crank pins and con-rods (a Z bend) and use it as the 2 mm displacer rod.
- The can-engine cap and the LTD top plates have a Ø2 bore drawn for this 2 mm rod (fit: run, see their Mating features).

## Sizes

| wire | dia_mm | range_mm | file_length_mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| coat hanger | 2.0 | 1.9–2.3 | 200 |
| paper clip No. 1 | 1.0 | jumbo 1.2 | 100 |

## Where the files are

- Wikipedia: [Craft stick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craft_stick) — web — CC BY-SA 4.0 (text)
- Wikipedia: [BB gun](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BB_gun) — web — CC BY-SA 4.0 (text)
- Wikipedia: [Table tennis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_tennis) — web — CC BY-SA 4.0 (text)
- Long Earth Society: [Engine builds (videos and write-ups)](https://longearthsociety.com/engineering/) — web, video — LES site

## Free STEP/STL (2 parts, CC BY 4.0, Xem Studio)

Index: https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/coat-hanger-and-paper-clip-wire/index.json

- coat-hanger-wire-2mm: [STEP](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/coat-hanger-wire-2mm.step) · [STL](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/coat-hanger-wire-2mm.stl) — steel coat-hanger wire Ø2.0 (1.9–2.3), 200 mm stub
- paper-clip-wire-1mm: [STEP](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/paper-clip-wire-1mm.step) · [STL](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/paper-clip-wire-1mm.stl) — paper-clip wire Ø1.0 (No. 1) / Ø1.2 (jumbo), 100 mm stub

## How it fits

### Goes in or on
- [Can-engine cap for 53.3, 58, 66 and 76.2 mm cans](https://xemstudio.com/objects/can-engine-cap/): 2 mm wire rod through the Ø2 bore in the can cap (run)
- [LTD Stirling top plate with syringe socket, Ø120 and Ø170](https://xemstudio.com/objects/ltd-top-plate/): 2 mm rod through the Ø2 bore in the top plate (run)

### Connects to
- [Crank discs for a Ø5 shaft, 10 to 30 mm stroke](https://xemstudio.com/objects/crank-discs-5mm-bore/): wire con-rod or crank pin bent to the crank throw

### Alternatives
- [Crankshafts Ø3, Ø5 and Ø8 with full-length D-flat](https://xemstudio.com/objects/stirling-crankshafts/): straight rod stock of the same diameter

## Questions

**What diameter is coat hanger wire?**

About 2.0 mm (1.9–2.3 depending on the hanger); a hole for it is drawn at Ø2.0 exact.

**What diameter is paper clip wire?**

1.0 mm for a standard No. 1 clip, 1.2 mm for a jumbo clip.

**What can I use coat hanger wire for in a Stirling engine?**

Crank pins, Z-bent con-rods and the 2 mm displacer rod that runs in the Ø2 bore of the can-engine cap.

## Fits with

- [Bamboo skewer Ø3 × 300 mm](https://xemstudio.com/objects/bamboo-skewers/)
- [Can-engine cap for 53.3, 58, 66 and 76.2 mm cans](https://xemstudio.com/objects/can-engine-cap/)
- [LTD Stirling top plate with syringe socket, Ø120 and Ø170](https://xemstudio.com/objects/ltd-top-plate/)
- [Crank discs for a Ø5 shaft, 10 to 30 mm stroke](https://xemstudio.com/objects/crank-discs-5mm-bore/)
- [Crankshafts Ø3, Ø5 and Ø8 with full-length D-flat](https://xemstudio.com/objects/stirling-crankshafts/)