# Craft sticks, skewers, coat-hanger and paper-clip wire, BBs, marbles, ping-pong balls, zip ties

> What diameter is coat hanger wire and a bamboo skewer?

- Category: Hardware › Found & household materials
- Kind: Standard part
- Basis: Common consumer sizes (craft stick 4.5 in, skewer 12 in, No. 1 paper clip, .177 BB, 6 mm airsoft, 16 mm marble, ITTF 40 mm ball); wire gauges measured
- Page: https://xemstudio.com/objects/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/ · JSON: https://xemstudio.com/api/geometry?object=sticks-skewers-wire-bbs · Plain text: https://xemstudio.com/objects/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/sheet.txt
- License: dimension sheet CC BY 4.0 (Xem Studio); linked files under their publishers' licenses

## Notes

- Craft (popsicle) stick 114 × 10 × 2 mm; jumbo 150 × 18 × 2. Bamboo skewer Ø3 × 300 (Ø2.5 × 200 and Ø4 × 400 exist). Coat-hanger wire Ø2.0 mm (1.9–2.3, mild steel). Paper clip Ø1.0 mm (No. 1), jumbo Ø1.2. Welding rod / TIG filler Ø1.6 and 2.4 if you want straight stock.
- Balls: steel BB Ø4.5 mm (.177), airsoft Ø6.0 (5.95 ±0.01, surprisingly round: fine as 6 mm bearing balls in a printed race), glass marble Ø16 (15.9), shooter Ø25, ping-pong ball Ø40.0 × 0.4 wall (a 2.7 g hollow sphere: the lightest displacer you can buy).
- Zip ties: 2.5 × 1.0, 3.6 × 1.2, 4.8 × 1.3, 7.6 × 1.8 mm cross-sections; a printed slot of width + 0.3 mm holds them. Uses on the can engine: skewer as crankshaft (in Ø3.2 printed bushings), coat-hanger wire as crank pins and con-rods (bend a Z), craft sticks as frame, BBs as low-friction displacer-rod guides, zip ties as hose clamps.

## Sizes

| item | size_mm | note |
|---|---|---|
| craft stick | 114 × 10 × 2 | jumbo 150 × 18 × 2 |
| bamboo skewer | Ø3 × 300 | Ø2.5 / Ø4 also |
| coat-hanger wire | Ø2.0 | 1.9–2.3 by maker |
| paper clip wire | Ø1.0 | jumbo Ø1.2 |
| steel BB | Ø4.5 | .177 cal |
| airsoft BB | Ø6.0 | ±0.01 |
| marble | Ø16 | shooter Ø25 |
| ping-pong ball | Ø40.0 × 0.4 wall | 2.7 g |
| zip tie | 4.8 × 1.3 | 2.5/3.6/7.6 wide |

## 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 (10 parts, CC BY 4.0, Xem Studio)

Index: https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/index.json

- popsicle-stick-114x10x2: [STEP](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/popsicle-stick-114x10x2.step) · [STL](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/popsicle-stick-114x10x2.stl) — craft/popsicle stick 114 × 10 × 2 mm (4.5 in)
- jumbo-stick-150x18x2: [STEP](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/jumbo-stick-150x18x2.step) · [STL](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/jumbo-stick-150x18x2.stl) — jumbo craft stick 150 × 18 × 2 mm
- bamboo-skewer-3x300: [STEP](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/bamboo-skewer-3x300.step) · [STL](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/bamboo-skewer-3x300.stl) — bamboo skewer Ø3 × 300 (also Ø2.5 × 200, Ø4 × 400)
- 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
- steel-bb-4-5mm: [STEP](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/steel-bb-4-5mm.step) · [STL](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/steel-bb-4-5mm.stl) — steel BB Ø4.5 (.177 cal)
- airsoft-bb-6mm: [STEP](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/airsoft-bb-6mm.step) · [STL](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/airsoft-bb-6mm.stl) — airsoft BB Ø6.0 (5.95)
- marble-16mm: [STEP](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/marble-16mm.step) · [STL](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/marble-16mm.stl) — glass marble Ø16 (15.9); shooter Ø25
- ping-pong-ball-40mm: [STEP](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/ping-pong-ball-40mm.step) · [STL](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/ping-pong-ball-40mm.stl) — table-tennis ball Ø40.0, 0.4 mm wall, 2.7 g
- zip-tie-4-8mm: [STEP](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/zip-tie-4-8mm.step) · [STL](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/sticks-skewers-wire-bbs/zip-tie-4-8mm.stl) — cable tie 4.8 × 1.3 mm cross-section (also 2.5 × 1.0, 3.6 × 1.2, 7.6 × 1.8)

## Questions

**What diameter is coat hanger wire?**

About 2.0 mm (1.9–2.3 depending on the hanger), mild steel, bends cold; a Ø2.2 printed hole is a running fit.

**What size is a bamboo skewer?**

Ø3 mm × 300 mm is the common one; thinner Ø2.5 × 200 cocktail skewers and Ø4 × 400 also exist. A Ø3.2 printed bushing runs on one.

**Are airsoft BBs usable as bearing balls?**

Yes for light loads: 5.95 mm ±0.01, hard plastic; a printed race with a 6.1 mm groove makes a quiet thrust bearing.

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- [Can-engine printed kit: can caps, diaphragm clamps, displacer guides, crank stands, CD/platter hubs, syringe cradles](https://xemstudio.com/objects/can-engine-printed-kit/)
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- [Hobby brass tube (K&S), 1/16–21/32 in and 1–12 mm, telescoping](https://xemstudio.com/objects/brass-tube-ks/)
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