wouldn't the thinner one reach the pitch with less tension??? Well sort of but both are likely to break at about the same pitch. A half gauge will make from 5 to 10 pounds difference depending upon tension and size. If you use too large a difference of wire size in a splice the thinner one can be pulled through because the lock between the two is not closed up the same on both. A half gauge or even a whole gauge will not make a difference but I would not like to go any further than that. Same to same is best. There once was a formula for determining the breaking tension of a splice but I have lost it long and long ago. Newton
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