When jumpers aren't long enough, where can I get a spool of wire that allows me to cut, and make custom sized wires for my Arduino projects? I guess the question would be, what size of wire?
I would guess anything that fits in the headers. It is worth tinning (with solder) the end of the wires to make them stiffer if you are not using single strand wire.
eBay. Search for '0.1mm wire' and you can get it in various lengths, colours and type (stranded or solid).
Thank you.
The gage needed depends on amount of current and the voltage used. Also how many conductors.
For low voltage projects, yoh can do a lot with telephone wire and CAT5 type wire. If you don't have an eleftronics supply house around, then try Home Depot or Lowes.
So I had a hard time finding 0.1mm wire spools on eBay. When I did, I found copper soldering wire that was 0.1mm. So now two questions, with telephone wire, how much voltage can go through it? I'm thinking 5v is the max I'll be using. Also, can I get wire already wrapped in plastic? So I just strip off ends when needed?
So is hookup wire what I need then? Can someone please provide me with a link of Arduino compatible wire, capable of 5v?
tylerv:
So I had a hard time finding 0.1mm wire spools on eBay.
Not surprising, that's very, very tiny wire and not what you want. Get 22 or 24 gauge. That wire from Radio Shack will work.
0.1mm would be 38 gauge, smaller than wire-wrap wire: American wire gauge - Wikipedia
Pre-made jumpers in various lengths can also be had from many places, but just as one example: Prototyping Products Category on Adafruit Industries
Telecommando:
tylerv:
So now two questions, with telephone wire, how much voltage can go through it? I'm thinking 5v is the max I'll be using. Also, can I get wire already wrapped in plastic? So I just strip off ends when needed?Telephone wires routinely handle voltages approaching 100V, the typical ringer voltage in the US is 90 Volts AC. CAT5 has no problem handling 48V for power over Ethernet.
If by 'wire already wrapped in plastic' you mean insulated wire, yes that is preferred.The Radio Shack wire is fine for breadboarding low voltage circuits. I wouldn't trust it for anything over 50V or in a high current application, the insulation seems a bit weak. Any 22 or 24 gauge solid wire should work as well, perhaps even wire as small as 26 gauge although some breadboards don't like gauges that small.
Personally I prototype with leftover bits of telephone and CAT5 as CrossRoads mentioned. I bet a lot of others here do as well.
I'll probably get the radioshack wire. 
I'll really just be using it for LED's, and sensors.
I used telephone wire for a long time, finally got tired of the stiffness of it (26 guage solid core wire) and bought a couple packs of these for breadboard use
http://www.nkcelectronics.com/breadboard-jumper-wire-70pcs-pa70.html
Then misplaced them, bought a couple more, and then found the originals, so now have lots!
For long runs at my fencing club (~65 feet), I bought a 500' spool of shielded 4-conductor security wiring from Home Depot, wired up lights together at the end of the strips that way. Have some left over that I use for the occasional project at home when I need a few feet of stranded hook up wire.