Aluminum round bar, flat bar, square bar and hex keep Texas machine shops and fab shops busy every day. We source 6061, 7075, 2011 and 2024 in the shapes you run, arrange saw cuts to exact lengths, and deliver across the state, so your saw time goes to parts instead of breaking down 12-foot bars.
What aluminum bar is used for, and how to pick it
Round bar goes to the lathe for fittings, shafts, spacers and knobs. Flat bar becomes brackets, cleats, clamp bars and trailer parts. Square and rectangle bar feed the mill for blocks and manifolds. Hex is for nuts, standoffs and anything that needs wrench flats.
6061 is the default for almost everything. It machines well, welds, anodizes, and costs less than the high-strength grades. When the part needs more strength and won't be welded, step up to 7075-T651. For high-volume lathe work where chip control and cycle time rule, 2011-T3 breaks into small chips and runs fast.
6061 comes two ways. Extruded bar (T6511) is stretched to relieve stress and comes in the widest range of sizes. Cold-finished bar (T6) has a tighter diameter tolerance and a brighter surface, which helps on small rounds you want to run without turning to size.
Aluminum bar grades
| Grade/temper | Why pick it | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| 6061-T6511 / T6 | General machining and fabrication. Weldable, anodizes well, good corrosion resistance. | Stringier chips than 2011. Loses strength in the weld zone. |
| 7075-T651 / T6511 | High strength for load-bearing parts, tooling and fixtures. Machines to a fine finish. | Not weldable. Needs protection in wet or salty service. |
| 2011-T3 | Free-machining. Small chips and short cycle times on screw machines and CNC lathes. | Poor corrosion resistance, not weldable, and a poor choice for cosmetic anodizing. |
| 2024-T351 | High strength with good fatigue resistance. Common in aerospace fittings. | Poor corrosion resistance and not weldable by normal methods. |
Common aluminum bar sizes
| Shape | Commonly available sizes | Typical lengths |
|---|---|---|
| Round bar | 1/8" to 12" diameter in 6061 and 7075; 2011 mostly in smaller diameters | 12 ft bars or cut to length |
| Flat bar | 1/8" to 3" thick, 1/2" to 12" wide | 12 ft bars or cut to length |
| Square bar | 1/4" to 6" | 12 ft bars or cut to length |
| Hex bar | 1/4" to 2" across flats, mostly 6061 and 2011 | 12 ft bars or cut to length |
| Large rectangles and blocks | Heavy sections are often cut from plate instead | Cut to size |
Sizes only. Metal prices move daily, so every order is quoted.
Cut-to-size options for aluminum bar
Bar is saw cut. Production band saws cut round, flat and square bar to length, typically within about a sixteenth of an inch on standard cuts, and closer when you ask for precision cutting. The ends come square enough for most lathe and mill setups. If you face every part anyway, give a cut length that includes your facing allowance.
Cuts are arranged through our supply network. For runs of short blanks, send lengths and counts. You get parts-ready pieces and no drops cluttering the rack.
What to include in your quote request
- Alloy and temper, such as 6061-T6511 or 7075-T651
- Shape and size: diameter, thickness by width, or hex across flats
- Cut length and the quantity at each length
- Length tolerance and any facing allowance
- Extruded or cold-finished, if diameter tolerance matters
- Mill certs, if the job needs traceability
- Ship-to ZIP code