Aluminum sheet covers everything from .020" sign blanks to .190" trailer skins and toolboxes. We source it in the alloys Texas shops actually run, arrange shearing or laser cutting to your sizes, and deliver it to your door. Send the alloy, thickness and blank sizes and you'll usually have a number back the same business day.
What aluminum sheet is used for, and how to pick it
Sheet is anything under a quarter inch thick. Shops turn it into sign faces and letters, trailer and truck-body skins, toolboxes, enclosures, fuel and water tanks, boat consoles and flashing. The alloy choice mostly comes down to one question: will the part be bent, or will it stay flat and get machined or bolted?
If it gets formed, 5052-H32 is the default. It bends tight without cracking, welds well and holds up in salt air, which is why marine and truck-body shops run it. 3003-H14 is softer and usually costs less than 5052. It's fine for trim, ductwork, flashing and anything that doesn't carry load. 6061-T6 is the stiffest of the three, but it cracks on a tight bend, so keep it for flat panels, brackets and parts that get machined.
Finish matters on anything people will see. Mill finish is the plain rolled surface. Brushed #4 and bright finishes suit visible panels and trim. For sign work and cosmetic parts, ask for PVC film on the show face or paper-interleaved sheets, so the surface survives cutting, handling and the ride to your shop.
Aluminum sheet grades
| Grade/temper | Why pick it | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| 5052-H32 | Bends tight without cracking. Welds well and resists salt air. The usual pick for truck bodies, tanks and boat work. | Softer than 6061-T6, so a flat panel needs more thickness or bracing for the same feel. |
| 3003-H14 | Easy to form and weld. Good for trim, flashing, ductwork and light enclosures. | Lowest strength of the common sheet alloys. Not a structural sheet. |
| 6061-T6 | Strongest and stiffest here. Machines cleanly and anodizes well. | Cracks on tight bends. Use a generous inside radius or switch to 5052. Welding drops strength near the weld. |
| 1100-H14 | Nearly pure aluminum. Very formable, good for spinning and chemical service. | Soft and weak. Rarely the right sheet for general fab work. |
Common aluminum sheet sizes
Aluminum sheet is ordered by decimal thickness. Aluminum and steel gauges don't match: 14 gauge steel is about .075", while 14 gauge aluminum is about .064". If a drawing just says a gauge, confirm the decimal before anything gets cut. The sheet metal gauge chart has the conversions.
| Thickness (in.) | Typical use | Commonly available sheet sizes |
|---|---|---|
| .020, .025, .032 | Sign blanks, flashing, trim | 36" x 96", 48" x 96", 48" x 120" |
| .040, .050, .063 | Sign faces, enclosures, skins | 48" x 96", 48" x 120", 48" x 144", 60" x 120" |
| .080, .090, .100, .125 | Trailer and truck-body panels, toolboxes, tanks | 48" x 96", 48" x 120", 48" x 144", 60" x 120", 60" x 144" |
| .160, .190 | Heavy boxes, fenders, marine consoles | 48" x 96", 48" x 144", 60" x 120", 60" x 144" |
Sizes only. Metal prices move daily, so every order is quoted.
Cut-to-size options for aluminum sheet
Most sheet orders are sheared. A shear turns out straight, square rectangles fast, holding roughly a thirty-second to a sixteenth of an inch depending on thickness, and it's the most economical way to get plain blanks. Laser cutting handles letters, holes and shaped parts, holding a few thousandths with a clean edge on thin and mid gauges. Waterjet cutting fits thicker sheet and parts that can't take any heat at the edge.
Cuts are arranged through our supply network, so the order shows up as finished blanks instead of full sheets you'd have to break down yourself. Send a DXF for shaped parts and a cut list for rectangles.
What to include in your quote request
- Alloy and temper, for example 5052-H32 or 6061-T6
- Thickness as a decimal, not a gauge number
- Full sheet size, or blank sizes with a quantity for each
- Cut method and the tolerance the part actually needs
- Finish: mill, brushed #4 or bright, and whether you want PVC film or paper interleaving
- Whether mill certs need to ship with it
- Ship-to ZIP code