Resources for Metal Buyers
The charts and guides we'd want pinned up next to the saw.
Tools and guides
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Metal weight calculator
Plate, bar, tube and pipe weights in pounds, per piece and total.
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Sheet metal gauge chart
Gauge to decimal inches for steel, galvanized, aluminum and stainless.
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Aluminum alloy & temper guide
The five alloys behind most orders, and what O, H32 and T6 mean.
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How to write a metal RFQ
The five things every quote request needs, with an example.
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Glossary
FOB, mill cert, heat number, drop, remnant, temper and more.
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Grade guides
6061, 5052, 304, 316, A36, 4140 and the grades they get compared with.
From the blog
- 6061 vs 5052 Aluminum: Which One to Order6061 machines and carries load. 5052 bends and survives salt water. How to choose between them for brackets, boxes, boats and trailers.
- How to Save on Small Metal Orders: Practical TipsSmall metal orders cost more per pound. Standard sizes, nesting, drops, combined orders and flexible specs bring the number down. Here is how.
- What Pipe to Use for a Fence in Texas: Post Sizes, Top Rail and Used vs New PipePipe for fence posts in Texas: 2-3/8 in OD Schedule 40 minimum per NRCS, post depth, spacing, braces, quarter-mile counts, top rail, and used oilfield pipe rules.
- When You Need a Mill Cert (and When You Don't)What a mill test report proves, which jobs require one, and how to ask for certs so they actually match your material. Read before you order.
- All articles