Materials Reference

Typical mechanical properties of common wrought aluminum alloys — strength, density, hardness, machinability, and weldability — with a spec sheet and typical uses for each grade. Compare 6061, 6063, 7075, 2024, 5052, 5083, and 3003 at a glance.

Typical properties of common stainless steel grades — type, strength, hardness, machinability, and whether it's magnetic — with a spec sheet and typical uses for each. Compare 304, 304L, 316, 316L, 303, 430, 410, and 17-4 PH at a glance.

Typical properties of the plastics machine shops cut most — Acetal, Nylon, UHMW, PTFE, polycarbonate, PEEK, HDPE, PVC, acrylic, and ABS. Compare density, strength, service temperature, moisture absorption, and machinability, with a spec sheet and typical uses for each.

The common tool steel grades at a glance — O1, A2, D2, S7, H13, M2, W1, and P20 — with AISI class, nominal composition, typical working hardness, and what each is used for. Pick the right grade for dies, punches, cutting tools, and molds.

Approximate conversions between Rockwell C (HRC), Vickers (HV), and Brinell (HB) hardness for steels, with the rough tensile strength each implies. A quick shop reference for reading across hardness scales — approximate and material-dependent, per ASTM E140.

A searchable sheet-metal gauge chart. Gauge is material-specific — the same number is a different thickness in steel, stainless, aluminum, and galvanized — so pick the material and read the real thickness in inches and millimetres. Filter by material or search a gauge (e.g. 16).

Estimate the weight of round bar, rectangular bar, tube, hex, or sheet in common metals and plastics — inch (lb) or metric (g/kg), for one piece or many.