The Cut2Size Angle

Thank you to everyone who has called, written, and emailed about how easy our site is to use.  Our team spent lots of time thinking about it and fine-tuning it, and we truly appreciate knowing it is helpful to you.  This week we’ve added some new features to Cut2SizeMetals.com to make the site even easier to use for new and returning customers.  So without further ado, here are the new features and how to use them.

The Shipping Calculator is now on the cart page

We know that when you have a mix of pieces cut to size, it helps to know the total price even before you get to the address page.  That’s why we’ve eliminated the shipping page altogether, and added that functionality to the cart.  It saves a step, and ensures that you know what your order will cost before you proceed.

User Accounts

You may notice there are a couple of new buttons in the cart box on the top right of each page.  New customers can create an account by clicking “Sign Up” and returning customers can Log In here as well. An even easier way is to create an account when you order by entering a password at the bottom of the address & payment page (see the picture below). From then on, you can log in with your email address and the password you just entered.

Tax-Exempt Customers

Some of our customers would like their purchases to be tax-exempt, and we can now accomodate that through our user accounts.  Just follow these easy steps, and you’ll be all set up.

1. Sign up for a user account if you haven’t already.
2. Email or fax (812) 423-7353 your tax-exempt certificate to Denise (dvowels@esmw.com)
3. We will flag your account as tax-exempt for future orders.

Let us know how these new features work for you; if you have a problem or suggestion, please leave us a comment below.

As a copper supplier, we can offer you nearly any alloy of copper you need.  We find that the vast majority of customers, though, use alloy 110.

Copper Sheet

Our copper sheet comes in alloy 110, and has a nominal copper composition of 99.90%.  While most sheets of other materials are specified by the thickness, copper sheet is typically ordered by the ounces per square foot.  As you can see from the table below, if you want copper that is .0216″ thick, you would order 16 oz copper sheet.

Rectangular and Square Bar

Rectangular Copper Bar,  Square Copper Bar, and Copper Round are available in the square edge hard drawn Alloy 110 and come in 12′ lengths.They are also known as ETP copper bar or bus bar.

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As an aluminum supplier, we can offer you nearly any alloy of aluminum sheet you need.  We find that the vast majority of customers, though, use 6061-T6 or 3003-H14.  These designations may look cryptic, but they’re really pretty simple.  The first part, the four digit number, is the alloy.  The part after the dash is the temper.  Let’s break these down and look at them separately.

Alloy

The first of the four digits in the alloy indicates what the primary alloying element is.  The chart below list some of the available series.

The second digit can indicate if there are impurity limits or other modifications to the alloying elements. Generally, the third and fourth digits identify the alloy or indicate the purity of the aluminum. In the 2000 through 8000 series, however, the last two of the four digits have no special significance but serve only to identify the different aluminum alloys in the group.

Temper

At Cut2SizeMetals.com, we offer 2 tempers: strain-hardened only (H14 temper) and solution heat-treated and then artificially aged (T6 temper). The number “4″ in H14 means that tensile strength is half way between the O temper and 8 temper, sometimes called half-hard. The combination of the 3003 alloy and the H14 temper makes for a softer, more formable aluminum. The 6061 alloy in the T6 temper is a stronger, stiffer aluminum that is used where strength, and not formability, is important. If you’d like to talk to us about your specific application, give us a call at 812.429.1634.

First off, we’re not machinists, but we can pass on what the metallurgists tell us.  Use what you read below as a general guideline, but remember that we’re not offering advice on your particular project. [Our lawyers wanted that last disclaimer to be longer and wordier, but you know what we mean!]

Here are some alloys that are available.  We stock 6061 because we find it to be the best combination of machinability, corrosion resistance, weldability, and ductility.   [That last one has nothing to do with fowl or tape; it just means "capable of being drawn out into a wire or thread."]  We also carry 6063-T5 but it is softer, and more formable, and not designed for machining. If you need the other alloys below, just give us a call at 812.429.1634.

Screw Machine Stock

2011-This alloy offers the highest machinability of all aluminum rod.  Excellent machinability; and relatively low cost make 2011 the most used screw machine alloy. Alloy 2011 is not recommended for welding or brazing, and it exhibits poor corrosion resistance. Typical applications are wiring devices and fittings, radio and TV components, optical parts, and electrical components.

2017-This alloy rates lower in machinability than 2011-but it provides slightly greater strength, better corrosion resistance, and easier welding than 2011. Alloy 2017 is also recommended for deep drilling. Typical applications are brake pistons, hinge pins, pulleys, and camera parts.

2024-This alloy has the highest tensile strength of all the aluminum screw machine alloys. It is recommended for parts that require consistent high strength. Welding characteristics and corrosion resistance are similar to 2017. Typical applications are aircraft parts, fasteners, couplings, hydraulic valve bodies, and orthopedic braces.

6061-This alloy doesn’t machine as well as the other screw machine grades, but it does offer excellent corrosion resistance and excellent welding characteristics. It is also the most ductile of the screw machine alloys. Typical applications are hydraulic pistons, decorative hardware, door knobs, handrail fittings, and valves.

6262-This alloy is second only to 2011 in machinability. It combines strength, excellent weldability, and good corrosion resistance to make it the best all-around screw machine alloy. Typical applications are marine hardware, hydraulic pistons, marine diesel fillings, and couplings.

Non-Screw Machine Stock

1100-This alloy is 99% pure aluminum and, therefore, very poor in machining qualities. It does exhibit excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, excellent corrosion resistance, and outstanding welding characteristics. Typical applications are decorative parts, cold threaded parts, and welding rod.

7075-This is the, highest strength aluminum rod or bar available. It also has machinability equal to 2017 and 2024. This alloy is not considered a screw machine grade because 7075 cannot meet screw machine straightness tolerances due to its high strength. This is a poor welding grade and has only average corrosion resistance. Typical applications are aircraft parts.

What is aluminum cast tool & jig plate? It is a high-quality, accurately machined aluminum plate that has received a thermal stress relieving treatment to provide dimensional stability during machining.  Typically, it can be heated repeatedly to temperatures as high as 800°F (427°C) and, when cooled, will return to its original dimension with a minimum of distortion, depending upon the extent of machining.

While the hardness will vary considerably with the thickness due to the thermal treatment, the plate will still retain good machining characteristics. Cast tool and jig plate is of the 7000 series-type alloy,  and at Cut2SizeMetals.com, we stock 1/2″ thick material.  If you need thicknesses ranging from a .250 in. to 4 in., give us a call at 812.429.1634.  The exact alloy composition is proprietary; however, it has been in use successfully for decades. This product offers good resistance to general corrosion. Since most applications of this precision product are sheltered from atmospheric and industrial environments, no special protective measures are usually required.

Tolerances

Surface Finish:  (2 Sides) <25 Microinches

Flatness Tolerance

Thickness Tolerance

Source: CS&W

Just a few of the sizes of brass round we stock.

As a brass supplier, we can offer you nearly any alloy of brass you need.  We find that the vast majority of customers, though, use alloy 260 or alloy 360.

Alloy 260

Our brass plate and sheet come in alloy 260, or as it is better known to our customers, yellow brass or cartridge brass (so called because it is used to make shell casings).  We stock the half hard temper, which has an approximate Rockwell B60-77.

Alloy 360

The extrusions we carry in brass (square bar, rectangular bar, and round) are alloy 360, known as free machining brass.  As the name implies, it has good machinability, but it is not suited for forming applications.   Like the sheet and plate, we stock half hard temper.  You can find more information by clicking on the little “Need Help Choosing?” buttons.

If you need 330 brass, naval bronze, or some other exotic alloy, give us a call at 812.429.1634; we can usually get it for you.

Stainless Sheet Type 304 #4 polish

304 2B Finish

This is the most common alloy of stainless steel used for sheet metal fabrication.  It has good formability and weldability, and offers good corrosion resistance to both chemical and atmospheric conditions.  The 2B finish is a bright, cold rolled industrial finish with no grain pattern.

Finishes from top to bottom - #8 Mirror, #4 polish, and 2B.

There are a variety of finishes available on stainless steel sheet, and we stock three of the most popular ones here at Cut2SizeMetals.com.  [We can get others as well, so if you don't find what you're looking for, give us a call at 812.429.1634].

The #8 Mirror finish is a polished, highly reflective finish with the grain marks polished out. It is closest to the top in the picture above.  As you can see from the reflection of our warehouse ceiling in the piece, the polishing results in a true mirror-like finish.

The #4 Polish finish has a 150-180 grit grain in one direction. This finish is often used when the material is subject to rough handling, such as restaurant equipment.  It is in the middle in the picture above.  When we cut #4 polished stainless for you, the grain will run whichever way allows us to utilize the material best.  If you need a certain grain direction on your pieces, please call and let us know.

The 2B finish is a bright, cold-rolled industrial finish with no grain pattern. This is the standard industrial finish you’ll find on stainless steel sheet.  It is closest to the bottom in the picture above.  It is bright, but not polished like the other finishes.