Materials
Every grade below is machined from bar sourced per order. Material and condition are paired: each grade is offered in one condition optimized for the process.
Reading the cards: the suffix after each grade is its supplied condition — CF cold-finished, CFA cold-finished annealed, T6 and the like are aluminum tempers. The small tag is the typical use the configurator's guided picker matches it to.
Carbon & free-machining steel
Free-machining carbon steel. Lowest cost, fastest turnaround, the default for most custom shaft work. Not weldable, not for food contact. Full 12L14 guide →
Low-carbon mild steel. Weldable and easy to machine, with no free-machining additives, a solid all-around pick when you don't need extra strength or hardening. Full 1018 guide →
Medium-carbon steel, stronger than 12L14 (~77 ksi yield). Heat-treatable to spec by the customer. Harder to machine than the free-machining grades. Full 1045 guide →
High-strength free-machining carbon steel, cold drawn and stress-relieved to ASTM A311 Class B. Near-alloy strength as-supplied with low distortion when machined, a shaft that skips heat treat. Full 1144 guide →
Alloy steel
Chrome-moly alloy steel, annealed. Through-hardens for demanding loads, the go-to when the part genuinely needs wear resistance and tensile strength. Full 4140 guide →
Stainless steel
Free-machining stainless. Corrosion-resistant with good machinability, the best balance of stainless properties and shop-floor friendliness. Full 303 guide →
Corrosion-resistant stainless for FDA/USDA environments. Tougher to machine than 303, but meets food-contact and sanitary requirements. Full 304 guide →
Marine-grade stainless. Resists acids, chlorides, and harsh chemicals, the premium stainless for extreme corrosion. Full 316 guide →
Aluminum
The all-purpose aluminum, about a third the weight of steel. Good machinability and corrosion resistance; T6 temper for structural strength. Full 6061 guide →
Compare grades
Not sure between two grades? Each comparison puts the guides' own data side by side, supplied condition through food contact, with a verdict: 1045 vs 4140 · 1144 vs 1045 · 303 vs 304 vs 316.