Metal Guides
Straight answers about buying, cutting, and shipping metal in Canada, written by the sales team that cuts it.
Pipe schedule chart: OD, wall, ID, and weight per foot for every NPS size
Pipe schedule is the wall thickness series: the NPS name fixes the outside diameter and the schedule fixes the wall. 2 NPS is always 2.375″ outside; schedule 40 makes the wall 0.154″ and schedule 80 makes it 0.218″. Full charts...
How much does copper cost in Canada? (real prices)
As of September 12, 2026, a 12″ piece of C110 copper round runs $12.47 at 1/4″, $34.23 at 1/2″, and $126.37 at 1″ CAD. Copper flats start at $9.62, and a 12″ x 12″ sheet starts at $108.28 at 1/16″....
How much do brass and bronze cost in Canada? (real prices)
As of September 12, 2026, a 12″ piece of C360 brass round runs $7.84 at 1/4″ and $18.58 at 1/2″, in CAD. Bronze costs more: C932 bearing bronze round is $29.47 at 1/2″, and C954 aluminum bronze is $34.99. Both...
How much does steel plate and bar cost in Canada? (real prices)
Carbon steel is the cheapest metal we sell. As of September 12, 2026, 1018 cold-finished flat (1/8″ x 3/4″) and 1018 round (1/8″) both run $5.30 for a 12″ cut, and 44W flat starts at $5.30, 44W round at $5.38....
How much does stainless steel cost in Canada? (304 vs 316, real prices)
As of September 12, 2026, a 12″ cut of 304 stainless round is $5.77 at 1/4″, $10.65 at 1/2″, and $28.92 at 1″ in CAD. The 316 marine grade runs higher on every shape: $7.13, $12.73, and $34.37 for the...
Metal hardness scales explained: HRC, HRB, Brinell, and Vickers
Every hardness scale measures one thing: how well metal resists a dent. HRC covers hardened steel (a finished knife blade runs 60-62 HRC), HRB and Brinell cover soft steel and non-ferrous metals (1018 sits near HRB 71), and Vickers handles...
How much does metal weigh? Weight per foot for bar, tube, and sheet
Steel weighs 0.284 lb per cubic inch: a 1″ round runs 2.67 lb per foot, and a 48″ x 96″ sheet of 1/4″ plate about 327 lb. Aluminum is about a third of that. Multiply cross-section area by 12, then...
Fractions, decimals, and millimetres: the metal buyer's conversion chart
Multiply inches by 25.4 to get millimetres, exactly: 1/4″ is 6.35 mm, 1/2″ is 12.7 mm, 1″ is 25.4 mm. The full chart covers every 16th and 32nd to 1″ plus key 64ths, with tape-reading basics and what to buy...
Sheet metal gauge chart: steel, stainless, and aluminum in inches and millimetres
Gauge thickness depends on the metal: 16 ga is 0.0598″ (1.52 mm) in carbon steel, 0.0625″ (1.59 mm) in stainless, 0.0508″ (1.29 mm) in aluminum, and 0.0635″ (1.61 mm) in galvanized. A higher gauge number means thinner metal. Full 7-26...
Steel grades across countries: 44W vs A36, CSA vs ASTM vs EN
Close enough to buy, not identical on paper. 44W is Canada's structural steel at 44 ksi minimum yield, A36 is the US name at 36 ksi, and EN S275 sits between at 275 MPa. Most North American merchant lengths are...
Pipe sizes explained: NPS, schedule, and why 1/2 inch pipe isn't half an inch
Because pipe sizes are names, not measurements. A 1/2 NPS pipe measures 0.840″ outside, and the schedule 40 bore is 0.622″. For any size the OD never changes; the schedule sets the wall, so one fitting fits every wall thickness....
Chrome-plated steel rod guide: when chrome, and when stainless
Chrome-plated rod is induction-hardened 1045 steel under a hard chrome skin, about 65-70 HRC at the surface: the standard material for hydraulic cylinder rods. It resists rust only until the plate is breached, so for food, washdown, or salt water,...
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Each guide covers the grades we stock, what they're good for, and what they cost. Or skip the reading and go straight to the shelf.