What Gauge Means.
Steel thickness is often given as a gauge number, and the numbers run backward: the bigger the number, the thinner the steel.
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- Gauge
- 7
- Thickness
- .1793 in
- Weight
- 7.32 lb/ft²
Sheet Steel Gauge to Inches.
Manufacturers' Standard Gauge for uncoated carbon steel; weight is per square foot. The wheel steps through every row. Click one to turn the wheel to it.
| Gauge | Inches | mm | lb/ft² |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0.2391 | 6.07 | 9.76 |
| 4 | 0.2242 | 5.69 | 9.16 |
| 5 | 0.2092 | 5.31 | 8.54 |
| 6 | 0.1943 | 4.94 | 7.93 |
| 7 | 0.1793 | 4.55 | 7.32 |
| 8 | 0.1644 | 4.18 | 6.71 |
| 9 | 0.1495 | 3.80 | 6.11 |
| 10 | 0.1345 | 3.42 | 5.49 |
| 11 | 0.1196 | 3.04 | 4.88 |
| 12 | 0.1046 | 2.66 | 4.27 |
| 13 | 0.0897 | 2.28 | 3.66 |
| 14 | 0.0747 | 1.90 | 3.05 |
| 15 | 0.0673 | 1.71 | 2.75 |
| 16 | 0.0598 | 1.52 | 2.44 |
| 17 | 0.0538 | 1.37 | 2.20 |
| 18 | 0.0478 | 1.21 | 1.95 |
| 19 | 0.0418 | 1.06 | 1.71 |
| 20 | 0.0359 | 0.91 | 1.47 |
| 21 | 0.0329 | 0.84 | 1.34 |
| 22 | 0.0299 | 0.76 | 1.22 |
| 23 | 0.0269 | 0.68 | 1.10 |
| 24 | 0.0239 | 0.61 | 0.98 |
| 25 | 0.0209 | 0.53 | 0.85 |
| 26 | 0.0179 | 0.45 | 0.73 |
| 28 | 0.0149 | 0.38 | 0.61 |
| 30 | 0.0120 | 0.30 | 0.49 |
How the Wheel Works
The wheel is a real shop tool. Slide the edge of a sheet into the slots until one fits snug; the number beside that slot is the gauge.
The numbers come from the old practice of counting how many times steel was drawn down to size: more passes, thinner steel, bigger number.
For uncoated sheet steel, 10 gauge is about ⅛ inch, 16 gauge about 1/16 inch, and 20 gauge about the thickness of a credit card.
Why Gauge Matters
Thickness decides almost everything that happens next: what a blank weighs, how much press force it takes to cut, how deep it can be drawn and how many pieces fit on a lift.
Gauge is a shorthand. Prints and quotes usually give thickness in inches with a tolerance, so if it matters to your part, ask for the decimal.
Work Out a Blank WeightWords to Know
- Gauge
- A number for steel thickness; the higher the number, the thinner the steel.
- Coil
- Steel strip wound into a roll, the way it leaves the mill and arrives at our presses.
- Mill cert
- The mill's test report for a heat of steel: chemistry and mechanical properties.
- HSLA
- High-strength low-alloy steel. Stronger than mild steel at the same thickness.
On Our Floor.
We blank steel from .020 to .500 inch thick, from about 25 gauge to half an inch.
BlankingGauge Questions.
Is galvanized gauge the same as uncoated gauge?
No. Galvanized sheet has its own gauge table, a little thicker at the same number because of the zinc. Ask for the decimal thickness.
What gauge is 1/8 inch?
About 10 gauge for uncoated sheet steel: .1345 inch, just over 1/8.
Do aluminum and stainless use the same gauges?
No. They have their own tables, so the same gauge number is a different thickness. Thickness in inches avoids the mix-up.
How does gauge change what a blank weighs?
Weight goes up in step with thickness. Work it out with the Blank Weight Calculator.