Brass
Online Metals is the premier destination for brass sheet, rod, and tube. We stock a vast array of alloys for everything from decorative trim to precision machining. With no minimums and fast shipping, we deliver the beauty and workability that designers, artists, and machinists love.
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The Most Brass Shapes and Alloys
Onlinemetals carries the industry’s largest selection of brass shapes, alloys, and tempers. From standard options like sheet, round bar, and flat bar to specialty shapes like rectangle tube and half oval, you’ll find the brass material you need for nearly any project.
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Brass is a versatile alloy of copper and zinc, celebrated as the gold standard for machinability and acoustic resonance. Its high density and precise grain structure allow for high-speed machining with minimal tool wear, especially in lead-bearing grades like Alloy 360. While it naturally develops a protective patina or can be polished to a brilliant gold finish, brass provides excellent resistance to atmospheric corrosion and is inherently non-sparking, making it ideal for precision components, decorative hardware, and environments requiring durable, low-friction parts.
Learn More About Brass
Thinking about using brass for your next project? An alloy of copper and zinc, brass is prized for its golden appearance, acoustic properties, and ease of machining. To help you select the right type, here are five important factors regarding brass:
The Gold Standard for Machinability Brass is often the benchmark by which other metals are judged for machinability. Alloy 360 (Free Machining Brass) contains lead, allowing it to be cut at high speeds with minimal tool wear, making it perfect for complex, high-volume parts.
Corrosion Resistance Brass resists corrosion effectively, particularly in non-marine environments. It does not rust like steel, making it a low-maintenance choice for decorative hardware, plumbing fixtures, and locks.
Acoustic Properties The density and malleability of brass give it unique acoustic qualities. This is why it is the primary material for musical instruments like trumpets, saxophones, and cymbals, as well as high-end speaker components.
Aesthetics and Patina Brass is often chosen strictly for looks. It polishes to a brilliant, gold-like mirror finish but can also be chemically darkened or allowed to naturally patina to a warm, antique bronze color over time.
Zinc Content Matters The ratio of zinc changes the properties.
Low Zinc (Red Brass): Higher copper content, better corrosion resistance, softer.
High Zinc (Yellow Brass): Stronger, harder, and brighter yellow, commonly used in ammunition casings and hardware.
Some common uses for brass:
- Plumbing fittings and valves
- Musical instruments
- Decorative hardware and lighting
- Gears and bearings
- Ammunition casings
- Clocks and watches
How Online Metals Can Help You Online Metals makes it easy to find exactly what materials you need. With the widest selection of brass sheet, plate, bar, and tube in the U.S., we deliver both to businesses and homes with no minimum orders. We offer high-tolerance custom cuts, all supported by our first-in-class customer support, fast order processing, and economical on-time delivery.
Brass FAQs
Can you weld brass?
Brass can be MIG and TIG welded but it can be difficult because of the amount of Zinc composition and the addition of lead in the alloys causes fume and porosity issues. Soldering or brazing are the recommended joining methods for brass because of these difficulties.
Why don’t you list the alloy of brass round tube that you stock?
We source four different alloys of brass tube which are all yellow brass and all very similar in color. As there are very few differences in color, we do not differentiate our brass tube by alloy and you may receive any of the four brass alloys, depending on availability. The only exception will be if you want to machine the brass tube, in that case you would want to use the C330 alloys because the lead content means it machines easier. The C330 alloy will normally only be stocked in wall thicknesses 0.062” and greater.
Can you bend brass?
Brass is one of the most popular materials because of its workability and strength. That workability means you can bend most brass alloys relatively easily with 260 brass being one of our more bendable yellow brasses.
Architectural Bronze vs. Brass
A common request from customers is for architectural bronze. That term can confuse those in metals industry because the alloys typically referred to as architectural bronze will technically be brass alloys. They will be copper alloy with zinc and not tin like an actual bronze. We list these alloys under brass because of this reason. See our selection of architectural bronze alloys here.
Does Brass tarnish and how to clean brass?
All brass alloys will tarnish over time, but some alloys will provide more corrosion resistance than others. Brass alloys like C464 Naval brass and C280 Muntz brass will keep their surface free of tarnish longer, for this reason they used commonly in marine applications. If brass tarnishes, it cleans fairly easily using a brass tarnish remover or many common fine abrasive mediums and a mild acid (baking soda and vinegar or flour, salt, and lemon juice, etc.)
What color is brass?
Brass alloys come in a range of colors, from a very yellow color (C260) to red (C230) to a brown/bronze color (C385). See our helpful brass alloy color guide for more information. Keep in mind these colors are subject to change from one mill heat lot to another and can be slightly different based on the color settings of your computer monitor.
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