Brass Hex Rods | McMaster-Carr

With the highest lead content of all the brass alloys, 360 offers the best machinability. Often called free-machining and free-cutting brass, it stands up to high-speed drilling, milling, and tapping operations with minimal wear on your tools. It’s commonly used for gears, pinions, and lock components.

Ultra-Machinable 360 Brass Rods and Discs

Ultra-Formable 260 Brass Rods

The most formable brass we offer, 260 offers better weldability than 300 series brass but it’s not as machinable. Sometimes called cartridge brass, it's commonly used for ammunition casings, radiator components, and decorative door hardware.

Ultra-Formable 260 Brass Hex Tubes

Ultra-Formable 260 Brass Round Tubes

Easy-to-Machine Architectural 385 Brass Rods

Often called architectural bronze, 385 brass is easy to machine and has excellent formability when heated. It is typically used for handrails, ornamental trim, and hardware, such as hinges and lock bodies.

High-Strength 182 Copper Hex Bars

182 copper is stronger, harder, and more wear resistant than 110 copper. Also known as RWMA Class 2 chromium copper, it's commonly used in resistance welding, for circuit-breaker parts, and for molds to make plastic parts.

Steel

Ultra-Machinable 12L14 Carbon Steel Hex Bars

The lead additive acts as a lubricant, which allows 12L14 carbon steel to withstand very fast machining. It's used to fabricate a wide variety of machine parts.

Easy-to-Machine 1215 Carbon Steel Hex Bars

A lead-free alternative to 12L14, 1215 carbon steel contains the same amount of sulfur and phosphorus for excellent machinability. It is often used for shaft couplings, studs, and pins.

Low-Carbon Steel Hex Bars

Also known as mild steel, low-carbon steel is easy to machine, form, and weld. It's widely fabricated into parts that don’t require high strength.

Hardened Multipurpose 4140 Alloy Steel Hex Bars

These hex bars are hardened for increased abrasion and impact resistance. They are also stress relieved to reduce the chance of warping during machining.

Multipurpose 4140 Alloy Steel Hex Bars

Also known as chrome-moly steel, this versatile 4140 alloy steel is used for a wide range of parts, such as gears, axles, shafts, collets, and die holders. It resists fracturing from repeated stress.

Aluminum

Multipurpose 6061 Aluminum Hex Bars

The most widely used aluminum, 6061 is fabricated into everything from pipe fittings and containers to automotive and aerospace parts. It is strong and corrosion resistant, plus it's easy to machine and weld.

Anodized Multipurpose 6061 Aluminum Hex Bars

A hard-anodized coating forms a bond with the aluminum surface to improve wear and corrosion resistance.

Multipurpose 6061 Aluminum Hex Tubes

Easy-to-Machine 2011 Aluminum Hex Bars

2011 has the best machinability of all the aluminum alloys. It is the most selected aluminum for screws, tube fittings, hose parts, and other items that require extensive machining.

High-Strength 2024 Aluminum Hex Bars

While 2024 aluminum was initially designed for structural components in aircraft, it's now widely used when a high strength-to-weight ratio is needed, such as for gears, shafts, and fasteners. It offers similar performance to 7075 aluminum, but it’s not as strong.

Stainless Steel

Easy-to-Machine 303 Stainless Steel

Widely used for fabricating fittings and fasteners, 303 stainless steel machines quickly without sticking to cutting tools.

Multipurpose 304 Stainless Steel

From cookware to chemical-processing equipment, 304 stainless steel is a good all-around choice for a wide range of applications.

Corrosion-Resistant 316 Stainless Steel

The addition of molybdenum gives 316 stainless steel excellent corrosion resistance. Use it in a variety of marine and chemical-processing applications.

Easy-to-Machine 416 Stainless Steel

One of the most machinable types of stainless steel available, 416 contains sulfur for fast machining without clogging cutting tools. It's used for gears, screws, and shafts.

High-Strength Grade 5 Titanium Hex Bars

Grade 5 is the strongest of all the titanium alloys thanks to its higher aluminum and vanadium content. It offers a versatile mix of good corrosion resistance, weldability, and formability. It's often used for turbine blades, fasteners, and spacer rings.

Turnbuckle-Style Connecting Rods

Similar to turnbuckles, these rods have right-hand threads on one end and left-hand threads on the other so you can make a linkage that adjusts for tension. Add right- and left-hand threaded rod ends to build your linkages.

Internally Threaded Turnbuckle-Style Connecting Rods

Similar to turnbuckles, these rods have right-hand threads on one end and left-hand threads on the other so you can make a linkage that adjusts for tension.