Metal Weight Calculator (Plate, Tube, Bar)
Weight of plate, sheet, discs and rings, tube and pipe, and round bar — in kilograms and pounds, per piece and for a quantity — with the density for each metal taken from a US government document you can open.
The method behind it: How to work out the weight of steel plate by hand — step by step, with sources.
Dimensions
Results
Preview
Densities and where they come from
| Material | kg/m³ | As printed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon steel | 7842 | 0.2833 lb/in³ | NBS Circular 391 (1931), p. 4 |
| Stainless steel 304 / 316 | 7916 | 0.286 lb/in³ | MIL-HDBK-5J (2003, cancelled), Table 2.7.1.0(b), p. 2-223 |
| Aluminium 1100 | 2710 | specific gravity 2.71 | TO 1-1A-9, Table 3-6, p. 3-17 |
| Aluminium 3003 | 2730 | specific gravity 2.73 | TO 1-1A-9, Table 3-6, p. 3-18 |
| Aluminium 5052 | 2680 | specific gravity 2.68 | TO 1-1A-9, Table 3-6, p. 3-18 |
| Aluminium 5083 | 2657 | 0.096 lb/in³ | MIL-HDBK-5J (2003, cancelled), Table 3.5.2.0(b), p. 3-232 |
| Aluminium 6061 | 2700 | specific gravity 2.7 | TO 1-1A-9, Table 3-6, p. 3-18 |
| Aluminium 6063 | 2713 | 0.098 lb/in³ | MIL-HDBK-694A (1966, cancelled), Table VI |
| Copper | 8890 | 8.89 g/cm³ | NBS Handbook 100 (1966), p. 4 |
| Brass (commercial / high) | 8470 | 8.47 g/cm³ (0.306 lb/in³) | NBS Circular 391 (1931), p. 16 |
| Titanium Ti-6Al-4V | 4429 | 0.160 lb/in³ | MIL-HDBK-5J (2003, cancelled), Table 5.4.1.0(b), p. 5-53 |
How this tool is verified
- Every density is held to the conversion its own source prints beside it (for example steel 0.2833 lb/in³ = 489.6 lb/ft³ = 40.80 lb/ft² per inch; copper 8.89 g/cm³ = 0.32117 lb/in³).
- Hand-worked cases for each shape, a tube checked as the difference of two bars, a ring as a disc less its bore, and inch and millimetre input giving the same weight.
- Steel sheet per square foot agrees with the USAF/US Navy handbook TO 1-1A-9 table of steel weights per area to within 0.3 % on 10 of its 14 rows, the difference between their densities; three of the others differ by 0.36–1.1 %, and its 0.020 in row (0.8952 lb/ft², about 9.5 % above the rate the rest of the table follows) looks like a misprint.
The method, the reports and the responsibility boundary are on the Verification page.
Built by Ruthen Systems
Free, with no account, and the dimensions you type never leave your browser. If a result looks wrong, or the option your shop needs is missing, say so — reports of a wrong result are dealt with first.
Report a problem or request a toolAssumptions and limits
Read these before you cut anything. They describe exactly what this tool does and does not account for.
- Weight is volume × density. The volume is exact for the shape entered; the density is a nominal value printed in the US government document named beside it.
- Real stock differs: alloy, temper and especially the mill tolerance on thickness or wall usually move the weight more than the density does.
- Two sources are cancelled US Department of Defense handbooks (MIL-HDBK-5J, MIL-HDBK-694A). Their densities are given as nominal reference values only.
- Cast iron is not listed: no federal source we could verify prints its density. Use the custom density if you have one.
Output is a planning and fabrication aid. You are responsible for verifying dimensions, tolerances and material behaviour before production — full disclaimer.
Worked example
A 2400 × 1200 sheet of 6 mm carbon steel.
- Volume0.01728 m³
- Weight135.5 kg (298.7 lb)
By hand: 2.4 × 1.2 × 0.006 = 0.01728 m³; × 7,842 kg/m³ = 135.5 kg; ÷ 0.4536 = 298.7 lb.
Method
Sources
- NBS Circular 391, Standard Thicknesses, Weights, and Tolerances of Sheet Metal (1931): steel 489.6 lb/ft³ = 0.2833 lb/in³ (p. 4); commercial brass 8.47 g/cm³ (p. 16).
- NBS Handbook 100, Copper Wire Tables (1966), p. 4: copper 8.89 g/cm³ at 20 °C.
- TO 1-1A-9 / NAVAIR 01-1A-9, USAF / US Navy general-data handbook for metals (Change 3, 2020), Table 3-6: aluminium alloy specific gravities.
- MIL-HDBK-5J (2003, cancelled): stainless 301/304/316, aluminium 5083, Ti-6Al-4V.
- MIL-HDBK-694A, Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys (1966, cancelled), Table VI: aluminium 6063.
Questions
How do I work out the weight of a steel plate by hand?
Multiply length × width × thickness to get the volume, then by the density. In metric: a 1000 × 1000 × 10 mm plate is 0.01 m³, and at 7,842 kg/m³ that is 78.4 kg. In inches: 0.2833 lb per cubic inch, so 1/8 in sheet weighs 0.125 × 144 × 0.2833 = 5.10 lb per square foot.
Why does my supplier’s weight differ slightly?
Mills roll to a thickness tolerance and often to the heavy side, alloys vary, and some suppliers use 7,850 kg/m³ or 490 lb/ft³ for steel. The difference between those densities is under 0.3 %; a thickness tolerance can be several percent.
Where do the densities come from?
Each is printed in a US government document: NBS Circular 391 and Handbook 100 (National Bureau of Standards), the USAF/US Navy general-data handbook for metals TO 1-1A-9, and the DoD handbooks MIL-HDBK-5J and MIL-HDBK-694A. The table on this page gives the value as printed and where.
How is a tube calculated?
As the ring between the outside and inside diameters: area = π × wall × (OD − wall), times the length. Enter the outside diameter and wall thickness, as tube and pipe are specified.
Missing an option?
A different datum, an offset, a shop allowance, another shape altogether — say what this tool does not cover yet. Requests decide what gets built next, and a report of a wrong result is dealt with before anything new.
Rather have the whole part drawn — a shop drawing or a cut file from your sketch? That is paid drafting, quoted per job: drafting for small shops.
Related tools
Cone / Frustum Configurator
Flat pattern with inside/outside dimension basis, plate-roll or press-brake forming, bend angles and out-of-round — plus a clean DXF.
Open the tool →Hopper & Transition Builder
Develop a rectangular hopper or duct transition into four flat panels — centred or offset — with exact developed geometry and a DXF per panel.
Open the tool →Pipe Cut Template Builder
Wrap-around templates for angled pipe ends and pipe-to-pipe saddles, with the export deviation stated rather than assumed.
Open the tool →Segmented (Lobster-Back) Elbow Calculator
Mitred elbows from straight pipe or rolled sheet: cut angle, heel and throat lengths, a cut list for one pipe, and 1:1 templates plus DXF for each piece.
Open the tool →Square / Rectangle to Round Transition
One exact flat pattern for a square-to-round or rectangle-to-round, centred or offset — with true lengths, corner bend lines and a DXF.
Open the tool →Eccentric (Offset) Reducer Flat Pattern
Flat on one side or any offset: one exact flat pattern for an eccentric reducer or oblique cone, a true-length table for hand layout, and a DXF.
Open the tool →Sheet Metal Profile Builder
Build a multi-bend open profile from segments and bends. Live formed section, live flat pattern, and a DXF blank with a directed centreline per bend.
Open the tool →Rolled Cylinder Blank Calculator
Blank length for a rolled cylinder or shell course from the inside, outside or mean diameter and the plate thickness, with a seam gap and a DXF.
Open the tool →Box and Tray Blank Calculator
The flat blank for a sheet metal tray or open box: blank size from the outside dimensions and bend deductions, bend lines, corner notches and a DXF.
Open the tool →Sphere and Dome in Zones
Flat patterns for a sphere or dome built from zones: each band developed as a cone frustum on the chords, a flat crown disc, every pattern radius and angle, and a DXF.
Open the tool →Pipe Offset Calculator (Simple and Rolling)
Travel, run and cut length for simple and rolling pipe offsets at any fitting angle, with the constants and cut-length rule from the US Army pipe-fitting manual.
Open the tool →Sheet Metal Gauge Chart and Converter
What a gauge number means in inches and millimetres for steel and aluminium, what a galvanized gauge weighs, both ways — every value traced to a US government source.
Open the tool →Cone in Segments (Multi-Piece Cone)
A cone too big for one plate, split into identical segments: give a count or your plate size, get one segment’s size, angle and chords, and a DXF.
Open the tool →Single Bend Flat Pattern Configurator
Flat length and bend line from your finished flanges — with an explicit datum, a formed section you can check against, and a DXF blank.
Open the tool →Press Brake Tonnage Calculator
An estimate of the force for a 90° air bend from thickness, die opening, bend length and material: kN, metric and US tons, whole bend and per length, with how far to trust it.
Open the tool →K-Factor Calculator (from a Test Bend)
Bend a strip, measure it, and get your own K-factor — with the bend allowance and deduction it implies, and how far a measuring error would move it.
Open the tool →Bend Deduction & Allowance Chart
Your own bend deduction, allowance or setback chart for one thickness and K: any radii, any angles, mm or inch, with a CSV download.
Open the tool →Flange / Bolt Circle DXF Generator
Lay out a bolt circle from OD, ID, PCD, hole size and count. Get exact hole coordinates and a DXF with centrelines.
Open the tool →Saved. Need a part drawn from your sketch or photo? A simple flat pattern or DXF of one part is typically C$40–80, with a free quote: drafting for small shops.