Sheet Metal Gauge Size Chart & Tools

Gauge sizes, often denoted as “gage, delineate the thickness of sheet metal, employing a hierarchy where higher numbers signify diminished thickness. The genesis of this complexity lies in the distinct gauge size standards, each meticulously calibrated to correspond with the weight of sheet metal across varied materials. Notably, the esteemed Manufacturers’ Standard Gage emerges as a stalwart, furnishing precise thicknesses for the stalwart trio of standard steel, galvanized steel, and stainless steel.

Sheet Metal Gauge Size Chart

A bespoke standard materializes for Zinc, wherein gauge numbers ascend concomitantly with sheet thickness, offering a succinct metric for assessment.

U.S. Standard Gauge Size for Sheet & Plate Iron / Steel

This Standard Sheet & Plate Metal Gauge Size Chart for Iron and Steel offers a clear overview of gauge sizes, each meticulously calibrated to denote varying thickness levels.

15 U.S.C.
United States Code, 2010 Edition
Title 15 – Commerce and Trade
Chapter 6 – Weights and Measures and Standard Time
Subchapter Iii – Standard Gauge for Iron and Steel

Iron and Steel Approximate Thickness Weight Per Area
Number of Gauge in mm lb/ft2 kg/m2
0000000 1/2 12.7 20.00 97.65
000000 15/32 11.906 18.75 91.55
00000 7/16 11.113 17.50 85.44
0000 13/32 10.319 16.25 79.33
000 3/8 9.525 15 73.24
00 11/32 8.731 13.75 67.13
0 5/16 7.938 12.50 61.03
1 9/32 7.144 11.25 54.93
2 17/64 6.747 10.625 51.88
3 1/4 6.350 10 48.82
4 15/64 5.953 9.375 45.77
5 7/32 5.556 8.75 42.72
6 13/64 5.159 8.125 39.67
7 3/16 4.763 7.5 36.62
8 11/64 4.366 6.875 33.57
9 5/32 3.969 6.25 30.52
10 9/64 3.572 5.625 27.46
11 1/8 3.175 5 24.41
12 7/64 2.778 4.375 21.36
13 3/32 2.381 3.75 18.31
14 5/64 1.984 3.125 15.26
15 9/128 1.786 2.8125 13.73
16 1/16 1.588 2.5 12.21
17 9/160 1.429 2.25 10.99
18 1/20 1.270 2 9.765
19 7/160 1.111 1.75 8.544
20 3/80 0.953 1.50 7.324
21 11/320 0.873 1.375 6.713
22 1/32 0.794 1.25 6.103
23 9/320 0.714 1.125 5.493
24 1/40 0.635 1 4.882
25 7/320 0.556 0.875 4.272
26 3/160 0.476 0.75 3.662
27 11/640 0.437 0.6875 3.357
28 1/64 0.397 0.625 3.052
29 9/640 0.357 0.5625 2.746
30 1/80 0.318 0.5 2.441
31 7/640 0.278 0.4375 2.136
32 13/1280 0.258 0.4063 1.983
33 3/320 0.238 0.375 1.831
34 11/1280 0.218 0.3438 1.678
35 5/640 0.198 0.3125 1.526
36 9/1280 0.179 0.2813 1.373
37 17/2560 0.169 0.2656 1.297
38 1/160 0.159 0.25 1.221

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a newcomer to the field, this chart serves as an indispensable resource for navigating the intricate realm of sheet metal gauges with ease and accuracy.

Gauge Size Chart for Stainless Steel

This Stainless Steel Sheet Metal Gauge Size Chart delivers a concise breakdown of gauge numbers and corresponding sheet thicknesses, ensuring clarity and efficiency in your operations.

Stainless Steel Thickness
Gauge Approximate thickness, in Approximate thickness, mm
7 0.1875 4.76
8 0.1719 4.37
9 0.1563 3.97
10 0.1406 3.57
11 0.1250 3.18
12 0.1094 2.78
13 0.0940 2.40
14 0.0781 1.98
15 0.0700 1.80
16 0.0625 1.59
17 0.0560 1.40
18 0.0500 1.27
19 0.0440 1.10
20 0.0375 0.95
21 0.0340 0.86
22 0.0310 0.79
23 0.0280 0.71
24 0.0250 0.64
25 0.0220 0.56
26 0.0190 0.48
27 0.0170 0.43
28 0.0160 0.41
29 0.0140 0.36
30 0.0130 0.33
31 0.0110 0.28

Gauge Size Chart for Stainless Steel

Gauge Size Chart for Galvanized Steel

Explore this Sheet Metal Gauge Size Chart for Galvanized Steel, a concise reference providing essential insights into the thickness variations of galvanized steel sheets.

Galvanized Steel Thickness Weight Per Area
Gauge in mm lb/ft2 kg/m2
8 0.1681 4.270 6.858 33.482
9 0.1532 3.891 6.250 30.514
10 0.1382 3.510 5.638 27.527
11 0.1233 3.132 5.030 24.559
12 0.1084 2.753 4.422 21.591
13 0.0934 2.372 3.810 18.603
14 0.0785 1.994 3.202 15.636
15 0.0710 1.803 2.896 14.142
16 0.0635 1.613 2.590 12.648
17 0.0575 1.461 2.346 11.453
18 0.0516 1.311 2.105 10.278
19 0.0456 1.158 1.860 9.083
20 0.0396 1.006 1.615 7.888
21 0.0366 0.930 1.493 7.290
22 0.0336 0.853 1.371 6.692
23 0.0306 0.777 1.248 6.095
24 0.0276 0.701 1.126 5.497
25 0.0247 0.627 1.008 4.920
26 0.0217 0.551 0.885 4.322
27 0.0202 0.513 0.824 4.023
28 0.0187 0.475 0.763 3.725
29 0.0172 0.437 0.702 3.426
30 0.0157 0.399 0.640 3.127
31 0.0142 0.361 0.579 2.828
32 0.0134 0.340 0.547 2.669

Sheet Metal Gauge Size Conversion Chart

This chart condenses complex gauge measurements into a user-friendly format, empowering users to make informed decisions swiftly and effectively.

Gauge Size Chart for Aluminum

This Gauge Size Chart provides information on aluminum sheet metal thicknesses. It presents gauge numbers and their corresponding sheet thicknesses, offering practical guidance for metalworking tasks.

Aluminum Thickness Weight Per Area
Gauge in mm lb/ft2 kg/m2
000000 0.5800 14.732 8.185 39.962
00000 0.5165 13.119 7.289 35.587
0000 0.4600 11.684 6.492 31.694
000 0.4096 10.404 5.780 28.222
00 0.3648 9.266 5.148 25.135
0 0.3249 8.252 4.585 22.386
1 0.2893 7.348 4.083 19.933
2 0.2576 6.543 3.635 17.749
3 0.2294 5.827 3.237 15.806
4 0.2043 5.189 2.883 14.076
5 0.1819 4.620 2.567 12.533
6 0.1620 4.115 2.286 11.162
7 0.1443 3.665 2.036 9.942
8 0.1285 3.264 1.813 8.854
9 0.1144 2.906 1.614 7.882
10 0.1019 2.588 1.438 7.021
11 0.0907 2.304 1.280 6.249
12 0.0808 2.052 1.140 5.567
13 0.0720 1.829 1.016 4.961
14 0.0641 1.628 0.905 4.417
15 0.0571 1.450 0.806 3.934
16 0.0508 1.290 0.717 3.500
17 0.0453 1.151 0.639 3.121
18 0.0403 1.024 0.569 2.777
19 0.0359 0.912 0.507 2.474
20 0.0320 0.813 0.452 2.205
21 0.0285 0.724 0.402 1.964
22 0.0253 0.643 0.357 1.743
23 0.0226 0.574 0.319 1.557
24 0.0201 0.511 0.284 1.385
25 0.0179 0.455 0.253 1.233
26 0.0159 0.404 0.224 1.096
27 0.0142 0.361 0.200 0.978
28 0.0126 0.320 0.178 0.868
29 0.0113 0.287 0.159 0.779
30 0.0100 0.254 0.141 0.689
31 0.0089 0.226 0.126 0.613
32 0.0080 0.203 0.113 0.551
33 0.0071 0.180 0.100 0.489
34 0.0063 0.160 0.089 0.434
35 0.0056 0.142 0.079 0.386
36 0.0050 0.127 0.071 0.345
37 0.0045 0.114 0.064 0.310
38 0.0040 0.102 0.056 0.276
39 0.0035 0.089 0.049 0.241
40 0.0031 0.079 0.044 0.214

Gauge Size Chart for Zink

This Zinc Gauge Size Chart offers a straightforward reference for understanding sheet metal thicknesses. It presents gauge numbers alongside corresponding sheet thicknesses for zinc, providing practical guidance for metalworking projects.

Zink Thickness Weight Per Area
Gauge in mm lb/ft2 kg/m2
28 1.0000 25.400 37.152 181.392
27 0.5000 12.700 18.576 90.696
26 0.3750 9.525 13.932 68.022
25 0.2500 6.350 9.288 45.348
24 0.1250 3.175 4.644 22.674
23 0.1000 2.540 3.715 18.139
22 0.0900 2.286 3.344 16.325
21 0.0800 2.032 2.972 14.511
20 0.0700 1.778 2.601 12.697
19 0.0600 1.524 2.229 10.884
18 0.0550 1.397 2.043 9.977
17 0.0500 1.270 1.858 9.070
16 0.0450 1.143 1.672 8.163
15 0.0400 1.016 1.486 7.256
14 0.0360 0.914 1.337 6.530
13 0.0320 0.813 1.189 5.805
12 0.0280 0.711 1.040 5.079
11 0.0240 0.610 0.892 4.353
10 0.0200 0.508 0.743 3.628
9 0.0180 0.457 0.669 3.265
8 0.0160 0.406 0.594 2.902
7 0.0140 0.356 0.520 2.539
6 0.0120 0.305 0.446 2.177
5 0.0100 0.254 0.372 1.814
4 0.0080 0.203 0.297 1.451
3 0.0060 0.152 0.223 1.088
2 0.0040 0.102 0.149 0.726
1 0.0020 0.051 0.074 0.363

Sheet Metal Thickness Measurement

Several tools are commonly used for measuring metal gauge thickness:

Calipers

Digital Caliper for Sheet Metal

Digital or Vernier calipers can measure the thickness of metal accurately. These tools have fine adjustments and can measure thickness to within a fraction of a millimeter.

Micrometer

Micrometer for Sheet Metal

A micrometer is a precision tool used for very accurate measurements. It can measure metal thickness with high precision, typically to within a thousandth of an inch or hundredth of a millimeter.

Thickness Gauges

Thickness Gauges

These gauges are specifically designed for measuring the thickness of sheet metal. They come in various forms, including mechanical dial gauges and digital models, and are available in different ranges to accommodate various thicknesses.

Ultrasonic Thickness Gauges

Ultrasonic Thickness Gauges for Metal

These gauges use ultrasonic waves to measure metal thickness. They are particularly useful for measuring the thickness of metals that are difficult to access or where non-destructive testing is required.

Feeler Gauges

Feeler Gauges

While primarily used for measuring small gaps and clearances, feeler gauges can also be used to measure the thickness of thin metal sheets.

Metal Sheet Thickness Gauge Tool

A gauge chart, like the one we mentioned earlier, provides a reference table that correlates gauge numbers with corresponding thicknesses in inches or millimeters. While not a direct measurement tool, it’s invaluable for quickly determining thickness based on gauge number. Each of these tools has its advantages and is suitable for different applications, depending on the required precision, accessibility, and budget.

Comments: 4
  1. Andrew Harbert

    Do these data depend greatly on the grade of steel, if we are talking about stainless steel?

    1. Jonathan Field

      For 95% of stainless steel grades, the gauge sizes from this table will be the same!

  2. Thomas Burton

    Why does stainless steel measurement start with gauge “7” and not “000000”?

    1. David R. Ledford (author)

      Stainless steel measurement starting with gauge “7” instead of “000000” is due to the historical development of gauge systems. The gauge numbering for stainless steel and other materials is based on specific standards that have evolved over time. In the case of stainless steel, the gauge numbering typically starts at a higher number like “7” because it corresponds to a specific thickness range that is commonly used in various applications. This numbering system simplifies the representation of thickness and is a standardized way to categorize different thickness levels of stainless steel.

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