Starting April 18, 2022, quoting and ordering will begin moving from Big Blue Saw to the Xometry website. You'll continue to be able to get fast service and instant quotes, in addition addition to a whole host of new materials and manufacturing processes!
When you order custom waterjet cut cold rolled steel on the Big Blue Saw website, you've got a choice of several different thicknesses for your parts. We offer the following thicknesses, from 0.0239 inch all the way up to 0.135 inch:
0.0239, 0.0299, 0.0359, 0.048, 0.0598, 0.075, 0.09, 0.105, 0.12, 0.135
But why these sizes in particular? Why not nice round numbers like 0.04 inches or at least useful fractions like 1/16 (0.0625)? These values aren't round numbers when converted to metric, either.
The answer lies in the gauge system of standard sheet metal thicknesses. In the US, standards for sheet metal come from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). AISI standards tell manufacturers how thick to make steel sheets (the gauge) as well as what tolerances are allowed.
Many of our customers are used to the gauge system when ordering parts cut from steel sheet. So a customer might e-mail us to ask about getting a set of parts waterjet cut from 14 gauge steel, rather than asking for parts 0.075 inches thick.
Confusingly, as the gauge gets higher, the thickness gets lower. So 10 gauge steel is a stout 0.135 inches thick (about as thick as a stack of 2 quarters), whereas 24 gauge is a puny 0.0239 inches thick (thinner than a credit card).
In the chart below, you can see the thickness we sell, its corresponding gauge, and its metric equivalent. In the chart, inch and millimeter measurements are only for cold rolled steel sheet, not aluminum, not stainless steel, nor any other material. Other materials have their own gauge system. That's an article for another time.
Big Blue Saw's Nominal Thickness, Inches |
Gauge | Minimum Thickness, Inches |
Maximum Thickness, Inches |
Nominal Thickness, mm |
Minimum Thickness, mm |
Maximum Thickness, mm |
0.135 | 10 | 0.1285 | 0.1405 | 3.429 | 3.264 | 3.569 |
0.12 | 11 | 0.1136 | 0.1256 | 3.048 | 2.885 | 3.190 |
0.105 | 12 | 0.0986 | 0.1106 | 2.667 | 2.504 | 2.809 |
0.09 | 13 | 0.0847 | 0.0947 | 2.286 | 2.151 | 2.405 |
0.075 | 14 | 0.0697 | 0.0797 | 1.905 | 1.770 | 2.024 |
0.0589 | 16 | 0.0548 | 0.0648 | 1.524 | 1.392 | 1.646 |
0.048 | 18 | 0.0438 | 0.0518 | 1.219 | 1.113 | 1.316 |
0.0359 | 20 | 0.0329 | 0.0389 | 0.912 | 0.836 | 0.988 |
0.0299 | 22 | 0.0269 | 0.0329 | 0.759 | 0.683 | 0.836 |
0.0239 | 24 | 0.0209 | 0.0269 | 0.607 | 0.531 | 0.683 |
For example, when Big Blue Saw gets an order for a part from 0.12 inch thick Cold Rolled Steel A366/1008, we'll use the gauge size sheet provided to us by our suppliers. Based on the standard tolerances, the parts the customer receives may be as thin as 0.1136 inches or as thick as 0.1256 inches. Be sure to design your assemblies to tolerate this kind of variation in thickness.
If you're wondering how these sizes relate to various real world objects, read our article on deciding on a material thickness.
It's time to start planning for the next sale on custom waterjet cut parts. The sale starts Monday, February 13 and runs through Wednesday, February 15, 2017. The sale material this time around will be aluminum 6061 in 0.125 inch thickness. Get your designs ready now and upload them to the online quoting and ordering system.
I was interviewed late last year by Courtland of Indie Hackers. Read the interview for a little background on how I built the Big Blue Saw starting from a side project.
Our customer Tessa Gerwing was expecting a baby and wanted something special for her nursery. The little one was going to be named "Mollie Sue" and Tessa felt that she needed a sign to hang above her crib that was as unique as her little one.
Tessa e-mailed us with the handwritten design in the image below. The handwriting belongs to her grandma and namesake, Lonna Sue. It was then up to our designer to turn it into a design that could be waterjet cut.
The final CAD design is shown below. Note that the lines needed to be fattened for strength and the dot above the "i" bridged. As shown, the whole design is about 56 x 14 inches.
Long time Big Blue Saw followers will note that this is somewhere between the type 3 and type 4 signs. The words are separate like in a type 4 sign (this is easy because of the cursive writing). But the dot above the "i" is connected to the rest of the letters as in a type 3 sign in order to avoid having to install that tiny piece separately.
Big Blue Saw waterjet cut the design from 1/2 inch thick polycarbonate plastic. This material is light, but strong enough to support the sign's weight even in the narrow areas. Tessa spraypainted the sign glittery purple before hanging it on the wall.
Here's the waterjet cut and painted pieces installed in the new baby's room.
Mollie is doing great in her new nursery and enjoying the sign.
If you're interested in making a sign, read more about how to turn a logo into a custom metal sign, the different ways to turn a logo into a sign, and take a look at our gallery of signs and stencils. Then upload your design to our online quoting and ordering system or contact us for help with your design.