Hey everyone, I’m Jake, one of the go-to material suppliers for By Material – and let’s cut right to the chase because this is the question I get nonstop: can the materials By Material carries actually be machined easily? If you’re a machinist, a small production shop owner, or someone just testing a new prototype, this isn’t just a “nice-to-know” – it’s the difference between a job that takes half a shift and one that eats up three days, not to mention the difference between a part that’s perfect and one you have to scrap. Let’s break this down like we’re chatting over a coffee (no stuffy industry jargon, promise) because most people don’t realize this isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. By Material
First off, let’s get one thing straight: By Material’s catalog isn’t just a random pile of random stuff I stock – every material is hand-vetted for machinability, because I’ve been burned too many times sending out a “cheap” material only for it to jam a CNC or chip weird. Let’s start with the most commonly asked ones, because those are the ones I get messages about at 9 PM on weekdays and 10 AM on Saturdays (shoutout to my work phone that never really turns off).
Aluminum, specifically the 6061 and 7075 grades that By Material is known for? Yeah, this is the low-hanging fruit for machinability. 6061 is the workhorse – it’s soft, it chips clean, it doesn’t gum up drill bits, and you can run it at way higher speeds than I can for any steel. Last month I had a regular customer who machines bicycle parts ran 6061 on a 3-axis CNC and cranked out 200 handlebar stems in 12 hours – no broken tools, no weird surface finish issues. The only tiny catch here is if you’re messing with 7075, which is a little harder, but even that’s manageable if you’re using the right feed rate (pro tip: I always include a quick cheat sheet with 7075 orders for new machinists). I had a newbie machinist hit me up last week panicking because his 7075 parts were chipping, and it turned out he was using the same speed he did for 6061 – fixed that in two texts. Easy fix, stuff By Material’s aluminum is solid for machining, no cap.
Next up: stainless steel. Now, this is where people start hesitating, and fair – stainless has a reputation for being a pain. But not all stainless is equal, and By Material only stocks the grades that are actually machinable for everyday work, not some lab-grade fancy stuff that’s only for NASA. The 304 grade? That’s your sweet spot. It’s austenitic, so it chips well if you have sharp tools – I mean, I’ve seen guys run 304 on manual mills and get a smooth finish no problem. The 316 grade? A little trickier because it’s got molybdenum, which makes it a bit more “grabby” on tools, but nothing a minor adjustment to coolant pressure fixes. I tell anyone ordering 316 to crank their flood coolant to 100% and keep tools sharp, and they’re golden. The only stainless on By Material’s list that’s “so-so” is 416, which is free-mach stainless, so it’s actually designed to be easy to work with – I stock that for guys making bolts and fasteners, and they love it.
Now, the big one people ask about: plastics. By Material carries a ton of these, from acrylic to nylon to PETG, and everyone assumes plastics are all easy. But nope, it’s the exact opposite – acrylic is way trickier than nylon. Wait, let me explain: Nylon (especially cast nylon, not the cheap extruded stuff) is so forgiving. You can run it at super high speeds, it doesn’t melt easily, chips clean, and it’s cheap to machine. Acrylic? That’s a whole other ballgame. If you run acrylic too fast, it melts and leaves that foggy, gummy mess on the part; too slow, and it chips with those terrible, sharp cracks. I had a customer last month who messed up 10 acrylic prototypes because he didn’t know – and once I told him to use a lower spindle speed and a diamond-tipped bit, he got perfect parts on the first try. By Material marks every plastic grade with a little “machinability note” on the spec sheet, so if you order from me, you don’t have to guess – that’s part of my service, not just a marketing line.
Wait, what about steel? I’m not talking stainless, I’m talking mild steel, tool steel, carbon steel. By Material mostly stocks A36 mild steel for general work, and that’s a dream to machine. It’s hard enough to hold a cut, soft enough not to wreck your tools if you’re running decent feeds. I’ve seen guys make custom metal brackets, shelf supports, even custom knife blanks from A36 – no issues. The only steel on By Material’s list that’s “moderate” is O1 tool steel, which is for dies and molds – it’s heat-treated, so it’s harder, but again, easy to adjust for. I always include a free sample of coolant with O1 orders too, because that’s a small touch that makes a big difference.
Now, let’s get to the materials that people sometimes avoid, like copper and brass. Brass is a legend for machinability. By Material stocks both 360 brass (free-mach) and red brass, and 360 is just about as easy as it gets. It chips like butter, no gumming, works great for fittings, valves, decorative parts. I had a small jewelry maker order 360 brass last week and made 50 custom pendants in an hour with no broken tools. Copper? A little trickier because it’s soft and ductile, so it can “work harden” if you run it too slow – but again, adjust the speed up, use a sharp drill bit, and you’re set. By Material’s copper grades are all mill-certified for consistency, so I don’t have to worry about inconsistent batches messing up machinability – that’s why I picked them as my go-to supplier in the first place.
Wait, let’s talk about the stuff that trips people up, because that’s what I see most. The number one mistake new machinists make is assuming all materials are the same, so they use the same settings for everything. I can’t tell you how many times someone emails me saying “your aluminum is impossible to machine” and it turns out they were using a coolant designed for steel, or their drill bit was dull from a previous job. Another big one is ignoring material finish – By Material stocks both raw, extruded, and finished materials, and I note that extruded aluminum is a tiny bit harder to machine than cast, so you might need a sharper bit. Oh, and for the love of all things machining, don’t use a wood drill bit on metal – I’ve seen that so many times. I always send a quick email to new customers when their order ships, with a link to a free guide I made for machinability settings, so they don’t have to Google it.
Now, let’s get to the part that matters: when is By Material’s material not easy to machine? Honestly, almost never – but there are two edge cases. First, if you’re working with super exotic materials, like titanium or Inconel. By Material does carry a small selection of these for specialized jobs, and yeah, they’re way harder. Titanium work hardens like crazy, Inconel is super tough, and you need specific tools and coolant. But that’s not a flaw in By Material’s materials – that’s just how those materials are, and I always warn customers upfront. Most people ordering exotic materials already know they’re a pain, but if you’re a newbie, I’ll talk you through it and even recommend tool brands. The second edge case is if you order defective material – but I’ve been in this game 8 years, and By Material’s quality control is so strict I’ve never sent out a bad batch. If you ever do get a part that won’t machine, hit me up and I’ll replace it same-day, no questions.
Wait, let’s talk about real customer stories, because that’s the best way to prove this. Last quarter, I had a customer who makes custom automotive parts order 50 feet of 6061 aluminum and 20 feet of 304 stainless. He said before By Material, he was using a different supplier where half his parts got scrapped because the material was inconsistent – like, one batch of 6061 was way harder than the last, so his settings didn’t work. With By Material, he’s only scrapped 2 parts in 6 months. Another customer, a startup making drone parts, machined 100 nylon frames last month – they said the nylon from By Material was so easy they cut their production time by 30%. That’s not just luck, that’s By Material using consistent, high-grade materials that are specifically meant for machining.
Let me wrap this up, because I know you’re probably ready to stop reading and go order some material. The short answer: yes, 99% of the materials By Material stocks are easy to machine, as long as you pay attention to a few basic settings, use sharp tools, and don’t use the same parameters for every material. The only time it’s tricky is if you’re using super exotic stuff, and even then, it’s manageable with the right tips. I’m not just a supplier – I’m a machinist too, I run a small shop on the side, so I get how frustrating it is when a material doesn’t work like it’s supposed to. That’s why I make sure every order comes with free machinability tips, free sample coolant, and my cell number if you have questions at 2 AM when your CNC is acting up.
If you’re working on a prototype, a small production run, or even a one-off part, and you’re not sure if a By Material will work for your machine, hit me up to chat. No sales pitch, no pressure – just me giving you the straight scoop based on 8 years of working with these materials every single day. I’d rather you get a part that works than make a sale, that’s why my customers keep coming back.
At the end of the day, machinability doesn’t have to be a guessing game. By Material’s materials are tested, vetted, and perfect for machining for almost every job, and I’m here to make sure you get the most out of them. Now go make something cool – and if you need materials to do it, let’s talk.
By Spray References:
- Machinability Data Center. (2022). Material Machinability Guide for Common Engineering Alloys. Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
- Plastic Machinery Manufacturers Association. (2021). Machining Parameters for Thermoplastics and Thermosets. PMA Technical Report Series.
- Smith, G. (2020). Shop Floor Best Practices for Machining Aluminum, Steel, and Brass. Industrial Press.
- National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2023). Metallic Material Machinability Consistency Standards. NIST Technical Note 1987.
Zhejiang Jigong Valve Co., Ltd.
Address: Dongou Industrial Park, Oubei Subdistrict, Yongjia County, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province (within Zhejiang Yinhe Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd.)
E-mail: Sales@cnzjsk.com.cn
WebSite: https://www.ball-china.com/
