Material
Brass Parts
Easy to make accurately, kind to mating parts.
Brass is the easiest metal there is to make accurate parts from: C360 free-machining brass cuts fast, holds tight tolerances, and comes off the tool with a surface most metals need polishing to reach. That’s why fittings, bushings, valve components, electrical hardware, and decorative parts still get specced in it. Send a STEP and print through the quote form; quotes come back in 24-48 hours.
Updated June 2026
Brass C360
The easiest metal here to cut, and it threads cleanly. Good for fittings, bushings, and parts that should look finished.
Typical parts
- Fittings & adapters
- Bushings
- Electrical contacts
- Knobs & decorative parts
Why brass parts quote lower than the bar stock suggests
Per pound, brass costs more than aluminum. Per part, it often doesn’t: machining time is the dominant cost in a custom part, and C360 is literally the benchmark other alloys’ machinability is measured against (it scores 100 on the scale). Chips break clean, cycle times drop, and the as-cut finish is frequently good enough to ship. On small precision parts, brass sometimes beats “cheaper” materials on the final number.
What it’s good at
Four niches keep brass busy. Fluid fittings and valve parts, because it seals well on tapered threads and tolerates water service without rusting. Bushings, thrust washers, and wear parts, because it’s naturally slippery against steel and doesn’t gall. Electrical hardware (terminals, contacts, connector bodies) where useful conductivity meets easy precision. And decorative or architectural work, where the warm color is the spec.
Most of it is turned work, with custom fasteners (thumbscrews, knurled hardware, odd threads) a close second.
Lead, tarnish, and other fine print
C360 gets its machinability from roughly 3% lead. For potable-water parts that’s a regulatory problem, not just a preference. Drinking-water work should spec a lead-free machining brass (C69300 / ECO BRASS and similar) and say so in the quote notes, since it costs more and cuts differently.
Bare brass also tarnishes: the bright gold dulls toward brown as the surface oxidizes. It’s cosmetic, not structural. Parts that should stay bright can be polished and plated (nickel and chrome are the usual calls) and parts where nobody’s looking can be left alone without consequence.
Questions
Before you send a job.
01 Why pick brass over aluminum or steel?
Three honest reasons: machinability that lowers the quote on small precision parts, friendly behavior against steel (low friction, no galling, no rust staining), and conductivity for electrical hardware. If none of those apply, aluminum is lighter and steel is stronger. Brass wins on fit, finish, and function in its niches.
02 Is brass safe for drinking-water parts?
Standard C360 contains roughly 3% lead, so it’s the wrong material for potable-water contact under modern lead-free plumbing rules. Lead-free machining brasses, C69300 (ECO BRASS) and similar, exist for exactly this. Flag potable-water service in your quote notes and the material gets specced accordingly.
03 Will brass parts tarnish?
Yes, bright brass dulls to brown with air and handling, faster with moisture. It’s a surface film, not corrosion that threatens the part. Plating (nickel or chrome) keeps it bright permanently, polishing restores it, and in fluid or electrical service it usually doesn’t matter at all.
04 What tolerances can brass parts hold?
Tight ones, brass is dimensionally cooperative, and ±0.001 in on critical turned diameters is comfortable, with tighter fits held on request. Call out the critical dimensions on the print and the parts are inspected to them before they ship.
05 Brass or bronze?
Brass for machinability, fittings, electrical work, and looks. Bronze when the part is a bearing surface under real load: it’s the harder-wearing of the two. Both are quotable; if the part is a bushing, a note about load and speed helps the right one get picked.
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