Aluminum Flat Bar Weight Chart: 6061 and 7075 Pounds Per Foot
By Bilbo Baggins
Aluminum flat bar weight has a shortcut worth memorizing: for 6061, multiply thickness by width by 1.17 to get pounds per foot. A 1 x 4 inch bar is 4.68 lb/ft, a 0.5 x 2 is 1.17, and a 2 x 6 is 14.04. For 7075 and 7050 the multiplier is 1.224. That is it, and it works because a foot of bar is 12 inches long and 12 times the density of 6061 equals 1.17. Below is the full table across common sizes for both alloys, plus what to do when the size you need is not a stocked bar.
In Short
- →The shortcut is one line: 6061 flat bar weighs thickness x width x 1.17 pounds per foot. For 7075 and 7050, use 1.224.
- →That works because 12 inches times 0.0975 lb per cubic inch equals 1.17, and 12 times 0.102 equals 1.224.
- →A 1 x 4 inch 6061 flat bar is 4.68 lb/ft. A 0.5 x 2 is 1.17 lb/ft. A 2 x 6 is 14.04 lb/ft.
- →Unlike round bar, flat bar weight scales linearly with both dimensions, so doubling the width doubles the weight.
- →7075 flat bar runs about 4.6 percent heavier than 6061 at identical dimensions.
- →A piece of plate cut to a bar shape weighs exactly the same as bar stock. If bar is not available in your size, cut it from plate.
6061 Flat Bar, Pounds Per Foot
Thickness down the left, width across the top. Computed as thickness x width x 12 x 0.0975.
| Thickness (in) | 1 in wide | 2 in | 3 in | 4 in | 6 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.250 | 0.293 | 0.585 | 0.878 | 1.170 | 1.755 |
| 0.500 | 0.585 | 1.170 | 1.755 | 2.340 | 3.510 |
| 0.750 | 0.878 | 1.755 | 2.633 | 3.510 | 5.265 |
| 1.000 | 1.170 | 2.340 | 3.510 | 4.680 | 7.020 |
| 1.500 | - | 3.510 | 5.265 | 7.020 | 10.530 |
| 2.000 | - | 4.680 | 7.020 | 9.360 | 14.040 |
7075 and 7050 Flat Bar, Pounds Per Foot
Same dimensions, computed at 0.102 lb per cubic inch. About 4.6 percent heavier throughout.
| Thickness (in) | 1 in wide | 2 in | 3 in | 4 in | 6 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.250 | 0.306 | 0.612 | 0.918 | 1.224 | 1.836 |
| 0.500 | 0.612 | 1.224 | 1.836 | 2.448 | 3.672 |
| 0.750 | 0.918 | 1.836 | 2.754 | 3.672 | 5.508 |
| 1.000 | 1.224 | 2.448 | 3.672 | 4.896 | 7.344 |
| 1.500 | - | 3.672 | 5.508 | 7.344 | 11.016 |
| 2.000 | - | 4.896 | 7.344 | 9.792 | 14.688 |
The One-Line Shortcut
You do not need the table for most sizes. Two constants cover everything.
Flat bar, pounds per foot
lb/ft = T x W x K
= 1.25 x 3.5 in 6061 = 1.25 x 3.5 x 1.17 = 5.12 lb/ft
- T
- thickness in inches
- W
- width in inches
- K
- 1.17 for 6061 and 6063, 1.224 for 7075 and 7050
Flat Bar Scales Linearly, Unlike Round
A useful contrast if you work with both. Round bar weight goes with the square of diameter. Flat bar goes linearly with each dimension independently.
- Double the width and you double the weight. Double the thickness and you double the weight.
- Double both and you get four times the weight, but that is because you changed two dimensions, not because of any squaring.
- This makes flat bar much easier to estimate in your head, which is why the 1.17 shortcut is worth memorizing.
- It also means stepping up in width is a proportional cost step rather than a surprising one.
When the Size You Need Is Not a Stocked Bar
Flat bar comes in standard thickness and width combinations, and the size you actually want is frequently not one of them. There is a straightforward answer.
- A bar-shaped piece cut from plate weighs exactly the same as bar stock of identical dimensions. Weight comes from volume and density, not from how the mill made it.
- So if you need 1.25 x 3.5 inches and nobody stocks that bar, cut it from 1.25 inch plate. We cut any rectangle out of plate on bandsaws.
- The properties are not always identical. Rolled plate and extruded or rolled bar can differ in grain direction and in property variation through the section, so check your print if directionality matters.
- For most bracket, spacer, and machined-part applications, cutting from plate is the practical answer and often the faster one.
What to Do With the Number
- Check the invoice. Metal is billed by weight, so the calculated weight tells you what to expect.
- Decide the shipping mode. Long bar hits carrier length limits before it hits weight limits, so ask about cutting to length.
- Estimate the part. Multiply by your material rate to get the stock cost before machining.
- Watch minimum billed weight. On small bar orders that floor can exceed the actual weight substantially.
Memorize 1.17 for 6061 and 1.224 for 7075 and you can compute any flat bar weight in your head. Remember that flat bar scales linearly with both dimensions, unlike round bar, and that if the size you need is not a stocked bar you can cut the identical piece out of plate at the same weight.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does aluminum flat bar weigh per foot?
For 6061, multiply thickness by width in inches by 1.17. A 1 x 4 inch bar is 4.68 pounds per foot, and a 0.5 x 2 inch bar is 1.17. For 7075 and 7050 use 1.224 instead.
What is the formula for aluminum flat bar weight?
Thickness x width x length x density. Per foot of length that simplifies to thickness x width x 12 x density, which is thickness x width x 1.17 for 6061 and thickness x width x 1.224 for 7075 and 7050.
Is 7075 flat bar heavier than 6061?
Yes, by about 4.6 percent at identical dimensions, because 7075 contains substantially more zinc and zinc is denser than aluminum. A 1 x 4 inch bar is 4.68 lb/ft in 6061 and 4.90 lb/ft in 7075.
Can I cut flat bar from plate?
Yes, and it weighs exactly the same as bar stock of identical dimensions, because weight is volume times density. It is the usual answer when the thickness and width you need is not a stocked bar size. Check your print if grain direction or through-thickness properties matter, since rolled plate and bar can differ.
How much does a 20 foot stick of 1 x 2 aluminum flat bar weigh?
In 6061, 1 x 2 inch flat bar is 2.34 pounds per foot, so 20 feet is about 47 pounds. In 7075 it is 2.448 pounds per foot, or about 49 pounds.
Any rectangle, not just stock sizes
Need a bar size nobody stocks?
We cut any rectangle out of plate on bandsaws, with mill certs on every order and a committed ship date.