MATERIAL TALK

Metals for Model Making

In the intricate world of model making, the choice of materials is paramount. Metals offer unparalleled strength, precision, and aesthetic qualities. Understanding the properties of different metals will help you select the perfect material for the job. This guide focuses on the common metals used by modellers and enthusiasts, highlighting their unique benefits and applications.

Why Alloy Matters for Modellers

In model making, knowing the specific alloy of a metal isn't just technical jargon – it's crucial for understanding how the material will behave and perform in your hands and in your finished model. An alloy is a blend of metals (or a metal and another element) specifically designed to achieve certain characteristics that pure metals lack.

Why should you care about the alloy?

  • Workability: Different alloys have unique hardnesses (tempers) and compositions that dictate how easily they can be cut, bent, formed, soldered, or machined. Using the right alloy means less frustration and cleaner results.
  • Performance & Durability: The alloy directly influences a metal's strength, stiffness, flexibility, and resistance to corrosion or wear. This is vital for ensuring your model's structural integrity, the smooth operation of moving parts, or its longevity, especially if exposed to the elements.
  • Appearance: Alloys can offer distinct colours and finishes, contributing significantly to the aesthetic realism or decorative quality of your model.
  • Specialised Functions: Some alloys are engineered for specific tasks, such as high electrical conductivity (certain coppers), excellent spring properties (music wire), or superior resistance to specific chemicals.

By understanding the alloy, you gain the confidence to choose the most appropriate metal for each part of your project, ensuring better build quality and a more satisfying outcome.

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Quick Reference: Metals

Use this quick guide to understand the primary characteristics and common uses of different metals in model making.

Metal Key Characteristics Common Model Making Uses
Brass Durable, corrosion-resistant, good workability, classic aesthetic, conductive. Intricate components, decorative elements, architectural features, miniature electronics.
Aluminium Lightweight, corrosion-resistant, adaptable, good workability. Aerospace models, lightweight structures, custom fixtures, decorative elements.
Copper Excellent electrical conductivity, flexible, corrosion-resistant, attractive patina. Electrical circuits, delicate artistic pieces, architectural details, etching.
Stainless Steel High strength, excellent durability, superior corrosion and stain resistance. Robust structural components, medical device models, durable decorative elements, outdoor models.
Tin Coated (Tinplate) Corrosion-resistant coating, easily solderable, bright finish, good workability. Miniature electronics, custom packaging, architectural details, soldered structures.
Music Wire High carbon steel, spring-tempered, excellent elasticity, phosphate-coated for corrosion resistance. Springs, linkages, rigging, control rods, precise mechanisms, structural elements requiring resilience.

Note: All tolerance information provided on our product pages applies to SKU products and does not apply to any custom cut job or service.

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Brass

Our brass products, including tubing, rod, sheet, and strip, are versatile and essential materials for a wide array of model-making projects. Modellers and artisans appreciate their adaptability and precision. They are ideal for crafting intricate components, adding decorative elements, and fabricating architectural features. Its durability and corrosion resistance make it suitable for various applications, including marine models or outdoor railway layouts.

In architectural and miniature design, our brass products enable the creation of detailed elements and custom fixtures. They provide structural support, electrical conductivity, and aesthetic enhancement. Brass maintains its integrity even in demanding conditions.

K&S Specifics:

Our K&S brass products predominantly use Alloy 260 (Cartridge Brass) and for tubing, sometimes Alloy 272 (Yellow Brass). These are copper-zinc alloys, with varying zinc content that influences their properties. By knowing the alloy, modellers can predict workability and performance.

  • Alloy 260: Composed of approximately 70% copper and 30% zinc. This composition provides excellent cold working properties, making it very ductile and ideal for bending, forming, and deep drawing, while maintaining good strength.
  • Alloy 272: Contains roughly 65% copper and 35% zinc. It is slightly harder than Alloy 260 but still offers good workability.
  • K&S Brass Tubing: (Alloy 260/272) is typically 1/2 - 3/4 hard temper, meaning it has moderate stiffness but remains quite formable. Its seamless construction ensures uniform strength. It features a mill finish in accordance with ASTM B135 standards. The specific alloy and temper make it easy to bend into complex shapes or suitable for structural work where some rigidity is needed.
  • K&S Brass Rod: (Alloy 260) is engineered with a 1/4 hard temper. This softer temper allows for easier bending and shaping while retaining sufficient strength for general use. Its mill finish aligns with ASTM B134 standards.
  • K&S Brass Sheet & Strip: (Alloy 260) is crafted with a 1/2 hard temper. This temper offers a balance of resilience for holding shape and adaptability for forming or cutting intricate designs. Its mill finish complies with ASTM B36 standards.
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Aluminium

Our aluminium products, including tubing, rod, sheet, and foils, are invaluable across diverse model-making disciplines. Modellers and artisans value their adaptability and precision, using them to create intricate components, lightweight parts, decorative elements, and fine architectural fixtures. Aluminium is renowned for its lightweight and corrosion-resistant properties.

In miniature construction and design, our aluminium enables the crafting of detailed elements and custom fixtures. Offering structural support and aesthetic appeal, they are essential due to their lightweight nature, which ensures ease of handling and installation. Aluminium tubing, for instance, can be used in home décor models, for miniature HVAC systems, or various arts and crafts projects where a strong yet light tube is required.

K&S Specifics:

Our K&S aluminium products are made from various alloys, each selected for specific properties that impact their workability, strength, and corrosion resistance for modellers:

  • Alloy 3003: An aluminium-manganese alloy (approx. 1.2% manganese). This non-heat-treatable alloy is chosen for its very good corrosion resistance and excellent workability, making it easy to form and weld.
    • Temper H14: Indicates it has been strain hardened to a medium-hard condition, providing a good balance of stiffness and formability. This temper is used for K&S Aluminium Tubing with .014" & .016" wall thicknesses, and for K&S Aluminium Sheet in .016", .032", and .064" thicknesses (the .064" x 4" x 10" size). This makes these forms suitable for general purpose bending and light structural components.
  • Alloy 6061: An aluminium-magnesium-silicon alloy. This is a heat-treatable alloy, meaning its strength can be significantly increased through heat treatment. It is known for its high strength, good corrosion resistance, and excellent weldability.
    • Temper T6: Indicates it has been solution heat-treated and artificially aged, achieving its maximum strength and hardness. This makes 6061-T6 suitable for demanding structural applications where high rigidity is required. This is used for K&S Aluminium Tubing with .035" & .049" wall thicknesses, K&S Aluminium Rod in 1/8" - 1/2" outside diameters, and K&S Aluminium Sheet in .064" (6" x 12"), .090", and .125" thicknesses.
  • Alloy 1100: This is commercially pure aluminium (99.0% minimum aluminium content). It offers excellent formability, high corrosion resistance, and good thermal conductivity, but has lower strength compared to other alloys.
    • Temper O (Annealed): Denotes a soft, flexible temper achieved through annealing (heating and slow cooling). This makes it very easy to shape and mold, ideal for intricate or curved forms. This is used for K&S Aluminium Rod in 1/32" - 3/32" outside diameters, and K&S Non-Colour Foil.
  • Alloy 1235: A very high purity aluminium alloy (99.35% minimum aluminium content). It is primarily used for foil applications due to its exceptional malleability and formability.
    • Temper O (Annealed): Ensures it is soft and highly pliable, making it easy to shape and mold for various applications. This is used for K&S Aluminium Colour Foil, providing a flexible material with a vibrant anodised colour finish.
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Copper

Our copper products, including tubing, rod, sheet, foils, and strip, represent a versatile and indispensable range for model makers. Modellers and artisans value their adaptability and precision, using them to craft intricate components in electronics, electrical circuits, decorative elements, and architectural fixtures. Due to its natural corrosion resistance and unique aesthetic properties, copper is a fantastic material for model makers.

In miniature construction and design, our copper products enable the creation of detailed elements and custom fixtures, offering structural stability and excellent electrical conductivity. Their flexibility and ease of integration make them invaluable across a wide array of projects, including realistic structural framing, restoration of miniature appliances or period pieces, custom furniture for doll's houses, and more. It's also excellent for etching and forming.

K&S Specifics:

Our K&S copper products are made from high-purity copper alloys chosen for their excellent conductivity, formability, and suitability for various model-making tasks:

  • Alloy 122: This is Deoxidised High Phosphorus (DHP) copper. The phosphorus acts as a deoxidiser during manufacturing, making it highly resistant to hydrogen embrittlement (a type of cracking) during welding or brazing processes. This property, combined with its good formability, makes it ideal for bending and shaping without risk of cracking. It is used for K&S Copper Tubing, featuring seamless construction and a mill finish aligned with ASTM B251 standards.
  • Alloy 110: This is Electrolytic Tough Pitch (ETP) copper, which is 99.9% pure copper. It is renowned for its excellent electrical and thermal conductivity – crucial for functional model electronics – combined with good ductility (it can be drawn into wire) and moderate strength.
    • K&S Copper Rod (Alloy 110) features a mill finish meeting ASTM B249 standards, offering good formability for general use.
    • K&S Copper Sheet & Strip (Alloy 110) conforms to ASTM B152 standards, providing a versatile material for cutting, forming, and etching.
    • K&S Copper Foil (Alloy 110) is supplied in a soft ('O' - annealed) temper, making it highly flexible and exceptionally easy to shape and bend for various purposes, including delicate artistic pieces.
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Stainless Steel

Our stainless steel products, including tubing, rod, sheet, and strip, are indispensable in a multitude of model-making applications. Modellers and artisans value their adaptability and precision, employing them to craft intricate components in electronics, medical device models, decorative elements, and architectural fixtures. Stainless steel is prized for its exceptional durability and corrosion resistance, delivering numerous benefits.

In miniature construction and design, our stainless steel products enable the creation of detailed elements and custom fixtures. Offering superior structural stability and resistance against corrosion, they play a vital role. Its strength and hardness make it a top choice for load-bearing components, miniature machinery parts, and rigging where reliability is crucial. Furthermore, its resistance to corrosion and staining makes it perfect for use in harsh or damp environments, ensuring your models remain pristine.

K&S Specifics:

Our K&S stainless steel products utilise various grades of stainless steel, each offering specific benefits regarding strength, corrosion resistance, and workability for modellers:

  • Alloy 304/304L: These are the most common austenitic stainless steels, composed primarily of chromium (around 18%) and nickel (around 8%). Alloy 304 is the standard grade, while 304L is a low-carbon version that minimises carbide precipitation during welding, enhancing weldability and corrosion resistance in welded areas. Both offer excellent corrosion resistance in a wide range of environments.
    • K&S Stainless Steel Tubing uses Alloy 304/304L. It is manufactured through a welding process (per ASTM A269 standards), providing strong, corrosion-resistant tubing. This tubing is not designed to be telescopic.
  • Alloy 302: Another austenitic stainless steel, very similar in composition to 304, offering high strength and excellent corrosion resistance.
    • K&S Stainless Steel Rod in smaller outside diameters (1/16", 3/32", 1/8") uses Alloy 302. This alloy provides a good balance of strength for small structural elements and high resistance to corrosion and tarnishing.
  • Alloy 303: This is a free-machining austenitic stainless steel. It contains added sulphur (or selenium) to significantly improve its machinability, making it much easier to drill, turn, and mill. However, this addition slightly reduces its corrosion resistance and toughness compared to 302/304.
    • K&S Stainless Steel Rod in larger outside diameters (3/16" & above) uses Alloy 303. This is chosen when larger rod components require intricate machining for fittings or moving parts.
  • Alloy 430: This is a ferritic stainless steel, primarily composed of chromium (around 17%) but with very little or no nickel, making it magnetic. It offers good corrosion resistance to atmospheric and mild chemical environments, though less than the 300-series alloys. It also has excellent formability.
    • K&S Stainless Steel Sheet & Strip uses Alloy 430. It features a 2BA (Bright Annealed) finish, a smooth, reflective cold-rolled finish achieved through annealing. It often comes with a clear PVC coating on one side for protection. This alloy is chosen for applications where good corrosion resistance and an aesthetic bright finish are desired, and where easy formability is beneficial.
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Tin Coated Steel

Tin-coated steel, often referred to as tinplate, is a versatile and crucial material widely used across various industries. Manufacturers and artisans appreciate its adaptability and precision, using it to create intricate components, custom packaging, and specialised industrial equipment. In miniature construction and design, tin-coated steel enables the crafting of detailed architectural elements and custom fixtures, providing structural stability and enhanced corrosion resistance compared to plain steel. It's particularly useful for items that need to be easily soldered or that require a bright, clean finish.

K&S Specifics:

K&S Tin Coated Steel is an electrolytic tin-coated carbon steel. This means a thin, uniform layer of tin is deposited onto a carbon steel base using an electrical current in an electrolytic solution. This process enhances the steel's properties, making it more suitable for specific modelling needs. It complies with ASTM B545 standards, which specify the requirements for electrolytic tin coating.

  • 0.008" Thickness: Features a standard electrolytic tin coating, providing excellent corrosion resistance and a polished appearance. This finish is suitable for bright, clean aesthetic parts.
  • 0.013" Thickness: Features a Dull Matte tin-coated finish. This is also an electrolytic tin-coated carbon steel. The 'Dull Matte' finish (also called 'Matte' or 'Satin') is achieved through a controlled process that imparts a subdued, non-reflective surface. This provides a unique aesthetic and can also offer practical benefits like reduced glare and improved fingerprint resistance.
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Music Wire

Music wire, also known as piano wire, is a high-carbon steel wire. It is celebrated for its exceptional tensile strength and flexibility, making it a fundamental component for various mechanical and musical uses. It offers excellent spring properties, crucial for crafting springs used in mechanical devices, automotive, aerospace, and medical applications. Its unique acoustical properties are essential for instrument strings (such as pianos, guitars, and violins). This versatile wire is also widely used in the jewellery, hobby, and stop-motion animation industries for intricate artistic and functional projects.

K&S Specifics:

Our K&S Music Wire conforms to ASTM A228 standards. This means it is made from high-carbon steel wire (typically with a carbon content of 0.80% to 1.00%) that has undergone specific heat treatment to achieve optimal spring properties. It is then spring-tempered for high elasticity and tensile strength, and phosphate-coated for enhanced durability and corrosion resistance.

  • This specific composition and tempering makes K&S Music Wire ideal for creating small springs, linkages, rigging, and control rods in models where high tensile strength, resilience, and resistance to fatigue are crucial. Its ability to hold shape under stress is key.
  • Commonly supplied in specific outside diameters (e.g., 1/16", 3/32", 1/8") and various thicknesses (e.g., .008"). The 9/32" OD Music Wire has specific tolerances of + .002" / - .001".