QuotedPartCost guides · Updated 2026-10-30
How much does it cost to machine brass, bronze and copper?
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A small brass 360 hose adapter (7/8 in bar, 1.5 in long, through bore, one O-ring groove and a tapped 1/4-20 side port) prices at $402 for one piece, $52.03 each at 10, $20.59 at 100 and $10.49 at 1,000, at US small-shop rates with a 30% markup. Brass is the fastest metal on the lathe, but it costs $14.70 a pound in small lots, so on long runs the bar is the biggest line. Copper C110 cuts at less than a third of brass's rate and the same part costs $13.14 each at 1,000.
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The part and how it is made
The adapter is turned from 7/8 in round bar: a 0.875 in shoulder 0.6 in long, a 0.625 in body 0.9 in long with one O-ring groove, and a 0.375 in through bore. A 1/4-20 port is drilled and tapped into the side of the shoulder. General tolerance is ±0.005 in, with no plating and no certs. On a two-axis lathe the side port can't be done in the turning cycle, so it goes to the mill as a second operation with its own 45 minute setup.
That second operation matters more than the alloy at low quantities. If your lathe has live tooling, the port is drilled in cycle and the second setup disappears; the live-tooling guide prices both routes.
| Operation | Work center | Rate | Setup min (lot) | Run min (part) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAM programming | CAM programming | $95/h | 30 | 0.0 |
| Turn, 2 ops | CNC lathe | $90/h | 81 | 2.9 |
| Mill secondary, 1 feature | 3-axis VMC | $95/h | 45 | 1.5 |
| Deburr | Deburr / bench | $55/h | 5 | 0.7 |
| Inspect | Inspection | $75/h | 16 | 0.6 |
Brass, copper and bronze side by side
Each material changes two things: what the bar costs per pound and how fast the lathe can remove it. Our catalog rates brass 360 at 1.3 times the removal rate of 6061 aluminum, bronze C932 at 0.9, aluminum bronze C954 at 0.6 and C110 copper at 0.4. On this small part the turning itself takes 2.9 minutes in brass and 3.6 in copper, so at one piece, where setup and programming are most of the price, the six materials land within about $38 of each other.
At 1,000 pieces the order changes. Setup is a few cents a part, and what is left is bar and spindle time. Brass pays for its price per pound with speed; copper is cheaper per pound but gummy, so it loses on cycle; 303 stainless is cheaper per pound than brass but slower to cut, and they come out close.
| Material | $/lb (small lot) | Turning min per part | 1 pc | 10 pcs | 100 pcs | 1,000 pcs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brass 360 | $14.70 | 2.9 | $402.19 | $52.03 | $20.59 | $10.49 |
| Copper C110 | $9.00 | 3.6 | $386.28 | $50.84 | $19.97 | $13.14 |
| Bronze C932 (SAE 660) | $9.00 | 3.0 | $385.09 | $49.67 | $18.80 | $12.31 |
| Aluminum bronze C954 | $10.00 | 3.2 | $383.19 | $49.73 | $18.85 | $12.25 |
| Aluminum 6061-T6 | $9.50 | 3.0 | $363.78 | $46.53 | $15.56 | $8.40 |
| Stainless 303 | $6.24 | 3.6 | $374.40 | $49.09 | $18.12 | $10.53 |
Where the brass price goes
At one piece, $263.87 of the $309.38 cost is programming and setup on the lathe and the mill. The bar is $37.38, because the shop buys at least a one-foot cut piece for any lot, even though one adapter needs a couple of inches. Machine and bench time is only $8.13.
At 1,000 pieces the split flips: $2.25 of bar, $5.56 of machine and labor and $0.26 of setup per part. A thousand adapters buy enough full bars to reach the distributor's volume price, which our catalog puts at $6.00/lb against $14.70/lb for a single bar. In copper the bar is cheaper but the machine and labor line rises to $6.30 a part, because the material is cut at less than a third of brass's rate.
| Quantity | Material each | Setup + programming each | Machine + labor each | Outside services each | Cost each | Price each (30% markup) | Lead days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $37.38 | $263.87 | $8.13 | $0.00 | $309.38 | $402.19 | 9 |
| 10 | $5.51 | $26.39 | $8.13 | $0.00 | $40.02 | $52.03 | 9 |
| 100 | $5.08 | $2.64 | $8.12 | $0.00 | $15.84 | $20.59 | 10 |
| 1,000 | $2.25 | $0.26 | $5.56 | $0.00 | $8.07 | $10.49 | 18 |
What changes the number on a real brass part
The table is one small turned part. On your own work, these move the price most:
- Bar price. Brass and copper track the copper market; quote material at the price on your supplier's quote that week, not last quarter's.
- Lead-free brass (C69300 or C27450 for potable water) machines noticeably slower than 360; don't price it at free-cutting brass speeds.
- Hex bar for fittings saves a milling operation for wrench flats but costs more per pound than round.
- Tight bores or a 16 Ra seal surface add a finish pass and inspection time. Plating (nickel or tin on copper bus parts) is an outside lot charge.
- Chips. Brass and copper turnings are worth real money to a scrap dealer; this estimate does not credit them, and many shops don't either.
Engine assumptions
- • Part: fictional 1.5 in long adapter from 7/8 in round bar, 0.375 in through bore, one groove, one tapped 1/4-20 side port, ±0.005 in.
- • Brass 360: $14.70/lb for a small lot, falling toward $6.00/lb from about ten full bars; removal rate 1.3 × 6061-T6.
- • Copper C110: $9.00/lb for a small lot; removal rate 0.4 × 6061-T6.
- • Bronze C932 (SAE 660): $9.00/lb for a small lot; removal rate 0.9 × 6061-T6.
- • Aluminum bronze C954: $10.00/lb for a small lot; removal rate 0.6 × 6061-T6.
- • Aluminum 6061-T6: $9.50/lb for a small lot, falling toward $4.50/lb from about ten full bars; removal rate 1 × 6061-T6.
- • Stainless 303: $6.24/lb for a small lot, falling toward $4.37/lb from about ten full bars; removal rate 0.4 × 6061-T6.
- • CNC lathe: $90/h, 65 min standard setup (US catalog default, editable).
- • 3-axis VMC: $95/h, 45 min standard setup (US catalog default, editable).
- • CAM programming: $95/h (US catalog default, editable).
- • Deburr / bench: $55/h (US catalog default, editable).
- • Inspection: $75/h (US catalog default, editable).
- • Stock: each lot buys at least a 1 ft cut piece; above one full 12 ft bar the price per pound falls toward the volume price.
- • Markup: 30% on cost; $65 minimum line charge. No freight, tax, certs or expedite.
| Material | $/lb (small lot) | Turning min per part | 1 pc | 10 pcs | 100 pcs | 1,000 pcs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brass 360 | $14.70 | 2.9 | $402.19 | $52.03 | $20.59 | $10.49 |
| Copper C110 | $9.00 | 3.6 | $386.28 | $50.84 | $19.97 | $13.14 |
| Bronze C932 (SAE 660) | $9.00 | 3.0 | $385.09 | $49.67 | $18.80 | $12.31 |
| Aluminum bronze C954 | $10.00 | 3.2 | $383.19 | $49.73 | $18.85 | $12.25 |
| Aluminum 6061-T6 | $9.50 | 3.0 | $363.78 | $46.53 | $15.56 | $8.40 |
| Stainless 303 | $6.24 | 3.6 | $374.40 | $49.09 | $18.12 | $10.53 |
Sources and limits
Claims are dated where they can change. Product calculations are examples from the stated inputs, not a promise about a customer's quote. Competitor wording is attributed to the source shown.
- Prices, minutes and the material split are computed by QuotedPart's pricing engine from the stated part and the US catalog defaults.
- Brass 360's small-lot price is OnlineMetals' one-bar list price as recorded in QuotedPart's catalog audit; copper and bronze carry the catalog's single starting price. — source (checked 2026-10-21)
Questions
Is brass cheaper to machine than aluminum?
Per minute of cutting, yes: brass 360 cuts faster than 6061. Per part, usually not, because brass costs more per pound. This adapter is $10.49 each in brass and $8.40 in 6061 at 1,000 pieces.
Why is copper so much slower than brass?
Pure copper is soft and gummy: it smears, builds up on the tool edge and makes long stringy chips, so it runs at lower feeds and needs sharper, polished tools. Brass 360 has lead added that breaks the chip, which is why it is called free-cutting.
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