Reference specs, per-sheet math, and CNC plasma settings for 16 gauge (0.060″) 304 stainless — the corrosion-resistant choice for kitchen, marine, and outdoor hardware. Punch in your sheet price below for an instant per-part quote.
304 stainless is the default grade for anything that needs to resist corrosion without going to the expense of more exotic alloys — sinks, brackets, marine hardware, and outdoor signage all lean on it. At 16 gauge it's thin enough for hobby-class plasma tables while still holding up structurally.
The heat-affected zone matters more here than on mild steel. Stainless can discolor ("heat tint") along the cut edge, and in corrosion-critical applications that discoloration is worth grinding or passivating away — the cut edge is the most likely place for rust to start if it's left untreated.
The same math the calculator above runs — worked out longhand, so you can sanity-check it against your own numbers.
Stainless sheet price swings more than mild steel with commodity markets, so this is one material worth re-checking your sheet cost input against a current supplier quote rather than trusting a number from a few months back.
This is the material line only. A full shop quote adds machine time, labor, and finishing — KraftyQuote's cost engine rolls all of it into one number automatically, and stainless often adds a deburring or passivation step mild steel doesn't need.
Ballpark CNC plasma settings for a clean through-cut — amperage tracks material thickness closely regardless of grade; stainless mainly costs you a bit of speed versus mild steel at the same settings. Always run a test cut and watch the arc.
Stainless has a higher melting point and lower thermal conductivity than mild steel, so the arc has to work a little harder to punch through and stay clean — 10–15% slower than an equivalent mild-steel cut is normal at the same amperage.
For most hobby and small-shop work, plain shop air is fine and what most hobby CNC tables run — nitrogen gives a cleaner, less oxidized edge but adds real cost and complexity that's usually not worth it unless you're selling parts where edge appearance matters a lot.
Nickel and chromium content (the elements that give it corrosion resistance) are the main driver, and both are priced on volatile global commodity markets — expect stainless to run meaningfully higher than mild steel, and to check current pricing rather than assuming last quarter's number still holds.
KraftyQuote's full cost engine handles materials, machine time, labor, and margin in one quote — free to build, no card required.