Metal codes and thickness

[Agent]

Has anyone got a link for the different codes people talk about in metal and are the codes correlation to the thickness.

I've been watching some YouTube vids trying to get a heads up before my course and some of the terminology is just lost on me, they will be like ' so got a simple job to show you today, I'm just gonna be welding some fith of a quarter inch 4038 steel to a nice little 7055 square 3mm tubing, now the interesting thing about welding this type of steel is..........'
And I'm just like whhaaaaaat?

 

[Llama]

The 4038 & 7055 steels are in reference to the grade of material (high tensile, abrasion resistant etc) and have no bearing on the size or thickness of the workpeice.

There are many different naming systems, but some of the links here have good info

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_grades

 

[Agent]

Ok thanks for that mate, so are the 4 digit numbers some kind of combination of steels? Looks complicated

 

[Llama]

Yup, sure is. 4 digits will be one particular homogeneous alloy of a metal. They use them for Aluminium alloys and other suchlike too.

 

[Agent]

Ok cool, cheers.

Is there a printable table or something that welders refer to, like how does everyone learn it?

 

[migman2014]

If you are starting a course I would think they will ease you into all of that. Its not something you need to know right away but I am sure you can google most of the terminology if you want to know. Ive bin welding for 20 years and still dont know it all. Good luck with your course

 

[Agent]

Cool thanks man, yea i'll just google it as and when they crop up.

Are you a welder in the UK?