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Keyboard case materials by cost, mass and finish
A machined keyboard case is usually more than one material: an aluminium top and bottom, a plate in aluminium, brass, polycarbonate or FR4, and often a weight in brass or stainless. Each choice moves three things a buyer pays for: the metal in the block, the machine time and the finish route. This section sorts those choices by part and links to a detail page for each decision.
keyboardcnc.com is a matching service, not a machine shop. Figures are typical values from public data sheets and the published model of our case cost estimator.
Materials by part
| Part | Usual materials | What decides it | Cost lever |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top and bottom case | 6061, 6063, 7075 aluminium; sometimes polycarbonate, acrylic or wood | Finish route and colour | Block mass and cut time |
| Weight | Brass C36000, stainless 304, copper C11000 | Mass and the look of the metal | Density, cut time and coating |
| Plate | Aluminium, brass, polycarbonate, FR4, POM, carbon fibre | Typing feel and flex | Sheet stock and cutting method |
| Badge, knob, feet | Brass, aluminium, stainless | Finish and small-part economics | Setup per part, finish batch |
Typical choices in this niche. The plate material guide covers plates in full.
Three numbers per material
| Material | Density, g/cm3 | Estimator cost factor | Usual finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6061 aluminium | 2.70 | 1.00 | Type II anodising |
| 7075 aluminium | 2.81 | 1.30 | Anodising, harder to match |
| Brass C36000 | 8.5 | 2.10 | Bare, lacquer, PVD |
| Stainless 304 | 7.89 | 2.80 | Brushed, blasted, PVD |
| Polycarbonate | 1.20 | 0.35 | Colour in the resin |
Densities from the data sheets cited on the site; cost factors from the published estimator model. Typical values, confirm with the supplier.
The full matrix, with titanium, copper, zinc, acrylic and wood, is on the comparison page listed below. Stock names and standards for each material are in the materials and finishes index, and the decision guide in prose is which material to choose for a CNC keyboard case. The mass of a design in any material comes from the case weight calculator.
Common questions
How is this different from the materials and finishes index?
The index in the reference section gives every material and finish one paragraph with its stock standard. These pages go deeper into one decision at a time: a full comparison matrix, then weight and construction choices, each with cost and mass figures.
Which material should a first keyboard case run use?
6061-T6 aluminium with Type II anodising, unless the colourway needs a pale or saturated colour, in which case 6063 is worth pricing. It is the cheapest metal to machine well and the one every case shop has cut.
Sources
- Kaiser Aluminum, alloy 6061 technical data (density 2.70 Mg/m3, hosted by Proto Labs)
- Copper.org: alloy C36000 free-cutting brass
Last reviewed 22 October 2026
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