Telling aluminum from stainless steel?

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Squisher

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
21,204
66
91
Like others have said stainless can be magnetic or not. 300 series stainless is not 400 series has chromium and is magnetic(but only 50% as much as 10 series steel).

Try scratching it, if the exposed metal is really shinny at first but dulls within the hour it's Al.

You could try sparking it with a grinding wheel all stainless gives out a small yellow spark, Al none.