Sources for Materials
List of vendors who supply useful materials. This list is focused on easy-to-access vendors, who either have a local retail store, an online storefront, or are friendly over the phone for small orders.
Metal
- MIT Central Machine Shop Stockroom, 38-001, enter through 39, accepts cash, check, and requisition
- Online Metals
- Aircraft Spruce, thin wall alloy steel tubing
- The Deep stocks steel for welding and aluminum for machining
- Metal Supermarket (781) 933-0176
- Mcmaster-Carr
Plastics
- The Deep stocks 3mm and 6mm acrylic for laser cutting
- Inventables Online source for weird acrylic colors
- Altec South Boston source for sheet plastics and plastic fabrication
- J Freeman South Shore source for sheet plastics - best source for large quantities, ask for student discount
- Mcmaster or Central Machine Shop stockroom for small quantities of engineering plastics
Wood
- The Deep stocks 1/8" plywood for laser cutting and woodworking
- Home Depot
- Artist & Craftsman Supply map
- Rockler map
- Atlantic Plywood, a great source for a variety of exotic plywoods, veneers, edging, etc.
- Boulter Plywood - for larger wood orders. They deliver quickly, for a fee.
Machine Parts and Everything Else
- McMaster-Carr
- SDP-SI
- Robot Marketplace
- Robotshop
Hardware
- Bolt Depot, local source for hardware and a great alternative to McMaster and MSC. Good service, pricing, and website technical resources.
- Pill Hardware
- Inman Hardware
Electronics
- Adafruit
- Sparkfun
- Microcenter, map
- use caution on Amazon, many boards are poor counterfeits
- Digikey
- Mouser
Sewing
- Sewfisticated, map, discount fabric yardage in quilting, costume, and upholstery.
- Gather Here, map, fiber arts and quilting supplies.
Moldmaking and Modeling
- Reynolds Advanced Materials local distributor for Smooth-On products in Brighton
- Freeman Supply, source for modeling board / tooling board / prototyping foam, machinable wax, casting supplies, and resins.
Other Shops' Lists
- ACT (art & photo)
- Artisan's Asylum
One Comment
A few more resources that may be helpful:
www.atlanticplywood.com : great source for a variety of exotic plywoods, veneers, edging, etc.
www.boltdepot.com : great alternative to McMaster and MSC as a local source for hardware. Great service and very decent pricing. Also excellent resources online.
www.freemansupply.com: great source for model boards, high density polyurethane foam, machinable wax and casting supplies.
Tasker Smith - Reply