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

• Metropolis stocks 3mm and 6mm acrylic for laser cutting
• Inventables Online source for weird acrylic colors
• Altec in South Boston is a 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

• Metropolis stocks 1/8″ plywood for laser cutting and woodworking
• Home Depot
• Artist & Craftsman Supply map
• Rockler has expensive hardwoods 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, high-end 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

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