Laser Cutter Supplies
Where can you to buy materials to feed the Laser?
Plastics
Regal Plastic Supply Company
- 9311 Metric Blvd (corner of Rundberg, north of 183)
- Austin, TX 78758
- (512) 836-3629
- http://www.regal-plastics.com/austin.html
- http://www.yelp.com/biz/regal-plastic-supply-company-austin
- M - F 8am - 5pm
Note (updated Jun '13): Website mostly useless. Regal does have a sales office, but at least one of the sales people can be a bit hard on you if you don't know exactly what you want - be prepared to be treated as almost a nuisance until you cough up some money. Others are cool (esp. the lady at left). Some materials (thin cast acrylic) need to be ordered in advance, in thinner acrylic they only carry extruded. They used to allow people to rummage their discard pile, but no longer.
Stuff already cut and left behind is called a "drop", and can be got more cheaply than asking for something by size (for which they would add a cutting fee, see below). This is interesting especially for colors. This is the way it works: look at their samples (on wall), ask if they have a "drop" in number-so-and-so color, and so-and-so thickness, and about-this-size. For 1/8 they most likely do, so you will be escorted to the back to pick the piece you will buy, which will be sold to you at the rate you would pay if you were buying wholesale a whole 4'x8' sheet.
$5 fee for cuts, applies per master piece, that is, if you buy a whole sheet, and want is sized to our laser cutter (18"x32"), they will charge $5 only once, and also give you the "drops". Might take them way more than a day to get their cutting done.
It would be nice if someone made friends with the boss, their discard pile (stuff under 1', doesn't make it as a drop) is awesome. Yamaplos (talk) 15:50, 4 June 2013 (CDT)
Interstate Plastics
This is the new address, they moved late 2012
- 3714 Bluestein drive
- Ste 790
- Austin, TX 78721
- (512) 386-7422
- http://www.interstateplastics.com
- http://www.yelp.com/biz/interstate-plastics-austin
- Mon-Fri 8 am - 5 pm
Note (July '13). Great website, prices look a bit lower than Regal. They are located south on 183.
Walk-ins might get even better prices, as I am told their website products are served from California, and thus have additional shipping charges. Obviously not everything in the catalog is available in the store
Friendly, patient guy helped me (Richard), gave me some suggestions and pointed to some better deals If you want/need something cut, it might take a day, but their "drops" area (cut pieces) is well populated and their pricing for drops is as wholesale
Colorado Plastics
Colorado Plastics sells remnants once a month:
Inventables.com
See Acrylic Sheets inventory.
Austin Plastics & Supply, Inc.
- 2415 Kramer Lane
- Austin, TX 78758
- (512) 836-1025
- http://www.austinplasticssupply.com/
- Mon-Fri 7 am - 4 pm
Call first. Website says hours are 8am-5pm, but this is wrong.
Houston Acrylic
Online acrylic supplier with Amazon like shipping times and a local storefront in Houston. If you order before 3pm, sometimes you'll receive your order the next day.
They have a wide variety of specialty acrylics and leatherettes.
Wood
Fine Lumber & Plywood (Austin Fine Lumber)
from asmbly : take south on Duval, turn left, go to the end of Brown, right at the corner to your right is the place, real close
- 9407 Brown Lane
- Austin, TX 78754
- (512) 836-8990
- http://www.finelumber.com
- http://www.yelp.com/biz/fine-lumber-and-plywood-austin
- M - F 7:30AM - 5PM
- Sat 8AM - 12PM
AFL carries high quality Baltic Birch plywood in several thicknesses. We have been using 5mm (6mm?) material that comes in 5x5' sheets (?)
Woodcraft of Austin
Smaller quantities and higher prices, but they're open longer hours.
- 10901 IH 35 North
- Austin, TX 78753
- (512) 407-8787
- austin-retail@woodcraft.com
- https://www.woodcraft.com/stores/austin
- M-W,F 9AM - 7PM
- Thu 9AM - 9PM
- Sat 9AM - 6PM
- Sun 11AM - 5PM
Home Depot
- various locations
- http://www.homedepot.com
- http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-home-depot-austin-10
1/4" (actually 5mm) Birch plywood costs ~$27 for a 4x8' sheet 1/4" (again, 5mm) lower quality plywood is available that costs ~$11 for a 4x8' sheet
They will cut it down to 18x32" with their panel saw. This will yield 6 18x32" and 3 12x32" pieces.
Lowe's
- various locations
- http://www.lowes.com/
They also have 5mm plywood that is reportedly of a low quality (but is still usable).
