Materials & Suppliers
From Prlknowledgebase
PLEASE NOTE: Not all of the listings here are up to date. If you find the information to be incorrect, please login and update the supplier information.
Green Info: The PRL encourages the use of sustainable, recycled, and scrap materials. Related information, suppliers, links, and comments should be highlighted in green.
Contents |
Art Supplies
Accent Arts
3902 Middlefield Road or 392 California Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94303
(650) 424-1044
Hours: Monday - Friday 10am - 8pm, Sat 10am - 5:30pm, Sun 12pm - 5:30 pm.
Comments: Pretty disorganized, but friendly help and decent prices. Be sure to ask for the student discount.
They have hemp logbooks! --Danaung 19:38, 5 June 2006 (GMT)
Amsterdam Art
1013 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 649-4800
Hours: Mon-Sat: 9:30-6:00, Sun: 11:00-6:00
Comments: Great prices, but a bit of a trek from here. Ask for the student discount.
Arch
99 Missouri at 17th Street
San Francisco, CA
(415) 433-2724
Comments: Great for architectural and drafting supplies.
Ceramics & Crafts Supply Co.
490 5th Street (at Bryant St.)
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 982-9231
Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Comments: Materials and equipment for potters and ceramists.
The Claymaker
1240 13th St.
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 295-3352
Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Comments: Full range of clays, glaze ingredients, Duncan underglazes, in addition to small book selection.
Douglas and Sturgess, Inc.
730 Bryant St. (at 5th)
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 421-4456
Fax: (415) 896-6379
Hours: Mon., Wed., Fri. 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM, Tues., Thurs. 8:30 AM - 8 PM
Comments: Sculpture tools, materials, and supplies, molding, specialty resins.
Flax Art & Design
1699 Market Street at Valencia
San Francisco, CA
(415) 552-2355
Michael's Crafts
166 Woodside Plaza
Redwood City, CA
(650) 367-6397
Pearl Art
969 Market St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 357-1400
Hours: M-Sa: 9am-7pm, Su: 12pm-6pm
Sherry's Western Ceramic Supply Co.
948 Washington Street
San Carlos, CA 94070
(650) 592-2333
Hours: Closed Mondays.
Comments: Clay, Tools, Kilns, Glazes, Glaze Chemicals, Books (excellent selection of books).
Sinopia
3385 22nd Street (near Guerrero)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 824-3180
Comments: Great source for pigments.
University Art
267 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA
(650) 328-3500
Hours: Mon-Sat 9:30am-5:30pm, Sun closed, open Thursdays til 7pm
Comments: Carries all sorts of art supplies, drafting equipment, markers, paints, picture frames and framing supplies.
Utrecht Art
149 New Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA
(415) 777-6920
Comments: Decent store for art supplies. They also have a store in Berkeley at 1019 University Avenue.
Electronics
Halted is an electronics store that's popular with the SPDL crowd. It's one of those stores full of bins - bins of motors, inductors, fans, battery holders, etc. It's a good place to go and get ideas about electronics because it's the place to get all those little extras electronics projects need. If you don't know V=IR, you're probably wasting your time going here. It's easily accessible; just drive down Central Expressway.
Finishing
Anodizers, powder-coaters, professional sand-blasters, places that do bright finishing and electroplating and so-on should go here.
Fabric and Knitting
Full Thread Ahead
169 Main Street
Los Altos, CA 94022
(650) 948 9036
Hours: Mon 10am - 9pm, Tues - Fri: 10am-6pm, Sat: 10am-5pm, Sun: 11am-5pm
Comments: Yarns derived from soy, bamboo and other renewable sources
Joann Fabrics has two locations within 6 miles of campus. A wide range of fabrics varieties are stocked, including: cotton, velvet, ripstop nylon, canvas, upholstery fabrics, and faux fur. A great place to browse, which substantial craft and notions departments. Visit stores in Mountain View in the San Antonio Shopping Center at 435 San Antonio Road, and in Redwood City's Mervyn's Plaza at 308 Walnut Street. Google map to Jo-ann Alpha, google map to Jo-ann Beta.
Eddie's Quilting Bee is a supplier of high quality quilting cottons and a wide selection of knitting supplies. They also stock an interesting selection of notions. If you are interested in purchasing a good sewing machine, this is the place to go. Eddie's is located at 264 Castro Street in Mountain View. Ph. 650.969.1714 Google map.
Glass
Hardware & Tools
Jewelry
Metal & Metalworking
Alan Steel
Highway 101 & Whipple (east)
Redwood City, CA
(650) 369-2526
Hours: M-F 8am-4:30pm, Sat closed, Sun closed.
Comments: Alan Steel, AKA Alan Steels, has a really great selection of base metals and stuff (salvage) made from base metals. This includes sheet, tubing, extrusions, rod, angle, and pallet material in aluminum, brass, steel, stainless steel and some plastics. You can also find giant gears, motors, fans, and all sorts of other random stuff. They charge to cut. This is a really great place to wander around just to get your creative juices flowing. They give deals to the fairer sex and on stuff they don't understand. Otherwise it's pretty pricey.
Aluminum REM Center
3185 De La Cruz Blvd, Unit B
Santa Clara, CA 95054
(408) 748-0666
Hours: M-F 8am-5pm, Sat closed, Sun closed.
Comments: Aluminum REM is THE place to get any type of aluminum stock. They've got it all. Great prices, great hours, and friendly staff. What more can you ask?
Paint
Plastic
Small Parts
Wood & Woodworking
General Info
Wood can be classified as hardwood or softwood. While hardwoods are generally more dense and hard than softwoods, there is a lot of overlap.
Sustainably, woods are also classified as rediscovered, green, or certified (ref: Interiors and Sources).
- Rediscovered wood has been salvaged from old buildings, demolition landfills or fallen trees.
- Green wood products are reconstituted products that have recycled content, low toxicity or "engineered" qualities (meaning that they are fabricated from small, easily renewable trees into superior structural products).
- Certified wood is cut from forests managed with sustainable practices that have been certified by an independent third party.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) formed in 1993 "sets forth principles, criteria, and standards that span economic, social, and environmental concerns. The FSC standards represent the world’s strongest system for guiding forest management toward sustainable outcomes." When possible, you should purchase FSC certified wood.
Before working with wood in the model shop, you should check to see if the wood is toxic. Look at the Toxic Woods list.
Suppliers
Aura Hardwoods
210 Phelan Ave.
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 275-1990
Comments: Wood - hardwood and softwood. Great selection, good prices, nice people
Bruce Bauer Lumber & Supply
134 San Antonio Circle
Mountain View, CA 94040
(650) 948-1089
Comments: Decent selection of woods, and wood finishing supplies (oils, sandpapers, etc.) If you're looking for hardwood, drive the extra few miles to Minton's
EcoTimber
1611 Fourth Street
San Rafael, CA 94901
(415)258-8454
Comments: Lots of hardwood and softwood. Will cut to limited sizes.
- Offers a complete line of ecologically sound wood flooring. Products include wood from certified well-managed forests, reclaimed flooring, and innovative wood alternatives like bamboo flooring.
Global Wood Source
1698 Rogers Avenue
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 392-0573
Hours: Mon - Fri: 8am - 5pm, Sat 9am - 2pm
Comments: All sorts of exotics and figured woods (and they have bins full of exotic scraps). Good source of blocks for turning. Also various hardwood plywood species. Great prices.
Japan Woodworker
1731 Clement Avenue
Alameda, CA 94501
(800) 537-7820
(510) 521-1810
Hours: Mon - Sat: 9am - 5pm
Comments: Handmade Japanese woodworking tools, garden tools and cutlery
Jordan International
1303 Elmer Street
Belmont, CA 94002
(650) 592-7725
Hours: Mon - Fri: 8am - 5pm, Sat: 9am - 3pm
Comments: Domestic Hardwood, Exotic Hardwood, Hardwood plywoods, Edge banding, Veneers, Hardwood flooring, Staircase materials, Wood finish oils, Large, exotic selection of hardwoods and veneers. Don't miss the veneer room... Will not cut any wood - buy it as you find it.
MacBeath Hardwood Company
930 Ashby Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94710
(800) 479-9907
(510) 843-4390
Hours: Mon - Fri: 7:30am - 4:30pm, Sat: 9am - 3pm
Comments: Great selection of hardwoods, very friendly staff, lots of places to browse for wood junkies. They also carry turning blanks.
Minton's Lumber
455 W. Evelyn Ave.
Mountain View, CA 94041
(650) 968-9201
Comments: lumber, plywood, hardware, hardwood, masonite, nails, threaded fasteners, glue. Slightly overpriced, but well stocked lumber yard. Good selection of hardwoods. Good service and will cut hardwood to any requested size. Reasonable prices.
Smith and Fong Company - Plyboo
375 Oyster Point Blvd. #3
South San Francisco, CA 94080
(650) 872-1184
Comments: bamboo flooring, bamboo plywood, bamboo panels and bamboo veneer to palmwood flooring and palmwood plywood
- Plyboo is a new material made of laminated bamboo strips, i.e. bamboo plywood. The bamboo is cut from sustainible bamboo forests and is manufactured with natural non-toxic chemicals and the bamboo. Bamboo is a grass that grows quickly and does not require replanting after harvesting, making it a sustainable material to work with.
Plyboo can be cut on the LaserCAMM! [mike lin to add details]
Southern Lumber
1402 S. 1st Street
San Jose, CA
(408) 294-1487
Hours: Mon - Sat: 8am - 6pm, Sunday: 9am - 6pm
Woodcraft of San Carlos
1121 B Industrial Road
San Carlos, CA 94070
(650) 631-WOOD (9663)
Hours:
Mon - Wed: 9am - 7pm,
Thur: 9am - 9pm,
Fri: 9am - 7pm,
Sat: 9am - 6pm,
Sun: 11am - 5pm
Related Wood and Woodworking Links
Toxic Woods
FSC Website
Sustainable Wood Article from Interiors and Sources
Wikipedia - Wood
Scrap Resources
Add resources for scrap locations and and dumpster diving... etc.
- Scrap Bin at Tap Plastic
- Aluminum REM
- Thrift Shops for Fabric
