Suppliers

Purpose of this page

List of suppliers for various materials and items and user reviews.

Please add new suppliers and user comment lines (with attribution / date) Suppliers can be rated by in the user comment lines. Convention is [1] = worst, [5] = best

Electronics

• Mouser Electronics
  • [4] Very complete line of electronics parts. Good searchability, fast service, decent prices on parts. Tools and some other items are expensive (alden 10/02/09)

• DigiKey
  • [3] Very complete line of electronics parts. I find it harder to navigate than Mouser, and more expensive. I generally don't use them unless I can't find something elsewhere (alden 10/02/09)

• Avnet Electronics Marketing
  • [4] US electronics parts distributor, like Mouser or DigiKey. Good searchability. Avnet Inc. also offers consulting, design, and FAE services (will 10/02/09).

• Hebei (China) thru hole pricelist SMT pricelist
  • [5] Best prices on LEDs I've found - but does have a $199 minimum (see Buy LEDs Online for smaller orders). Ship fast. Worked through a problem with them and they handled me fairly. (alden 10/02/09)

• Buy LEDs Online
  • [4] US distributor for Hebei. Same stuff. Prices are more expensive but no minimum. (alden 10/02/09)

• Modern Device
  • These guys have pretty good arduino clones, the Bare-Bones-Board and the Really-Bare-Bones-Board, kits from about $10. Fast & cheap shipping, good customer service. (jackson 10/02/09 -- did a bulk order from them.)

Plastics

• eStreet Plastics
  • [4] Very good prices, and good for small quantities (e.g. 1 foot lengths of tuning, etc. (alden 10/02/09)

• Delvies Plastics
  • [4] Acrylics, casting supplies. Good prices, shipping is OK, but not lightning fast. (alden 10/02/09)

• TAP Plastics
  • [3] Acrylics, casting supplies. Good selection, services; somewhat more expensive than some other suppliers (alden 10/02/09)

• AeroMarineProducts, Inc. ([email protected])
  • [5] Resin casting supplies. Got to love this place. One guy, very cheap prices, good delivery (alden 10/02/09)

Metals

• Metals Depot
  • [5] This has been a great find. Small quantities of steel, aluminum, etc; cheap prices, reasonable shipping, good service. (alden 10/02/09)

• Speedy Metals
  • [4] Good second choice to Metals Depot. Somewhat larger selection, somewhat higher prices. (alden 10/02/09)

Machine Tools

• Enco - Machine tools and supplies
  • [3] Very complete source for machine tooling, can be expensive. Online specials can be good deals, however. (alden 10/02/09)

• Harbor Freight
  • [3] Some things are really cheap. Others are just "cheap". Not good for precision equipment such as lathes, rotary tables, etc. Still useful, however (alden 10/02/09)