Category: supplies

Having a list of what is in the workshop makes designing a breeze. The more information you have available to you while you are in front of the PC the less time you spend running between the workshop and your desk. Knowing what you have available to work with makes a lot of decisions easy. So I have compiled a list of what materials and tools I have available.

Yes its a pain to keep it up to date so I try to update it whenever I buy stuff and as I use/break things I just update a whiteboard in the workshop or jolt down a note on my phone.

Lets face it, all projects require some form of material or consumable. I’ve compiled a list of suppliers I typically use for various items. These items range from chemicals to pieces of stock metal.

Why do I choose the suppliers I buy from? When designing a project one not only has to be creative in solving a problem but finding cost effective materials for the solution sometimes makes/breaks the viability of a solution. If you can’t cost the solution given a certain set of materials, you can’t evaluate the viability and ability of fellow hobbyists to obtain the material. If nobody can get a hold of that special grade Alu or electronic component I used, I am the only person that will build the project. That does seem like a bit of a waste of valuable time and effort to document the plans for other people.

Without further ado, the list:

Hare & Forbes	Brisbane	Metalwork Tools	About the same price as imports after shipping. No waiting 4 weeks for tools.
Ausee		Lathe Tools	Aus supplier of Sieg brand machines and accessories. Shipment faster than overseas but tad bit more expensive.
Early Bird Steel	Brisbane	Metal Stock	AS300 mild steel with some odd bits of Alu and harder steel. Friendly faces (mostly) with Luke and Don being rather helpful. They are a bit far out from my place but the online pricelist is worth it when designing and deciding what stock is a better fit for the project. Open on Saturday mornings is a major boon.
Action Aluminium	Brisbane	Metal Stock	Extensive range of Alu and open on a Saturday morning. Pity about the pricelist not being up on the site.
Scott Metals	Brisbane	Metal Stock	AS300 only. Closest to my place but more pricier than Early Bird. Why buy from them? Online pricelist and open on a Saturday. Friendly face here and there but only once you’ve had a chat or two.
Bolts & Industrial	Brisbane	Nuts & Bolts	They sell other tools and chemicals but a bit pricy for the hobbyist. The price of the nuts and bolts are comparable to imports but obviously available a lot quicker. Over the counter is a no-no for varied orders, rather phone it in and collect when ready. Online pricelist is available.
Umart	Brisbane	Computer Hardware	Where I tend to get my PC spares. Nice and close to home and reasonably priced with lots of stock (range and quantity).
Pottery Supplies Online	Brisbane	Forging	Nice and close to home but a tad bit pricy. Online pricelist available.

If anyone has a regular supplier in Brisbane that they use for electronic components, materials and tools, do feel free to add it in the comments. If they see my business I will add them to my list.