Autodesk Technology Center SF: Purchasing Materials

This Instructable is for Pier 9 Workshop Users.

The Crucible maintains an excellent list of Bay Area vendors for various materials on their Crucible's Material Resource Page.

Shipping:

• Shop Users should have all materials and project supplies shipped directly to themselves.
• Some vendors have a difficult time finding Pier 9. Here is the address that seems to work best:

Autodesk, Your Name
Pier 9, Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94111

Large/Heavy Orders:

• If you plan to order something extra large, something heavy, or that needs to be received with a forklift, please coordinate this with Shop Management in advance: P9Workshop at autodesk dot com

Material Storage at the Pier:

• Our storage space is very limited, so plan accordingly and order only what your active project requires.
• Any material stored in the workshop temporarily should be labeled with: Name, Phone Number, Email and Date.

Chemicals:

• If you are ordering any chemical, resin, paint, epoxy, glue, oil, etc., then you need to make sure it has been approved for use at the Pier:
  • Pier 9 Approved Chemical List
• If your material is not on that list, you must request approval by filling out the
  • New Chemical Request Form

Step 1: Wood

Plywood / Hardwood / Lumber

• Moore Newton
  • Materials : Hardwoods, Slabs, Sheet goods.
  • Phone : [phone]
  • Talk to : Mark Goldberg
  • Location : 2115 Williams St San Leandro 94577

• WoodBank (Relocated to Oakdale )
  
  • Materials: hardwoods, slabs, sheet goods and some construction materials
  • Phone 1: [phone]
  • Phone 2: [phone]

• Beronio Lumber
  
  • Materials: basic hardwoods, plywood, construction grade materials and lumber
  • Phone 1: [phone]
  • Phone 2: [phone]
  • Location: 2525 Marin St, San Francisco, CA 94124

• MacBeath Hardwood Company
  
  • Materials: excellent selection of hardwoods, exotic woods, slabs, veneers, reclaimed wood and some sheet goods
  • Location - Berkley: 930 Ashby Ave, Berkeley, CA 94710
  • Phone: [phone]
  • Location - San Francisco: 2150 Oakdale Ave, San Francisco, CA 94124
  • Phone: [phone]

Step 2: Metal

Aluminum and Stainless Steel

We only allow 8ft Lengths to be sent to the Pier. If you need lengths that are longer see shop staff.

• Coast Aluminum

• Materials: aluminum extrusion, sheets, and variety of stainless steel
• Location: 30551 Huntwood Ave, Hayward, CA 94544
• Phone: [phone]

• PDM Steel Service
  • Materials: flat bar, steel, etc
  • Note: This is a big supplier, usually delivering 20 ft long stock. When possible, request your material be cut down for shipping and be brought on a smaller truck.
  • Location: 3500 Bassett St, Santa Clara, CA 95054(408) 988-3000
  • Phone: [phone]

• Bayshore Metals
  • Materials: Steel, Aluminum
  • Note: They offer in-house, high definition, CNC Plasma cuts.
  • Location: 244 Napoleon St, San Francisco, CA 94124
  • Phone: [phone]

• Tube Service Co

• Tube Stock, cut to size

Anodizing Aluminum

- A&E Anodizing (San Jose)

- Metalco Anodizing (Emeryville)

- Amex Plating

- PK Selective

Step 3: Plastic

Plastics and Lasercutter Supplies

Useful info on Acrylic Sheet

• TAP Plastic
  
  • Materials: huge variety of acrylics, plastics, great laser cutting supplies, custom colors and sizes, off-the-shelf plastic products or made-to-order, employees have great expertise with challenging questions
  • Location: 154 South Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94103
  • Phone: [phone]
• Piedmont Plastics
  
  • Materials : Tons of Plastics in all shapes and sizes.
  • Location : 1969 Davis St San Leandro, CA 94577
  • Phone : [phone]

• Mr Plastics
  
  • Materials: solid and sheet plastics, tool supplies, and custom fabrication
  • Location: 2756 Alvarado Street W-A, San Leandro, CA 94577
  • Phone: [phone]

Step 4: Vinyl Printer Supplies

Canvas / Vinyl / Specialty Materials

• Midwest Sign
  
  • Phone: [phone]
  • Note: Please talk with Shop Staff regarding new materials on the Vinyl Printer. These may require special knife settings or extra attention.

Step 5: Hardware and Shop Supplies

Local Hardware

• Cole Hardware
  • Materials: they have your basic selection of hardware goods and key copying, nothing exotic
  • Location: 70 4th St San Francisco, CA 94103
  • Phone: [phone]
  • Note: this is the closest Hardware Store to the Pier!

• Harrison & Bonini
  
  • Materials : Variety of screws, bolts, nuts, washers, etc as well as essentials like drill bits
  • Location:1122 Harrison Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
  • Phone: [phone]
  • Note: this is an old-school, family-run SF institution. they've seen every type of hardware you can think of.

• Hida Tool & Hardware
  • Materials: Traditional Japanese hardware store, specializing in fine woodworking supplies and Festool.
  • Location: 1333 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA 94702
  • Phone: [phone]

• The Home Depot
  
  • Location: 3838 Hollis Ave Emeryville, CA 94608
  • Phone: [phone]

Online Hardware Suppliers

• McMaster-Carr
  • Huge variety of hardware, incredibly fast delivery, downloadable CAD files.
• Uline
  • cheap, good for bulk orders or things like bins, shelves, cardboard or safety equipment.
• Grainger
  • Long delivery time.
• MSC
  • huge selection of tools and some hardware.
• Amazon
• Alibaba
  • Everything : Connections to order single or mass produced items.

History and Description of Hardware

• When a Phillips is not a Phillips!

Step 6: Paints, Adhesives, Chemicals

Paint

• City Paints
  
  • Location: 1088 Howard StreetSan Francisco, CA 94103
  • Phone: [phone]

Step 7: Niche Websites

3D Printing Websites

Compare 3D Printing Prices at : 3D Printing Price Check

• Quick Parts
  
  • Materials: 3D Printing, Investment Casting
• Shapeways
  
  • Materials: 3D Printing in plastic and metal
• I.materialize
• Sculpteo
• MakeXYZ
  
  • Find a 3D Printer near you!
• Fictiv
  

  • 3D Printing

• Fathom
  • Materials: 3D Printing

Metal Coating 3D Prints or any other parts

• Morganic Metal Solutions
  
  • Specializes in a metalizing process specific to 3D-prints.

Custom Knife Handle Kits

• USA Knife Maker

Metal Coating Parts:

• VacuCoat
• Intatech

Step 8: Services : Casting, Glass Blowing, Laser Cutting

Local Services

Seaport Stainless

• Location : 5021 Seaport Ave, Richmond, CA 94804
• [phone]
• Laser Cutting

Nor Cal Metal Fabricators

• Location : 1121 3rd St, Oakland, CA 94607
• [phone]
• Laser Cutting and Metal Fabrication

Adams & Chittenden Scientific Glass

• Location : 2741 Eighth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
• Phone : [phone]
• Custom Glass Instruments.

Alexis Pavantos

• Location : East Bay
• Phone : [phone]
• Casting Jewelry and metal parts. 3D print to metal casting. Bronze, Silver, Gold.

Douglas and Sturgess

• Location: Inc.1023 Factory St.Richmond, CA 94801
• Phone: [phone]
• Mold Making Supplies

Step 9: Electronics

Local Electronics

• Radio Shack
  
  • Location: 652 Market St San Francisco, CA 94104
  • Phone: [phone]
• Al Lasher's Electronics
  • Location: 1734 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94703
  • Phone: [phone]
  • Notes: Located in Berkeley. Lots of options.

Online Electonic Stores

• Digikey
  • General Electronics
• Ada Fruit
  • Specialty Electronics
• Jameco
  • General Electronics

• Polulu

• Sparkfun

Autodesk Circuits

Design Boards and then order them!

Step 10: Digital Content

All Digital Formats

• Creative Market

3D Files

• 123D Gallery
  • A gallery of designs and 3D Files from the 123D App community.
• Thingiverse
  
  • A database of 3D Models, owned by
• GrabCAD
  • A large database of free and paid models.
• TurboSquid
  

  • A large database of free and paid models.

• McMaster-Carr
  
  • Download CAD Models of their products to test out their designs.
  • How to : Instructable
• Misumi
  
  • Download CAD Models of their Products.
• IGUS
  
  • Download CAD Models of their Products.
• SDP-SI
  
  • Download CAD Models of their Products.
• VEXRobotics
  
  • Download CAD Models of their Products.
• MyMiniFactory
  
  • Lots of great 3D Models from hobbyist to pro designs.

Historical Maps

• David Rumsey Historical Maps

Step 11: Fabric, Art, Moldmaking, Leather

Fabric

• Britex Fabrics
  
  • Location: 146 Geary St San Francisco, CA 94108
  • Phone: [phone]
• Fabric Outlet
  
  • Location: 2109 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
  • Phone: [phone]

• Discount Fabrics
  • Location 1: 201 11th St. @ Howard, San Francisco:
  • Phone: [phone]
  • Location 2: Irving St. @ 24th Ave., San Francisco:
  • Phone: [phone]
  • Location 3: San Pablo Ave. @ Ashby, Berkeley:
  • Phone: [phone]

• Narain's Outdoor Sewing & Fabric
  
  • Location: 1275 San Pablo Ave, Albany, CA 94706
  • Notes: For specialty outdoor fabrics and notions (wide selection of plastic and metal clips and strap buckles, for example).

Felt : Online

• Filz Felt
• Aetna

Art

• Utrecht Art Supplies
  
  • Location: 149 New Montgomery St San Francisco, CA 94105
  • Phone: [phone]

Mold Making

• Douglas & Sturgess
  
  • Location : 730 Bryant St San Francisco, CA 94107
  • Phone : [phone]

Leather

• S H Frank & Co House-Leather
  
  • Location: 3077 17th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
  • Phone: [phone]
• Tandy Leather
  
  • Location: 568 San Mateo Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066
  • Phone: [phone]
• The Hide House
  
  • Location: 595 Monroe St, Napa, CA 94559
  • Phone: [phone]

Step 12: CNC Shops

CNC Shops

Atlas Contour

• Laser Cutting : 3,000 Watt Laser cutting. Metal Cutting. 44 X 55 inches.Waterjet/ CNC Router services as well.
• 1559 Custer Ave., San Francisco, 94124
• Phone : [phone]

Neal's CNC

• Rachel McConnell
• 1424 W. Winton Avenue, Hayward, CA 94545
• 510-783-3156

Lucid Machine Art

• 2070 Newcomb Ave. San Francisco, CA 94124
• [phone]
• 5 axis CNC : 60" x 120" x 29"

Machinic

1. Connected to Lucid Machine Art

Gizmo art production

Step 13: 3D Printing Filament

Protoplastic