I have no idea why I hadn’t gone to our local Tap plastics before, but finding their 1 dollar scrap bin was like winning the lottery! The bin was overflowing and the gal practically threw it at me lol. She asked me what my spending limit was and I told her $25. Handed me a box and told me to fill it up. When I Ooh & Aww’d over the pearl cast acrylic, she threw in a bunch of that as well. (Looks identical to the “marble” stuff at Inventables that goes for $22 for an 8x12" piece.) That stuff is gorgeous!
Stockton, California. (Insanity does apply in this regard though. If you come to Stockton, wear your flak vest, keep your head down and head to Tap lol )
This is what is so bad about being in the middle of nowhere. I have to wonder if B’ham or ATL has something like this. Both kill a day + to get there and back.
The TAP in Bellevue/Redmond WA is full of nice folks that are genuinely helpful! (A shocker these days)
And when I’d have them cut small acrylic pieces to use on my Othermill (4x4/5x5), they’d would occasionally just give them to me as “samples”. I’d then spend a buttload on resin and glue and stuff, so it evened out
I first came across Tap Plastics many years ago when I moved to the East Bay. It was amazing how eye opening it was to have that as a local resource. It the kind of material I hadn’t thought about before. But whenever I had to make for fix something I would first think, “Can I do that in plastic?” I have since moved and the closest Tap is an hour and a half away. But I will find ways to stop in on the way to San Francisco or Napa just for the bargain bin deals.
Not sure where you are, but I show one in Lynwood, too. Hope to stop there on my way down to Seattle next time I’m going down (moved north from Seattle in July).
Interstate Plastics in Pelham, AL is a big supplier and manufacturer. Might be worth giving them a call. If nothing else, they might point you towards a closer source.
If it’s the one in the corner of the little shopping center where K-Mart(?) was I used to go to that Tap all the time about 20yrs ago. Always great deals on the scrap bin.
Lol, Stockton, so many stories of sketchy happenings there…
Thankfully, they still have Tap in Oregon (Tigard store for me).
We have Canal Plastics in NYC, but I don’t think they have a similar scrap bin. I’ll have to check next time I’m there. Still, I can order stuff online to pick up on my way home from work, and the prices are pretty good.
@kittski, I absolutely LOVE the TAP plastics scrap, but you got a better deal than I ever did, jealous! Mine used to sell by the pound, but their “certified” scale broke and they did not want to pay the fees to get a new one and get it inspected by the county. I usually do get a better deal than the printed price, but you really scored!
