Bulk Styrene in the UK

Brandlin · Post by **Brandlin** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 5:06 pm

I'm tired of spending oodles of cash on a4 sized sheets of styrene.

Does anyone know of large size sheets available in the UK (preferrably in the NW). I'm talking 8 feet by 4 kinda sheets (or metric equivalent) or so.

i'm only after a couple of standard sizes. .25, .5 1, 1.5 and 2 mm thicknesses....

any ideas?

Brandlin

Antenociti · Post by **Antenociti** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 6:52 pm

0.010 to 0.080 in 1350mm x 660mm are the largest that i know of retail... anything larger and you have to go to the manufacturer and buy by the pallet load.

£9.60p to £37.20p for cost.. plus they are VERY heavy so a large courier fee for carriage.

big enough?

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 7:27 pm

Usually they're in 4x8 foot sheets. Find a friend who works @ a machinists shop and dig through their catalogs. IIRC around here a 4x8 sheet of .080 runs about $20US.

Richard Baker · Post by **Richard Baker** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 7:37 pm

Most sign supply companies stock sheet styrene in various thicknesses. You can get it in 4'x8' sheets, 18"x24" is a common size normally stocked. The company I work for buys in in quanitity for silkscreened signs and I keep a stack at the house for my projects. If the supply company is reluctant to sell just a couple of sheets to you as a private individual call some of the sign companies in th ephone book. We get requests all the time like that and sell it for just cost.

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Brandlin · Post by **Brandlin** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 9:34 am

Thanks for the replies guys.

I've tried the sign companies near me but they wont sell their stock unless i get them to make a sign out of it !!! stupid huh!

Hi Jed, you dont sell stock that size on your website, or have i missed something? Its not the physical size of the sheet necessarily that i'm after, i'm just trying to buy in some bulk, and not have to pay over the odds for someone cutting it into a4 sheets and putting it in little bags and hanging it on the model shop wall...

Richard Baker · Post by **Richard Baker** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 10:08 am

I've tried the sign companies near me but they wont sell their stock unless i get them to make a sign out of it !!! stupid huh!

That is tacky- I have no idea where you live from your profile (Blank) but if you are in the Birmingham AL region I can help.
You could always ask them to a couple of signs with a 1/4" "HI" centered in vinyl and peel that off when you get home.
Have you tried the sign supply businesses? There might be a minimum order with them but kept away from UV light they last for years before you need them.

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Antenociti · Post by **Antenociti** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 1:02 pm

not on our store Brandlin as we dont get asked for i tmuch, but we can order it in next time we order.

other than that source i dont know of anybody (other than by-the-pallet) else who does big sheets.

it is better if you can find a local source though as the carriage can be rather nasty

sign-writers are often the best as others have suggested... but if you get nowhere let me know.

Brandlin · Post by **Brandlin** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 3:48 pm

Thanks Jed... i will do - although i've just found somewhere on ebay - not huge sheets but a much better rate than evergreen etc and carriage isn't tooooo bad...

richard i'm near chester in the UK.

Richard Baker · Post by **Richard Baker** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:08 pm

richard i'm near chester in the UK.

Drats! I see UK in the topic line now- I am in Birmingham, but it is in Alabama, USA so it would be a bit prohibitive to ship I guess.

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Lichtbringer · Post by **Lichtbringer** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 6:52 pm

Architectural models are made out of it also - check where your local buys his stuff, ask him.
Usually their source is much cheaper than the typical hobby-shops.

I order my stuff at www.architekturbedarf.de (here in Germany) - but i´m pretty sure that similar companies exist in UK.

en'til Zog · Post by **en'til Zog** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 7:00 pm

If you contact either a wholesale dealer or sign shop, you might ask for "drop stock" which (in the US) means the ends and bits nibbled off full sheets when they custom cut an order to size.

I love 'leftovers'....

Olivers · Post by **Olivers** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 4:18 am

Bit late but I always buy my plastic from Stephen Webster:

http://www.stephen-webster.co.uk/amari/stephen-webster/

I live near them so always collect the plastic in person.

They do 8*4 sheets but not in <1mm styrene

seam-filler · Post by **seam-filler** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 1:29 am

Woah!! Thanks for that.

And not bad paices, even after adding VAT.

Bookmarked!