Sheet Styrene

[Eagle-1]

http://www.estreetplastics.com/

I just ordered from these guys about 4 days before Hurricane Issac was expected to pass right over me. I received my order two days after the Hurricane and didn't even have power returned to my area yet!

I suppose the thanks to that should go to FedEx who delivered it, but as far as the plastics order, they were VERY reasonable with both product cost and shipping charges.

There IS one other place that I found that was even cheaper for BOTH the materials and shipping, but I had already placed my order with estreetplastics when I found them.

I CAN NOT RECCOMEND THESE GUYS PERSONALLY, but here is the link if someone wants it.

http://208.78.194.94/?cat=all

I WILL try them when I need more styrene. Their site is very weird and I planned to actually call them on the phone to find out more about them before trusting that site.

Rob.

[LastBattlestar]

I usually go down to one of several plastics suppliers in town, most cities will have multiple stores. I use high impact polystyrene (HIPS), buying huge sheets of 1, 1.5 and 2mm stuff for only about 20 bucks each. Very cheap stuff and my favourite building material.

Mike

[bg_451]

Lastbattlestar : I use high impact polystyrene (HIPS), buying huge sheets of 1, 1.5 and 2mm stuff for only about 20 bucks each.

So does that glue and paint like regular Evergreen styrene Mike?

[Eagle-1]

I can answer that BG,

Yes.

Evergreen styrene IS HIPS and so is practically every other kind we always use.

High Impact Poly Styrene is what some call it and is probably it's proper name.

I will also agree with Mike that you can generally buy styrene from a local sign maker cheaper than you can usually order it through ANY online company. We've all seen this mentioned on forums before.

I have two points to bring up here though...

I have to order styrene because I DON'T have a sign shop local to me and there are no hobby shops anywhere near me either, so I have to rely on the internet for the past few years.

AND...

Just like the title for this new section states, this section is intended to list links to sites that someone has personal experience with, good OR bad, to let people know what kind of experience they had with a particular ONLINE company AND to have links we all look for all the time in one place, handy, so you don't have to search. These shouldn't be links to places someone hasn't used, HOWEVER, it doesn't have to be links to places that you have had great service with either. Personally, the links I've listed so far ARE places that I have had good service with, but in the case of the links I've just posted, there are TONS of places that sell styrene. The link I provided I just used for the first time.

I ordered 12 sheets of 12" X 24" X .040" styrene and with shipping, it came to $44.44 total. The 12 sheets of styrene were $29.88 with a -10% discount of $2.99. The FedEx shipping came to $17.55.

The second link I posted IS A SIGN SHOP SUPPLIER and they list a 4' X 8' sheet of .040" of HIPS styrene for $24.25 with $12.50 shipping through UPS. That's no typo. It says it's a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet! It ships rolled up in a cardboard tube. If that turns out to be a good link, that's the best price I've found ONLINE and I will be trying them next time. I found those folks AFTER I had placed my order through estreetplastics.

ANY LINKS I LIST ARE ONLY SUGGESTIONS to some of the best places I've found AND USED.

Rob.

[bg_451]

Thanks Rob, some good info. I might have to hunt down some signwriter shops here in Perth.

[Eagle-1]

Yes sir!

I do understand that buying styrene from a local sign shop has proven to be the best way.

If you have one nearby, I would certainly try that.

Rob.

[Neb]

Originally Posted by Eagle-1

The second link I posted IS A SIGN SHOP SUPPLIER and they list a 4' X 8' sheet of .040" of HIPS styrene for $24.25 with $12.50 shipping through UPS. That's no typo. It says it's a 4 foot by 8 foot sheet! It ships rolled up in a cardboard tube.

Time to start building that giant vac-form machine I've been talking about...

Seriously Rob, that a stellar price!

[Eagle-1]

It's not bad Neb. The place I ended getting some lately wasn't bad either.

THIS is what you gotta watch out for!

The price for the actual sheet of styrene is very good, but look closer:



I suppose the reason for that shipping costs would be that they don't roll it up and put it in a tube and it arrives on a pallet?

Either way, it didn't take me long to scratch THEM off the list.

Rob.

[Neb]

It's the ol' Ebay trick-----great price, stupid high shipping!

[das battlestar solaria]

Hello guys...I work at an auto parts store and most of the signage in our stores is made of polystyrene....its printed on one side but white on the other and comes in several thicknesses and sizes.....These stores change these out many times a year and if one were to talk to the store manager im certain you could score enough styrene to last years probably for FREE...

[Neb]

Originally Posted by das battlestar solaria

Hello guys...I work at an auto parts store and most of the signage in our stores is made of polystyrene....its printed on one side but white on the other and comes in several thicknesses and sizes.....These stores change these out many times a year and if one were to talk to the store manager im certain you could score enough styrene to last years probably for FREE...

I've used that sort of thing myself----only I paid for it. "For sale" signs at Walmart, that sort of thing.

That's not a bad idea---I have 4 part stores within 2 miles of my house.

Thanks! And welcome to RI!

[swhite228]

Originally Posted by das battlestar solaria

Hello guys...I work at an auto parts store and most of the signage in our stores is made of polystyrene....its printed on one side but white on the other and comes in several thicknesses and sizes.....These stores change these out many times a year and if one were to talk to the store manager im certain you could score enough styrene to last years probably for FREE...

I used to do that with my gas station.
They had mostly 8.5x 11 signs, but once every couple of months they would change the big 2 x 4 ft signs.

[das battlestar solaria]

Thanks Neb, Im very happy to be a part of this awesome forum....I work for autozone and the store signage is great for building with....I brought home around a dozen 3x4 sheets in.040, .050, &.060 thickness as well as dozens of 4"x 24" pieces in various thicknesses. The printing is very smooth and is a non issue as far as using to scratchbuild with.....best of all it was free

[Neb]

Originally Posted by das battlestar solaria

Thanks Neb, Im very happy to be a part of this awesome forum....I work for autozone and the store signage is great for building with....I brought home around a dozen 3x4 sheets in.040, .050, &.060 thickness as well as dozens of 4"x 24" pieces in various thicknesses. The printing is very smooth and is a non issue as far as using to scratchbuild with.....best of all it was free

Good to know---I gotta make an Auto Zone run in the AM---while I'm there....

[Lord Darth Beavis]

Rob, did the Cadillac Plastics in Metairie close? Several model-building buddies used to go there for their plastic fix...