Local source for ABS sheets - Northern IL / Southern WI

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cybrstorm
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Local source for ABS sheets - Northern IL / Southern WI

Post by cybrstorm »

Hi everyone,
While I wait for my ATA Stormtrooper armor (7 months left on the waiting list!) , I decided to make my own First Order Stormtrooper set. I plan on doing it with pep, making molds from that, and then vacuum forming the molds in ABS. I am in the process of assembling the vacuum form machine, but it has been difficult to find affordable ABS sheets. Does anyone know of somewhere local to get ABS sheets? I live in Northern Illinois (Gurnee area), but I am willing to travel a bit for a good price. I used the search to find previous posts about this, but all of them were years old.

Thanks!

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Re: Local source for ABS sheets - Northern IL / Southern WI

Post by bdc »

Re: the price, the local suppliers I found down in Champaign had comparable prices to online sources for the actual plastic -- but the shipping online is very expensive. What I was buying came as 4'x8' sheets, which normal FedEx/UPS doesn't do. If you're equipped to haul the sheets it's definitely worth avoiding the shipping costs. If you can't haul them, a local place might be able to cut them in half.

I'm too far south to recommend a specific place near you, but I would recommend just emailing any place near you that seems to work with plastics. Worst case scenario is they don't do anything with ABS or know anything about sourcing ABS. But, maybe they do. Or maybe they know another shop that does.

I did a search for places that work with plastics in my area. I found the sort of place that doesn't have a storefront because their normal customers are other businesses or schools, and they build/form/mold various plastic things to order. Just because they don't advertise selling sheets of plastic doesn't mean they won't do it, assuming they have a regular stock of it around. The first place I emailed didn't even list the type of plastic I was looking for on their website, but he had plenty of it around. He didn't have the thickness I wanted, but was willing to special order it with no shipping charge (he pays a flat fee for each truck anyway). I just had to wait for the next time he placed a restocking order.

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cybrstorm
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Re: Local source for ABS sheets - Northern IL / Southern WI

Post by cybrstorm »

Thanks bdc. I have been emailing every place I can think of within a 50 mile radius. For others in the area that are looking, the only place that has replied so far (and quickly - 15 minutes after I sent the email!) was Laird Plastics in Bensenville. Unfortunately they only have black sheets available in the size I want. They were willing to ship white from another location, but that was extra $$$. Maybe I should switch to a Shadowtrooper build. :D

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Re: Local source for ABS sheets - Northern IL / Southern WI

Post by bback »

Have you tried Piedmont Plastics in Wheeling? A little closer to you than Bensenville.

I called them up a few years ago and they were very helpful over the phone. I bought a 4x8 sheet of Sintra from them and they had no problem cutting it down to two 2x8 sheets so I could fit them in my car.

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cybrstorm
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Re: Local source for ABS sheets - Northern IL / Southern WI

Post by cybrstorm »

I did email them and they never replied. I think you have the right idea with calling - they can't ignore me that way. :D

Thanks!

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