Suppliers & Resources
Material stock, New
• Potomac Steel, 7801 Loisdale Road, Springfield, VA, phone 703-550-7300 Commercial supplier, mostly structural steel but some cold rolled stuff. They keep their "cut offs" along a wall and they don't mind if you come in and look around. They also sell a good selection of nuts and bolts in good grades and a wide selection of sizes. They are reported to also have some stainless bar stock and aluminum.
• BMG Metals, multiple locations including 7600 Wellingford Drive, Manassas, VA 20109, phone 703-330-4474 or see http://www.bmgmetals.com Warning - though still listed for completeness, BMG has had a rash of bad reviews since being acquired Commercial supplier, various steels and aluminum in structural shapes, flat strips, plate, angle, channel, bar stock, and square tubing. Local stock and offer cutting and delivery services on larger orders.
• Boulevard Sales Corp., 7205 Washington Blvd Elkridge, MD 21075, just south of Rt. 100 intersection with Washington Blvd. (US Rt. 1), phone 410-796-9370 Structural steel shapes, flat strips, plate, angle, channel, and square tubing. The sort of stuff that is more in line with fabricating rather than machining. Possibly some salvage stuff also. They are friendly and sell in any quantity.
• C & S Metals, 7325 Washington Blvd (US Rt. 1) Elkridge, MD 21075, phone 410 796 5661 (oops, something has changed, now reachable at 800-284-5551, may be wholesale only) Commercial metal supplier. Can supply aluminum tube. Takes credit cards.
• EJ Enterprises (oops, they have closed), 7280 Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard, Glen Burnie, MD 21061, phone 410-625-8200 see: http://www.e-jenterprises.com/ Commercial metal supplier. Can supply aluminum and stainless steels. Also offers some local retail sales of cutoffs and drops at discounted prices using the business name of "Metal to Go"
• Posner Industries, 8641 Edgeworth Dr., Capitol Heights, MD 20743, Phone: 301-350-1000, Also has locations in Fredrick, MD, Baltimore, MD, Chantilly, VA and Fredericksburg, VA - see: http://www.posners.com/ In 2012 Posner acquired the old Leonard Jed company in Baltimore. Commercial metal supplier, mostly structural steel and related tools and hardware. The Baltimore branch is the old Leonard Jed company which had a great selection of tools and fasteners.
• Metal Supermarkets (formerly Metal Express), 7120 Golden Ring Road , Suite 112, Baltimore, MD 21221-3165, Local Phone: 410-918-0199, Headquarters Phone: 800-657-0721. For typical offerings see: http://metalsupermarkets.com/baltimore/ Supplier specializing in cut to order and small lots of metals.
• Access Metals, 8866 Kelso Drive , Essex, MD 21221, Phone: 410-687-2414. For typical offerings see: http://www.accessmetalsinc.com Supplier specializing in cut to order and small lots of metals.
• Standard Supply Steel store, 4 Meem Ave. Gaithersburg, MD, 301-590-1770 Structural steel (beam, tube, etc)
• MISSCO Inc., 5101 Lawrence Place, Hyattsville, MD, 301-277-4300 web site: http://www.misscoinc.com/ Structural steel (plate, beam, tube, etc)
• Total Plastics, 5424 Pulaski Highway, Baltimore, MD 21205 , Phone: 410-483-1493. For typical offerings see: http://www.totalplastics.com/ Supplier specializing in plastics; special adhesives, sealants, and polishes for plastic.
• Piedmont Plastics (formerly Reed Plastics), 7045 Troy Hill Dr Ste 450 Elkridge, MD 21075 Phone: 301-881-7900. For typical offerings see: http://www.piedmontplastics.com/ Supplier specializing in plastics, all types and forms.
• Precision Plastics Inc., 6405A Ammendale Road, Beltsville, MD 20705, Phone: 301-937-1317. Web page at: http://www.precisionplastics.com/ Supplier specializing in plastics, supplies for working plastics, and also fabrication services.
Parts, tools, misc., New
• Fischer Hardware, in Concord Shopping Center, 6123 Backlick Road, Springfield, VA 22150, (703) 451-3700 RIP - Well the ordeal is finally over and the assets went to auction in early April 2013. Old fashion hardware store. Recently changed ownership, went the Ace Hardware route which did not work for them, now trying to go back to the old independent style. Let's all hope they survive. http://www.fischerhardware.net/
• J. E. Rice Hardware, 9124 Mathis Avenue, Manassas, Virginia 20110, (703)-361-3141 Home town real hardware store. http://www.jericeco.com/
• Browns Hardware, 100 West Broad Street, Falls Church, Virginia 22046, (703)-532-1168 Small but friendly old fashioned hardware store.
• Harbor Freight with multiple locations, at 14250 Smoketown Rd., Woodbridge, VA , (703) 494-1290, at 338 Domer Avenue, Laurel, MD, (301) 362-9536, and at 9649 Lost Knife Road, Gaithersburg, MD (301) 947-2905. See their web page for more stores in Richmond, Norfolk, and Baltimore. Imported machinery and tools. For examples see: http://www.harborfreight.com/
• Motion Industries with locations all over the country including the DC/Baltimore area, including one near me at 7433 Gateway Court, Manassas, VA 20109 Phone: (703) 393-2314 Supplier of bearings and all sorts of other stuff related to moving parts of machinery. See: http://www.motionindustries.com
• Tractor Supply with multiple locations in the farming areas surrounding the DC/Baltimore cities. Welding supplies and some metalworking tools. See: http://www.tractorsupply.com/welding-metalworking/
• Gem Specialties, 5830 Kirby Road, Clinton, MD 20735, (301) 297-8700 Specialty fasteners, screws etc., will sell small quantities.
• The Jewelers Warehouse, 8631 16th St. Silver Spring, MD 20910, (301) 588-7296 Jewelers tools and supplies, great for model making and fine work. http://jewelerswarehouseusa.com/supplies
• Terra Firma Enterprises, Inc., 1316-B Reisterstown Road, Pikesville, Maryland 21208, 410-602-2232 Jewelers tools and supplies. Some casting and plating stuff. http://www.tfeinc.biz
• Leonard Jed Company, 1104 Russell Street, Baltimore, MD 21230, 410-690-7383 Tools and fasteners. An old style (from the 1880's) company with real stock and service. In 2012 Leonard Jed was acquired by Posners and now operates as one of their branches. http://www.posners.com/
• W. C. Chapman, 8220 Pulaski Hwy Rosedale, MD 21237, 410-686-6860 Cutting tools and supplies, local stock. Their web site is at: www.wcchapman.com
• Baltimore Belting Co. Inc. located at 766 East 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, phone (410) 338-1230 Sells both leather and composite belts for machinery made to your size requirements. They have a web site at: www.baltimorebelting.com
• Woodcraft, Concord Shopping Center, 6123B Backlick Road, Springfield, VA 22150, (703) 912-6727 Also see their web site for more stores in Virginia and Maryland. Chain store for woodworkers, but enough cross over in tools and supplies to be of interest. Jet dealer. They are open late weeknights and on Saturday/Sunday. www.woodcraft.com
• Joseph Fazzio, Inc., 2760 Glassboro-Cross Keys Road, Glassboro, New Jersey 08028, phone (856) 881-3185 Candy store of surplus fasteners and widgets of all types. See: http://www.josephfazzioinc.com/
Casting supplies, New
• Albertus Engineering, 7130 Golden Ring Rd, Suite 116, Baltimore, MD 21221, (410) 682-3205 They cater to furnace installation/refurbishment business but usually have a few types of firebrick and castable refractory in stock. They now have a website at: www.albertuseng.com
• Potomac Valley Brick and Supply Company, 3 Derwood Circle, Rockville, MD (301) 309-9600 They sell fire brick and the mortar at reasonable prices.
• Lancaster Foundry Supply, 2314 Norman Road, Lancaster, PA 17601, (717) 394-0753 Carries a very large assortment of casting supplies, but not much equipment. They have a web site at: http://www.lancasterfoundrysupply.com
• Budget Casting Supply - http://www.budgetcastingsupply.com Supplies for casting and foundry work seem difficult to purchase locally, so here is a link to a mail order outfit that sells to hobbyists.
• Malcolm G. Stevens, Inc. - http://www.mgstevens.com/ OK, its in the Boston area, but they are the real animal. According to Chris Daniel this is a place that actually stocks all the goodies and you can see the stuff and get questions answered. Web site is now available at: Malcolm G. Stevens, Inc., 12 Progress Avenue, Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, 01879 Phone: (978) 649-0112