Recommended suppliers and services

Yes, unfortunately the website is a bit bare, they seem to respond very quickly to any enquiry.

I have found that all the companies mentioned and more have given me excellent service, ARC are legendary, CUP alloys, Macc models, BA bolts for SS fixings, Lee springs,The mesh company, EKP supplies for case hardening compound I could go on and on, we are very fortunate in our hobby to have such a wealth of excellent suppliers.

Bill D.

+ 1 for CUP Alloys. I agree with all the other companies mentioned so far, can I recommend Power Tools Direct who sell amongst other things genuine "Python" wooden file handles at reasonable cost.

In addition M Machine metals, Hemmingway Tools and Westfield Fasteners esp for stainless steel cap hd, grub screws, buts and washer of all sizes.

I agree with Bill D, we are fortunate indeed to have the support and expertise of suppliers for our needs.

Regards to all

Derek

For an Australian perspective, Ausee Tools are good, as are LPG Toolmakers, Eccentric Engineering & E.J. Winter. RS Australia are surprising, free shipping!! CTC Tooling in Hong Kong have been excellent, their delivery times have improved recently as well.

In Adelaide most of my metal comes from either Surman Metals for cast iron and gunmetal or Bohler Uddeholm for specific grades of steel

My "go to" UK shops are Arc Euro, I don't know what they've done to their freight people but 4 days from UK to Australia is pretty spectacular!! Drill Service do top class stuff. Tracy Tools are excellent. I was disappointed to find that Cutwel Tools do not supply to Australia.

Finally the USA .....Little Machine Shop is good, MariTool are top quality suppliers of top quality cutters

Cheers

Bill

A couple more:

I have made a Boring Bar set and Worden Tool & Cutter grinder from Hemingway kits; and am part-way through a Stent T&C Grinder (Blackgates).

For bar, tube and sheet forming equipment:

One option is Warco, I have one of their small '3-in-1' formers.

W.N.S., based in Rochford, Essex; supplied my tin-man's jenny (Its operating-manual calls it a "Rotary Machine ", which is true, but a bit odd! Most of WNS' products are industrial-sized and powered, for the manufacturers of ventilation-ducting and similar; but they also sell a range of smaller, bench-sized shears, croppers, jennies, bar and tube formers, and similar. They sometimes sell second-hand machines, too, but as something of a side-line.

[Curiously, apart from areas like boiler-making and model locomotive superstructures etc., sheet-metal fabricating seems a bit side-lined in model-engineering. Perhaps that it is because it does not have many model applications; and I think suffers a bit from an unfair reputation. Not everything we make is a miniature replica of hefty plate-work, though.]

'

And a big hand for TEE Publishing - I have probably a dozen books from them, most in the 'Workshop Practice' series; and have cited the appropriate ones a few times in this forum.

'

My most recent tooling purchases was from Arc Euro others here have mentioned. My dividing-head is a Warco-badged copy of the Vertex B0, (though second-hand but apparently unused, via a bereavement sale within the club).

I find this topic difficult. In most cases I don't believe recommendations come from logic, more likely it depends if you like the firm or not.

I have used a number of firms for ordinary engineering items, quite a few mentioned above, over the last year and all have given good service. By that I mean they have been able to supply the wanted items promptly (within a few days). This is what I would expect. For more specialist items, such as castings, I have had to wait which is also expected.

During this period I have found one firm, outside the model engineering fraternity, which does stand out - Drill Services (Horley) Ltd. Really they deal with industry but like most such firms if you place a sensible value order, say £50, you will be treated with respect. Their range of cutters, reamers etc is vast. Most are in stock and arrive next morning. For example I bought 3/64" HSS slot cutters, a 50mm long 4mm diameter countersink and a 70mm long small centre drill from them at very reasonable cost.

JA

Doug, if my memory serves me right they do 3 ranges, 2um, 5um which is their standard and a 10um max runout which is their budget set, I think it was about £180+tax for the budget set, I couldn't justify the 2um set, but £224+tax for their standard set seemed very fair to me.

JA, I completely understand what you're saying, it was more one trick pony, niche businesses that I thought people might not have heard of rather than just recommending your favourite supplier.

When I was looking for some top notch European manufacturers of ER collets, it wasn't a case of picking my favourite supplier, I couldn't find one that gave me the option to purchase them, I hope that makes sense, it wasn't intended to be a popularity contest.

I have just had good service from Drill Service. I needed some small good quality drills to drill all the rivet holes in my smokebox. I didnt want to snap anything. They sent me overnight all the drills I needed, none of the shiny Chinese things that you get in a set but good quality low helix drills. I will definitely use them again.

Arc Eurotrade, Tracey Tools, APT, and Cutwell are good reliable firms.

Just out of interest, Buffer, is it your belief that none of the drills Drill Service sell are made in China?

Can thoroughly recommend Derek Harper Foundries in Bradford (UK). They cast non-ferrous metals. I gave them a couple of patterns for my Fire King, and they were ready in three days. Quality looks fine; no apparent blowholes or inclusions. Reasonable price (to me) and a most helpful guy, who even replied to my email on a Sunday afternoon. Very impressed.!

Bob

For all types of metal & plastic rod etc I use Rapid Metal Supplies in Redditch, very helpful staff, no minimum order

Rapid Metals they have a Coventry branch as well.

before Covid customers were allowed to walk around the unit selecting small offcuts which are all sorted out on racks or floor and stored in various areas. There is no minimal charge or anything so you can just take your bits and pieces to the counter to be weighed. They have a cutting service as well