Where to source tools and materials
Protospace member discounts
Local
Acrylic
- Laird Plastics
- Address: 935 28 St NE, Calgary, AB T2A 7X1
- Phone: 403-250-9298
- Piedmont Plastics
- Address: 10760 25 St NE, Calgary, AB T3N 0A1
- Phone: 587-288-1582
- Trotec Laser
- Address: 820 28 St NE #2, Calgary, AB T2A 6K1
- Phone: 1-800-6611278
- Industrial Paint & Plastics
- Address: #5, 5558-1 Street SE, Calgary AB, T2H 2W9
- Phone: (403) 252-8368
- SABIC's Polymershapes
- Address: 1440 Aviation Park NE, Calgary AB, T2E 7E2
- Phone: (403) 250-1670
- Canadian Engravers Supply (Laminate Acrylic)
- Address: 4730-14th Street NE, Calgary AB, T2E 6L7
- Phone: (403) 250-6774
- Note: Protospace has an account under the name 'Calgary Protospace'. They don't typically do walk-ins so call ahead.
- PlasticWorks Inc.
- Address: 11711B-44 Street SE, Calgary AB
- Phone: (403) 236-7700
Electronics
- Active Tech by Solarbotics (NE) - 3D printing, robotics, electronics, kits, supplies, etc!
- B&E Electronics (SW)
- MRO Electronics (NE) - no longer has public showroom, need to preorder on account (believe we are in their system as Calgary Protospace).
- Alberta Printed Circuits (local PCB fab, see "Online" below for cheaper options)
Radio
- GPS Central (SW) - big retail with amateur, marine, outdoor, all sorts of radio gadgets
- NTF Communications - amateur radio shop
- Caltronics / Prairie Mobile - Motorola/Kenwood dealer, service, parts
- Sundance Radio Communications
- Westcan Advanced Communication Solutions - more industrial
Fasteners
- Fastenal
- North Address: BAY P - 2020 32nd Avenue NE Calgary, AB T2E 6T4
- Phone: (403) 291-3282
- Bolt Supply House
- North Address: 3437 12 Street NE, Calgary, AB T2E 6S6
- Phone: (403) 250-2658
Metal
- Steel Inc (Plenty of aluminum as well! Two guys in a bay with a big saw, cheaper than Supermarket)
- Address: 3260 46 Ave SE #30, Calgary, AB T2B 3K7
- Phone: (587) 349-4766
- Calgary Metal Market
- Address: 225 41st Ave NE, Calgary, AB, T2E 2N3
- Phone: (403) 475-9858
- Metal Supermarket (Good for small quantities of common metals, we're under "Calgary Protospace")
- Address: 3716-56th Ave. SE, Calgary AB, T2C 2B5
- Phone: (403)720-2267
- Rainbow Salvage (Large Quantity Scrap Metal/Steel)
- Address: #300, 104 East Lake Blvd NE, Airdrie AB, T4A 2G2
- Phone: (403) 948 4901
- Metalworks Canada
- Bay A, 1115-48th Ave. SE Calgary, Alberta T2G 2A7
- 403-279-2766
- Samuel Specialty Metals Canada
- Address: 9112 52 St SE, Calgary AB, T2C 5A9
- Phone: (403) 203-0731
- Federal Metals
- Address: 5135 94 Ave SE, Calgary AB, T2C 5J9
- Phone: (403) 236-0402
- Rosedal Sheet Metal (Full Sheets of 16-26 gauge)
- Address: 2610 3 Avenue NE
- Phone: (403) 569-0005
- KMS Tools and Equipment Ltd. (In the welding dept. they have big stock pile of 4 Ft x 3 Ft, 16 gauge (+ other thinner gauge sheets) Stainless Steel Sheet Metal. Very Low Price)
- Address: 6311 Centre Street S, Calgary AB, T2H 0C7
- Phone: (403) 457-3537
Textiles
- Leather & leatherworking tools
- Fabric Debot - Largest fabric store in Calgary
- PacCana (27 Ave NE, showroom is just down the road from Protospace) - fabrics, zippers, webbing, buckles, thread, elastic, sewing supplies...
- Cansew Inc (3932 29 Street Northeast, Calgary, AB T1Y 6B6) - Cash account set up to purchase supplies for the embroidery machine
- Legacy Studio (212 West Terrace Point, Cochrane, AB Canada T4C 1S1) Call ahead if visiting her store in person-Phone: 1.866.932.0932 toll free for orders-Phone: 1.403.932.0932 - Felting, spinning, and rughooking supplies
- My Sewing Room 8228 Macleod Trail SE #148, Calgary, AB T2H 2B8 (403) 252-3711
- Ujamma Grandmas yearly sale for charity. Usually in April or May. Very good deals, like 90% off retail pricing.
Tools
- ACT Equipment (machine shop related tools, great stock)
- Lee Valley Tools (woodworking)
- Busy Bee Tools (imported largish tools, metal and wood. Cheap but not crap)
- KMS Tools6311 Centre St SW
Vinyl
- TCT Graphics Products
- Victory Vinyl (wholesale, use Protospace account)
Wood
- Windsor Plywood
- Black Forest Wood
- P.J. White Hardwoods (now part of Richelieu)
- Upper Canada Forest Products
- Bacon Veneer 403-250-3757 (Exotic Hardwood Veneers)
- Wood Cache
Other
- Princess Auto
- Lowe's (I only mention this because their selection is FAR better then the crap at Home Depot and Rona.)
- Michael's (Stamp rubber)
- The Camera Store (Photo processing chemicals and tools.)
- Antique woodworking tools, contact Eric Coyle through Protospace or 403 701 0460
- Sureline Foam Products - retail, wholesale and custom cut
- Anixter - industrial supply, wire and cable, hardware, tools, etc.
- LP Sales (27th Ave NE near Barlow) - often best priced restaurant equipment and supplies such as stainless and plastic tubs, squeeze bottles useful for glue/epoxy, mixing tools, packaging, etc.
- Russel Hendrix (SW) - large foodservice equipment and supplies, great selection, knowledgeable parts counter
- Crown Food Equipment (SW) - big showroom, all the little stuff and more appliances/equipment
Online
Automotive
AutoValue 32nd st Acct#070418
- Note: Protospace has an account under the name 'Calgary Protospace'.
Electronics
- Digi-Key
- Mouser
- Octopart - parts search engine and multi-quote tool
- PCBShopper - multi-quote tool for PCB and assembly
- Jameco
- supremecable - Wiring harnesses
- Sparkfun Electronics
- JLCPCB - large online Chinese PCB assembly house, also owns LCSC Electronics and will combine shipping or assemble
- Wonderful PCB (PCB assembly)
- PCB Fabrication and Assembly(Seeed Studio Fusion)
- Phidgets
- Wellpcb (PCB prototype and PCB assembly)
- Ourpcb (PCB and PCBA supplier)
Kits
LEDs
- Phenoptix - Mostly LEDs but carries other components as well (Free shipping everywhere)
- Superbright LEDs - LEDs
Tools
- Canada's Tool Crib - If the website doesn't work, google: 'Canadas tool crib' and click on the first link. They have something weird with referrers.
- KBC Tools - Flat shipping, $9, up to 50lbs.
- MSC Direct - Amazing selection, order today, get a call about shipping tomorrow.
Metal
- Metal Super Markets - Big selection, Big Shipping charges
- Online Metals - Ships via UPS
- Roto Metals - Non Ferrous metals.
Samples
Chip manufacturers are typically a good place to get free samples of components
Other
- K&J Magnetics - Magnets, lots and lots of magnets
- VXB Ball Bearings
- Deal Extreme - the original cheap stuff out of China site
- Ali Express - (link blocked by Wiki spam filter!?) even cheaper stuff out of China, you get what you pay for, shipping can take from days/weeks to month(s)
- Alibaba - the B2B/wholesale version of Ali Express, however don't let that scare you as most of the suppliers will do retail/individual sales. Be aware of import and shipping charges, duties and tariffs; ie. know what FOB terms you are signing up for.