Lab Materials

We stock a broad range of materials for prototyping in plastic, wood, metal and textiles. For questions about specific materials and up to date stock information, stop by the lab during opening hours and we will be happy to help.

BASIC SHEET MATERIALS

Birch Plywood 400x600mm (3mm, 6mm)
Light coloured birch wood often used for laser cut fingerjoint boxes.

+ Pleasant appearance, strong, glues well with PVA
+ Can be screwed into
– Sheets are often warped or twisted
– Laser burnt edges require sanding
– Careful attention needs to be paid to ‘kerfing’ for good joints

MDF 400×600 (3mm, 4mm, 6mm)
Wood based sheet with uniform appearance.

+ Uniform, and flat
+ Very good for painting
+ Can be glued with PVA wood glue
– For some, a less desirable surface finish than MDF.
– Care needs to be taken when screwing into MDF.

Clear Acrylic 400×600 (3mm, 4mm, 6mm)
Optically clear plastic. Sometimes called Plexiglass or Perspex.

+ Uniform, and flat
+ Very Clear
+ Difficult to glue cleanly
+ Can be heat bent
– Must be held together mechanically (Cannot be screwed into)
– Brittle, can crack easily
– Expensive
– Plastic is not good for prototypes with a short life span.

Other popular materials we stock are…
Molding Silicone, Liquid latex, Glues, Tapes, Fabrics, Smart Textiles, Fasteners, Modelling Foam, Solid wood offcuts, Threaded rods…