North American Sources for Equipment, Materials, etc.


4 Minute Read

HomeLearning CenterJewelry MakingBeginner's CornerNorth American Sources for Equipment, Materials, etc.
By Charles Lewton-BrainMore from this author

This page offers a list of some useful North American Sources for Equipment, Materials, information, etc that would be very helpful for your reference.

Bonny Doon Enterprises, 250 Tassett Court, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060, 1-800-995-9962: the best hydraulic press system around for small studios and goldsmiths.

Braun Architectural Metals, 7540 McCormick Boulevard, Skokie, Illinois, 60076: Ornamental stampings in steel with great choice and low minimum orders.

Busy Bee Machine Tools, 475 North Rivermede Road, Concord, Ontario L4K 3R2, (416-738-1292): Good prices on machine tools and accessories for wood and metal work. A Canadian version of Industrial Pipe and Steel.

Casting Specialties, W 51 N 545 Struck Lane, Cedarburg, WIS 53012, (414-377-4361): Cast semi steel hammer set; unfinished (94.00), also set of T stakes, 8 for $130 and vertical set at $102. Can be hard to get hold of but I have a set and so do others. The price is right even if the service may be a little loose.

Dixie EMS catalog, PO Box 55549, Houston, Texas, 77255, USA: Medical and safety equipment like you never knew existed, great prices on band aids and medical aids.

Eastwood Company, 580 Lancaster Avenue, Box 3014, Malvern, PA, 19355, 1-800-345-1178: Delrin® hammers, metal and body working tools.

Karl Fischer GMBH, Berliner Strasse 18, PF 567, Pforzheim, 7530 Germany: Very good tools and prices, s/s and gold findings, bench hammer/red chasing pitch/black setters pitch. Order anything heavy by surface mail. Ask for the English catalog too.

G and G's Miracle House, 5621 West Hemlock, P.O. Box 23234, Milwaukee, WI 53223: Good prices on gold solders, occasional sales.

GRS, Glendo Corp., P.O. Box 1153, Emporia, Kansas 66801, (316-343-1084): Heavy duty beautifully made tools designed for the professional goldsmith: Benchmate/inside ring clamp and more. I highly recommend the Benchmate system.

Harbor Freight Salvage, 3491 Mission Oaks Blvd, Camarillo, CA 93010: (Service USA only), Cheap drill sets, 12 ton press under $130, tarps, free freight, goods are returnable.

Industrial Pipe and Steel, 9936 E. Rush Street, So. El Monte, CA 91733, (714-523-4191): Machine tools for metal-working of all kinds, cheap quality miniature lathes.

J.I. Morris, 394 Elm Street, Southbridge, Mass 01550: Miniature nuts and bolts sold by the gross. Another source is Walthers which can be found in model train stores.

Susan Kingsley, 20 Ton Press, PO Box 222492, Carmel, CA, 93922, USA: source for Hydraulic die forming for Jewelers and Metalsmiths, a good book on the subject.

Lewton-Brain/Fontans Centre for Jewellery Studies, Suite 300 A, 815 1st St SW, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 1N3, 403-263-3955 We offer custom workshops.

'The Literature', Derek Content, Crow Hill, Houlton, Maine 04730: A librarians dream bibliography and sales catalog of rare jewellery history catalogs/books, ancient technology. A real connection for scholars and researchers as well as technophiles.

Lucas Dental Equipment company, 18 Herkimer Place, Brooklyn, NY, 11216-2714, USA. 718-789-2604 or 1-800-332-5573. Great flex shafts in limited quantities.

Barbara J. McCartin, PO Box 191, North Sutton, N.H , 03260, USA: Great hand made welded steel hydraulic 20 ton press for 200.00 plus shipping. A superb price.

Tim McCreight, Brynmorgen Press, 33 Woodland Road, Cape Elizabeth, Maine, 04101, USA: Excellent selection of affordable books. Ten of the same book is wholesale.

Merit Abrasive Products, 201 West Manville, Compton, CA 90224, (213-774-6650): Industrial grade abrasives, shop rolls for flex shaft mandrels, catalog teaches by detailed action photos.

Micro-Mark, 340 Snyder Ave, Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922, (201-464-6764): Neat miniature model-making tools, cute power tools, great sales on drill bits; odd tools.

New World Books, 2 Cains Road, PO Box 89, Suffern, New York, 10901, USA: any book in print in North America at 10 to 30% (or what seems like more) off.

Reactive Metals Studio, P.O. Box 890, Clarkdale, Arizona 86324: Good source for 'Sparkie' fusion welder, anodizers, titanium/niobium, ready made mokume, etc.

The Reliable Corp., 1001 West Van Buren, Chicago, IL 60607: Good prices, fast service on office supplies, computer stuff, good sales. Service USA only.

Revere Academy, Suite 900, 760 Market Street, San Francisco, CA, 94102, USA, Professional Goldsmithing, the best training book in English at this point.

Rio Grande, 6901 Washington NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109, (800-545-6566): Good source, prices fair but wide range and up to date technology. Fast service.

Shel-tech, 4207 Leas SE, Albuquerque, NM, 87108, 505-256-7073: Pancake die makers.

Small Business Reports, PO Box 53140, Boulder, Co., 80322-3140, USA, serious information for business, I also recommend Inc Magazine. (Thanks to T. Mann)

Small Parts Inc., P.O. Box 381736, Miami, FL 33138, Stainless steel hard drawn wire; nesting tubing; various ball bearings; titanium hardware, low melting metal alloys.

Thompson Enamels, 650 Colfax Avenue, Bellevue, KEN 41073, (606-291-3800): (or P.O. Box 310, Newport, KY 41072): Enamels, gold foil for Keum-Boo.

TSI Inc., 101 Nickerson, P.O. Box 9266, Seattle, WA 98101, (800-426-9984): Great starter draw plate at $3.50; polish holes with toothpick in flex shaft, cheap sawblades at $6 a gross. Also a combination hex, triangle, square plate for 11.00.

US Industrial and Scientific, 601 Linden Place, Evanston, Il 60202: Kind of like having Canal Street through the mail, good deals on odd things; beauty copy writing.

Williams Low Buck Tools, 4175 California, Norco, CA 91760, (714-735-7848): Stock car building tools, great prices on sturdy tools, lever punch press for standard dies.

Robert Wooding, Dry Ridge Co, PO Box 18814, Erlanger, Kentucky, 41018, USA: Good stonesetting books meant for the professional with lot of pictures. An order of ten books gets a great discount. The best information in English at this point in time.

Young Manufacturing, 2131 42 St. North, Grand Forks, ND, (701-722-5541):Miniature bench belt sander ('Zippee'), @ $79, discounts available at 8 units, mine is great.

Copyright © Charles Lewton-Brain 1994
All rights reserved internationally. Copyright © Charles Lewton-Brain. Users have permission to download the information and share it as long as no money is made. No commercial use of this information is allowed without permission in writing from Charles Lewton-Brain.

You assume all responsibility and risk for the use of the safety resources available on or through this web page. The International Gem Society LLC does not assume any liability for the materials, information and opinions provided on, or available through, this web page. No advice or information provided by this website shall create any warranty. Reliance on such advice, information or the content of this web page is solely at your own risk, including without limitation any safety guidelines, resources or precautions, or any other information related to safety that may be available on or through this web page. The International Gem Society LLC disclaims any liability for injury, death or damages resulting from the use thereof.


Charles Lewton-Brain

Master goldsmith Charles Lewton-Brain trained, studied and worked in Germany, Canada and the United States to learn the skills he uses. Charles Lewton-Brain is one of the original creators of Ganoksin.

The All-In-One Jewelry Making Solution At Your Fingertips

When you join the Ganoksin community, you get the tools you need to take your work to the next level.

Become a Member

Trusted Jewelry Making Information & Techniques

Sign up to receive the latest articles, techniques, and inspirations with our free newsletter.