Local:

Space Surplus Metal - 325 Church St New York, NY 212-966-4358

Metalliferous - jewelry making supplies, tools, beads, wire, sheet metals - 34 west 46th street 2nd floor between 5th and sixth (Diamond District)

Myron Toback - precious metals, beads, sheet metal - 25 West 47th Street New York, NY 10036

Online:

Small Parts - gears, fasteners, ball bearings, mesh, wire, etc.

Travers Tools a good machinists and metalworking tool supplier

Online Metals a good online source for metals and many sheet plastic products

Metal Working Tips

For hand cutting sheet steel, tin snips are easier to use than the more common yellow, red, and green handled aviaton snips. For curve cutting, the narrower jawed duck-bill type tin snips are the best choice.

When using the grinder, keep a cup of water nearby to quench the workpiece and prevent burning.

When drilling metal, set the drill press on the lowest speed and put a drop of cutting oil where the drill touches the metal

To keep a drill bit from moving or skating across the surface of a metal sheet, tap a mark with a pin punch at the point where you want to start the hole

Tap and Die Basics