TAP Plastics

I went to Tap looking for a protective cover for my large and fragile charcoal drawings. I had some idea of what I wanted, but was unsure of the exact material and assembly.
Harold helped me find the right solution in a snap, cut the material to the right size and gave me everything needed for an easy assembly. So helpful, quick and easy. My drawings are already up on the wall and they look perfect. Very happy with the customer service and very happy with the result!

Just bought some light panels from Tap. They helped me choose the panels, cut them in less than 15 minutes, and both were perfect for my skylight. They have a huge stock of plastic and glass items, paneling and so on, and the prices in my opinion are on the low side.

I went to TAP Plastics to get some advice on reinforcing the seams on a secondhand acrylic aquarium. I was helped by a friendly and knowledgeable young woman who listened patiently to my (overly lengthy) story and gave me good advice on how to solve my problem. She checked the scrap barrel for the type of square acrylic rod I needed, found one at a slightly larger size, and gave it to me at the price of the smaller diameter rod. She tagged it to be cut to length. By the time I had finished paying, the guy from the fabrication shop behind the counter had come out and laid my newly cut acrylic in front of me. More than pleased with the price and the service. I had no idea there was even such a thing as a plastics shop, but now I’m wondering if there are other products and services I could use that would allow me to support this business.

awesome customer service. they helped me with a cumbersome fish tank project. even though they had to cut two pieces of plastic for me, they only charged me for one, saying the other would just be scrapped anyways. thanks a lot taps!

This place is very inexpensive. I was looking for a topper for my coffee table. Shopping around I found a glass place that was willing to cut a piece for me… for an arm & a leg price. I found this place on Unilocal & gave them a call. Not only did they provide what I needed but it was also sturdy & about 75% less that the glass top I was initially going to get. It’s not a glass top put its exactly what I was looking for, good quality at a great price. Thanks

Dropped in to TAP with a custom bike tow tray idea (never before attempted on my Bike Friday Haul-​a-​Day cargo bike). TAP folks were creative and great at bringing my envisioned tow rack into reality. Did I mention they were super speedy?

This place is great. I needed to replace the shelves in my medicine cabinet, and 10 minutes and 10 dollars later, it was done. I think I want to do more things with plastic now. It’s like there’s a whole world that I should tap into. Get it, TAP into?

I went in here with an unintelligible request. Daniel was amazing. He took what I was trying to say (poorly), looked at the picture I drew (hieroglyphics) and created a masterpiece. It was so inexpensive I felt like I was robbing the place. It was also done lightning quick while I waited.

Help you find what you need, and their cuts are reasonably priced. They have all sorts of plastics that you can get in any size. They are very nice and helpful.

Tap Plastics is great! I went by today with an unusual but very small, last minute cut plexiglass need. The staff listened to my needs, asked good questions to clarify my project, and communicated clearly. They shared the different properties of plexiglass, how the cuts would affect the look, and paid attention to details I did not consider. Even though my project was very small (not much income for them) they worked hard to make sure it was cut right. Then to top it all off, even though they were fully booked for the day, they completed my last minute, deadline driven job early. Tap Plastics went above and beyond for my little cut job.
I always refer people to Tap Plastics, so thought I would share my positive experience with them from today.

I have replaced the glass in all my transportable picture frames with plastic.
These frames take quite a beating. I take out the photos and replace them with different ones for different shows. I usually have to replace several plastic pieces a year.
Tap is quick. The prices are reasonable. And the people are pleasant. No doubt about it, this is the best place for my plastic needs.

This place is fabulous for any plastic-​related project you want to tackle. They’ve got window film, funky paperclips, a good assortment of containers, and plastic sheets/​rods in a huge variety of colors (including a mirror finish) and thicknesses. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. I bought some safety film from here and, even though the application directions are available online, the person helping me printed out directions for me and folded them brochure-​style so I could have easy access.

I’m not all that handy, but I’m good at taking advice when I need something done around the house. One recent (and simple) project involved adding a little more insulation value to 2 small closet windows and and glass-​enclosed bay above the kitchen sink. So it was off to Tap Plastics for some Lexan (polycarbonate).
The folks here were good on advice and spot on regarding sizing and and application tips. The pricing was also reasonable and I was very happy with the results of my work. Gayle would say that there’s «fix things» hope for me yet!

With only a week left to finish my Mechanical Engineering senior design project at UC Berkeley, I decided to make a clear enclosure for all of our electronics. Our machine shop guided me to TAP Plastics, which they called probably the most knowledgeable guys around.
I walked in expecting shelves full of football cases and such, but noticed there’s a relatively large workspace in the back. They’re able to take any mechanical drawing and quote you a pretty good price. At first, the bill came out to almost $ 40, which was way too high for the job. The guy then quickly suggested that they could make the pieces for $ 10, and I could buy some glue for another $ 10. That pretty much cut the half in price and made it easier for me to machine the parts later on. Also, I get to play around with the glue.
I was back in 10 min, with all of the parts cut to specific dimensions. Also, I was given some extra parts to practice gluing on, which was pretty nice of them as well. Excellent customer service, fast production time, and a fairly close location!

Pretty much exactly what it says on the tin: plastics, for whatever it is you might need plastics for. Acrylics, polycarbonates, sheets, tubes, rods, frames, tinted panes, all the tools and adhesives you might need to work with them. Knowledgeable staff will let you know the details regarding how to machine them, paint them, glue them… all the datasheets are right there for impact resistance, heat resistance, chemical reactivity… a valuable resource. They’re also fine with very small quantities. If they don’t have something in the store (which is sometimes the case, like with bullet-​proof composites), you can usually order it off their website, which I suggest you check out immediately.

Does Advertising work? An age-​old question with mixed results. What I can tell you is that one of the few radio ads that come through sports talk radio I finally gave a listen. The company: TAP Plastics. Was it their jingle… not likely.
I just needed some materials for my photography business, and thought I would give this a whirl. I wasn’t disappointed. I was a bit frustrated with their business hours, but I just need a bit more advance planning.
The staff was very friendly, especially in light of the fact that I’m a moron when it comes to this stuff. So, I told them what I needed to do (product photography) and they gave me options. It took 2 minutes to cut the materials, and I went merrily on my way.
So, if you are trying to do some product photography, you might want to check this place out before you go to some photography online store that will charge you a decent markup for something of the same (or lesser) quality.

Did I tell you we are rennovating a bathroom? Did I tell you that we have had this bathroom down to the studs for a year and now has a floor, walls and a drop-​in shower?
As a result of some strangeness in the shower we needed an opaque plastic piece built to order. We coordinated our day so that we could visit TAP plastics, which is open on Saturdays in a little strip mall (near the DMV) in El Cerrito.
The staff was friendly and accomomdating. Because of some issues beyond our control, we had to go back several times to get the piece just a little different each time (doesn’t that always happen?). The staff at TAP stuck with us, helping us until the piece was perfect. We were very pleased with their professionalism.
A bonus? After years of just planning it, I finally got the clear plastic shelf in my kitchen window as well. Yeah for TAP!!!

I totally agree with Christopher:
This is the type of store you have no need for until you walk through the front door.
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I’ve driven by this place a million times and never set foot in it till recently.
I was doing a display project at work and I wanted to display an assortment of flyers. Someone had bought these expensive clunky flat backs that were hella ugly, I decided to try putting some plastic rods to put into the cracks instead,
I bought some long rods which they cut into smaller pieces.
BINGO! Those cheapy rods are perfect!
There are all sorts of plastic boxes, rods, cubes, plexiglass sheets,
for every plastic project you are working on.
The staff is very nice and knowledgeable. And they didn’t give me the old «roll your eyes» look when I lamely tried to explain my project.

So, you need to cast some resin?
TAP Plastics!
So, you need to buy some assorted plastic cubes?
TAP Plastics!
So, you need to make your own latex anything?
TAP Plastics!
So, you need to buy scraps of plexiglass?
TAP Plastics!
There’s nowhere else to go, so just admit it – you need it, you want it, you got it: TAP.

TAP is always a fun place to go. Colored or clear plastics of all
shapes and sizes awaken the acrylic child in me. Must have been
the Lite-​Brite I had way back when that now makes me want to stick
an LED on the end of each piece of scrap I pick out of TAP’s bin.
The people there are nearly uniformly knowledgeable about all
sorts of plastic, the expertise of which is no doubt why one pays
a bit more for their merchandise. But it’s definitely worth it. The
manager, whose name escapes me at the moment, is one of
those punch you in the shoulder with a poker face sorta guys,
in a verbal sense. Be prepared with a dose of sarcasm and
a dry sense of humor in your back pocket.
Is there any other more readily available source of so much fun?
That’s legal, I mean? That’s for those who have nearly no
social life? Settle down, this is only hypothetical in nature.
Sometimes being hypothetically shot doesn’t sound bad, though.
Sigh.