Our online list of specialist suppliers will help you locate hard-to-find materials, tools and services.
If you have a favourite product or supplier, please add them to the list.
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Exhibition supports, crates and related services
Able to construct acrylic boxes to specification for wall-mounted and case displays.
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Tydewi Bindery
S. J. Howard, Restoration Bookbinding and Conservation at Tydewi Bindery, offers a range of bookbinding services
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Antwerp UpholsteryPlastics and foams
Antwerp Upholstery Supplies sell Dacron, mountboard, museum board, card.
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Exhibition supports, crates and related services
Works in WA, nationally and internationally. Art crates and touring management.
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Fabrics, leather and accessories
Fabrics, parsilk, Velcro. Also have offices in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington.
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Lab and office furniture
Able to build storage & shelving units to specification (e.g. unit on wheels for storage of rolled materials).
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Conservation Supplies Australia
Conservation materials, tools, cards and boards, Japanese paper, based in Sydney.
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Plastics and foams
Suppliers of packing foam, tape, bubblewrap. Cospak also has offices in Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Hobart and Auckland.
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Analytical testing and monitoring
The CSIRO Materials Science & Engineering unit offers X-ray diffraction (XRD), powder diffraction and micro-diffraction.
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Plastics and foams
Suppliers of Ethafoam, packing foam, tape. Dunlop Flexible Foams also has branches in NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and New Zealand.
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Solvents and chemicals
Sell heaps of optical systems, microscopes etc, including hand-held ‘pocket’ microscopes of x50 magnification. Also have a nice range of tweezers and miscellaneous things like pump-top HDPE solvent dispensers.
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Fabrics, leather and accessories, Paints, dyes & colouring material, Solvents and chemicals, Tools
Suppliers of Teric G12A7 non-ionic surfactant (alcohol ethoxylate), distributors for Liberon in the ACT, Kremer pigments and binders, Albox and Preservation supplies. Has a 2000 strong retail line in conservation supplies including tools and equipment focusing on supplies for objects and textile conservation.
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Fabrics, leather and accessories
Felt Distribution (Aust) Pty Ltd are also in Melbourne and Adelaide. Felts imported from German supplier BWF Textil GMBH & CO.KG.
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Glass Art and DesignMetals, ceramics, stone and glass
Can make glass domes, shaped glass pieces or other missing features of objects.
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Glass domes.comMetals, ceramics, stone and glass
US supplier – specialises in glass domes and bases, new and antique, can be custom made.
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Rare trades and materials, plus exact reproductions: timber, veneer and inlays, cane, leather and baise (lining, embossing and gilding), porcelain and glass (bevel, dome, convex) and metal (including clock, instrument and machinery parts, casting), vintage electricals and equipment, Australiana.
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Equipment, repairs and replacement parts
Logger and monitor sales, calibration and maintenance
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Equipment, repairs and replacement parts
Postal address: PO Box 447, Willoughby, NSW 2068. Provide a calibrating and repair service for thermohygrographs.
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KamogawaTools
Kamogawa provides a range of Japanese repair papers, mounting brushes and paste bowls.
- Larson Juhl, WA
Paper and boards. Also sell Fomecor, moulding, picture plates. A national company with various Australian offices and suppliers.
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Tools
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Tools
Supplier of felts for pressing. Also stock brushes, Sennelier pastels and other tools. Postal address: P.O. Box 188, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065.
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Equipment, repairs and replacement parts
Ask for red charts – the green ones don’t photocopy as well. Also sell replacement pen nibs for thermohygrgraphs.
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Exhibition supports, crates and related services
Offer a wide variety of services, including construction of specialised display supports, crates for transport, storage enclosures for large objects, installation and object packing.
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Plastics and foams
Suppliers of polypropylene and polyethylene bags. Can specify own sizes. ACN: 076 968 182.
(Alice Cannon)
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Tools
Established in 1991 by conservator Robin HODGSON, RH Conservation Engineering is a research driven supplier of the most innovative, technically advanced and aesthetically pleasing conservation equipment available, providing consistent quality conservation results.
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Analytical testing and monitoring
The RMIT Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility can provide scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy.
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Solvents and chemicals
Suppliers of chemicals and general labware. Rowe Scientific also have branches in South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and NSW.
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Supplier of 3M products
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Plastics and foams
Specialise in resealable ‘Ziploc’ bags made from low density polyethylene; variety of thicknesses available; can specify own size or purchase stock sizes; logos etc can be printed on plastic.
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Sentrill GraphicsLab and office furniture
Sentrill Graphics can service old-style guillotines and other graphic arts equipment. Can construct metal machinery/parts to specifications (e.g. board creaser, metal brackets). contact@sentrillgraphics.com.au
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Health and safety
Offer a variety of disaster-related services, including onsite recovery, vacuum freeze drying, mould cleaning, odour removal, structural dehumidication etc. Offices in most capital cities – see website for more details.
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Surgical HouseTools
Surgical House sell general tools such as syringes, gloves, scalpels and cotton wool.
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TeleflexEquipment, repairs and replacement parts
National Customer Service: 1300 360 226. Offices in Sydney, Coorporoo (QLD), Adelaide and Belmont (WA). Brand purchased: Maymed Aquilon (Code SMAY 8460) – heavy duty. For consolidation, using gelatin, methyl cellulose etc.
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Equipment, repairs and replacement parts
The T-TEC brand is Australian made. The T-TEC C model logs temperature and relative humidity. Software etc not as flashy as some, but it does the job, data can be downloaded into Excel if desired, and is cheaper than many other models.
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Fabrics, leather and accessories
Supply high grade Engineering Felt, including A, B, Firm White Felt (FWF), Saddle Felt, Podiatry Felt and Removalist Felt. Also sell stockinette meat wraps (!) and cheesecloth. Mobile: 0438 851 001
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Paper and boards
These cardboard tubes are not acid-free, need to cover with Tyvek etc. Will cut length to size. Different diameters available. Tubes can be pretty dusty/grotty when they arrive so ask specially for clean packaging.
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Paints, dyes & colouring material
HXTAL is a conservation grade adhesive typically used to join glass and ceramics. Used by museums world wide it is the premeir glass and ceramic adhesive in the world today. Unicorn is the official Australian and New Zealand distributor for HXTAL NYL-1
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Equipment, repairs and replacement parts, Tools
Willard Conservation manufactures and supplies a unique range of equipment, specifically designed for use in the conservation, restoration & preservation of works of art and historic cultural media.
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Fabrics, leather and accessories
Supply library buckram and other coverings for bookbinding etc. They have offices in Sydney and Melbourne – see website for further details.
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Photography/imaging services
3D scanning, digitisation and modelling