I wanted to replace the glass on my outdoor porch light. The initial quote was more than I was willing to pay due to the custom cuts. It would have been cheaper to buy a new light fixture. Jameson was able to find some bargain bin pieces to help me with my project. Excellent service! read more

I needed several waterproof shelving. Went to TAP plastic and had them cut to specification. The staff was very helpful in both guiding me in the materials that made sense and the thickness that I should use. And the cherry on top was the fact that the staff were very friendly and fast. read more

Needed a sheet of plastic to protect some things in our kitchen. The cashier/manager was really helpful in getting me to understand our options and I am confident that we got the right thing for our application. the sheet was cut very professionally and will look good. And the prices were very reasonable. read more

I dropped off my sketch and request on Wednesday, December 3. I was told it would be ready the following Thursday, December 11. After three emails back-and-forth on December 10, my fairly simple design was approved. I was told it would now be ready on Friday December 12. Then today, December 12, 11:40 AM, I received a phone call from tap plastics questioning the sketch that had been approved. Another email was then sent for approval, followed by a phone call to get a verbal approval again. I was told it would be a couple of hours before it would be ready. I showed up at 3 PM and was told it would be another 20 minutes. It's now 4:43 PM and it's still not ready. I do not recommend this establishment. read more

I went in looking for a acrylic plastic cover for my light. I went to home depot bought one for 17 bucks cut it myself which is difficult as hell then went to install it shattered. Then found out about this place awesome took the measurements was slightly too wide took it back and the trimmed it down. The price was 37 bucks. Worth the price people friendly would recommend. read more

Marvin provided good service and helped me get my order completed in a timely manner. He also offered to help me get the finished products to the car. The sheets we ordered were accurate and fit the table tops. It can be pricey for labor such as rounding and sanding. Easy place to get to and park. Order delivery timelines are a bit sketchy due to previous orders in the queue and payment questions. read more

I wanted to get a piece of glass replaced from a small heart shaped frame that was broken. The frame and photo have priceless sentimental value to me. The frame is about 6 inches in size and replacing the glass would be a custom job that would cost about $200.00 from a framing shop. I tried Michael's as well but they also said no, it was a custom design. I wanted to replace the frame cover with Plexiglass for safety and durability and a glass job was too expensive. Home Depot does cut sheets of Plexiglass to size but nothing custom in design. I contacted TAP Plastics in San Mateo and they told me they could do the job in Plexiglass and a small job like that could be done in a few minutes. I brought my frame to them and within 20 minutes I had a custom cut piece of Plexiglass that fit perfectly. The best part is - it cost me $16.55 to get it done. The staff there is super friendly and helpful. Jameson did a great job for me and I can't thank him enough. It's a small job but it meant so much to me. I would use these guys again if I am ever in need of a custom job like this. Thanks Again TAP Plastics you guys are the Best! read more

I spoke to the manager about a specific size of plastic needing to be cut to fit my client's spec. He said he had it and total cost would be about $75, prompting me to head straight to the store. The two employees who addressed my needs said they were in fact stocked out of that plastic and only had a larger and more expensive size. I paid over $100 as a result. I thank the workers there for their expertise and I believe I wasn't charged for the cutting fee. Lesson: consult with the workers, not the manager, to get your job done right. read more

Great service in terms of looking at your project and coming up with a way to help. And the staff is super friendly. Prices are good too. read more

I've come to this location of TAP Plastics a few times over the last year while working on a prototype of an aquarium product. The team (I've worked with everyone there now) is very experienced. They take you at your level and improve your knowledge as much as you want to know. For my particular project I needed sheet acrylic cut to exact specifications (less than 1/16" variance) and the shop was able to do it within a few days. When I got the pieces home I found a really nice instruction guide that Iczaa wrote up to help me put it together properly. While I was in the shop another wonderful associate spent a good deal of time with me discussing how to bond acrylic properly with the proper tools and solvent. I find the customer service here to be rare in other, similar shops, and it's clear that they are knowledgeable and trained to be efficient and helpful. I'll be back. read more

TAP Plastics - Hobby Shops Near Me - San Mateo, California

I had a small project of plastic I needed cut to size. Enrique greeted me when I got there. He was kind and professional and expressed a genuine interest in my project. He also let me know that they could do the project immediately and it wouldn't take long. I waited less than 10 minutes and they did an awesome job. Excellent customer service and a great experience. Thank you. read more

Excellent customer service, fair pricing, friendly employees, useful products, and quick service. Highly recommend.

Went to Tap plastics after calling to verify the material I needed was in stock. Drove through traffic to get there at 4:45. The store closes at 5:30. I was informed the plastic cutter was on break. Then I was informed the plastic cutter could not cut the sheet. It was too big for 1 person and the cutter would not be back until Friday. Complete waste of time and I was willing to pay the inflated pricing. I own a small business and it pains me to write this. So much for customer service and supporting small businesses. This happened on a Wednesday. read more

Outstanding service. Helped me get right sized Starboard for a Boston Whaler restoration and results are fantastic!

Went in on a Saturday afternoon wasn't too busy. I just had a small project going on people out. Front were very courteous and nice and knowledgeable. Highly recommend will come back when I need some supplies. read more

Fast, confident, Professional, friendly service. Fun place to shop. They were able to cut some plexiglass shelves to our exact specs while we waited. Any size and thickness you want at a really reasonable price. read more

We come by for the industrial adhesives and they always seem to have exactly what we are looking for. Some of these things are hard to find in CA however local CARB seems a bit more forgiving. Their sheet stock is a little more expensive since they are at a consumer level buy and I'm used to buying full sheets. But over all nice folks and nice selection of goods. read more

Always forget about good old TAP plastics. But when I need them I am so glad they are around. Got some acrylic sheets cut up for some lighting fixtures. Iczaa help me. She was helpful, nice, pleasant, and wonderful. Got what I needed. Painless, easy, and exactly what I needed. read more

TAP Plastics - Hobby Shops Near Me - San Mateo, California

Enrique the manager has one of the best and most understanding customer service you can get. I work in the healthcare industry as a plant operations manager there are time where we are In of a custom made work done quickly, Enrique has always stepped in to go above and beyond! Exceeds expectations always! read more

The crew at TAP plastics exceeded my expectations this afternoon. I am surprised with the amount of repair and Fabrication I have done on various projects that I have not visited Tap Plastics in the past. Love this store, love their ability to make items from scratch, in the service I received today. Also appreciated the various component items, ready to sell, avail at the store. I recommend TAP Plastics for your plastic needs! read more

TAP Plastics - Hobby Shops Near Me - San Mateo, California

Good people. Good location with parking and they have lots of material for all your plastic projects. read more

TAP Plastics - Hobby Shops Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Great service. Appreciate being open until 6pm. Pricing not consistent with San Mateo, but SM closes 1/2 hr earlier, so in my case, a slightly higher cost was worthwhile. read more

To respond to manager, I went into the store requesting to finish a project that was designed and planned by your employee. I paid in full. I was told to come back anytime, after we glued the parts together and the work would be completed so your fabricators could make the stand the display unit was designed to fit on. The reason for this was to get a perfect milling for the best fit. Then I was told that one, your store would not honor a plan made by an ex-employee. Two, the material I purchased wasn't available, but an alternate could be made. Then I asked the important question....was there going to be an additional cost? I was told "yes." I am standing there with all the materials in hand that I bought at TAP. My part of the project completed and requesting that the final part of this display case finished as promised and your employee questioned my integrity and honesty as well as that of a former long time employee, who in my opinion, did a heck of a great job representing you while she was working at TAP. "No" I did not want to pay one cent more than I've already paid for a COMPLETE job. And, because I did not have my receipt, they refused to honor the word of someone who represented TAP. So please don't make it sound like I wanted a pricier product, I was willing to settle for something far less than was promised, but when I was told it would cost extra, that's when I walked out the door. Terrible customer service! read more

Store seems to be run by teens who are most unhelpful and rude. No attention to what the customers needs or helping the customer. Used to be a responsibly run business. Don't waste your time with this place - the people who run the store now neither understand what they sell nor what the customers needs. read more

I am very happy with the service and quality I received at TAP Plastics! I have a very old fluorescent light fixture with plastic paneling. The plastic had cracked and yellowed over the years, so after doing some research as to who could help, and trying various hardware stores, I ended up at TAP Plastic. These folks know their stuff. Within minutes, they'd helped me pick out new paneling, and cut it to size. When I got home and the panels didn't quite fit, I brought them back and they re-cut them at no additional charge. Now, the light fixture literally looks new (high praise for a 45-year old fixture!), and the panels are a huge reason why. I was very impressed with their customer service, and would highly recommend the store. Parking was in a proprietary lot adjacent to the store (key, because it's right off crowded downtown San Mateo). read more

I walked in needing help with special cut acrylic for a wedding project. Immediately when I walked in I was greeted by Riley. I told him what I needed and he let me know it would take about a week. I said oh no...that won't work. He offered to call other TAP Plastics in the area and ask if they would be able to take my order. Their production times were the same. Xander and Brandon came into the showroom and started offering suggestions that might work for my project. One of them suggested they ask Paddy if he may be able to help me out and Paddy came through! I cannot thank Paddy, Riley, Xander and Brandon enough for going above and beyond to help me! TEN+ Stars for GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE! read more

This store is worth a visit just to browse around and see all the things available made of plastics. I purchased polycarbonate sheets to replace glass in a curio cabinet door. The difference in price saved me over $100 to replace the broken glass in the one door do I replaced the glass in both doors! The doors are now safer around dogs and children (or even me if I fell into the door). read more

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Went here for the first time today and had a great experience. We were looking for some custom cut plastic and the young lady working at the counter was extremely helpful to us in selecting what we needed. She also gave us great tips on how to mount the piece. Very affordable prices and great service. We will definitely be back! read more

the city of San Mateo's parking permits are these reverse stickers that go into the back of your window. When you have a window that's hard to get to, it can be a pain in the ass. Also if you need to move the sticker you have to peel it off, another hassle. So I hit TAP up, got a 3 x 4 x 1/16 sheet of clear plastic, drill a hole and inserted a hook with a suction cup into it. Apply sticker to plastic. Hang in window. Problem solved. They did it right quick and it cost me like $2.25 read more

riley, bryce and xander are great. very information and helpful. highly recommend. will be back

Their epoxy has poor quality control. I've wasted hundreds of dollars on it, and I'll never buy it again. I measure my mixtures to the gram, and yet half the time, the mix fails to set. It's bad enough that the bottles come through the mail sticky to the touch. read more

amazing local vendor has helped me through some tricky moments in projects. good inventory, and selection of tools and glues, etc. read more

TAP Plastics - .25" acrylic frame for weather station. - Hobby Shops Near Me - San Mateo, California

I can't thank the staff at TAP enough for their patience and expertise. I had a very odd job to complete in our apartment's master bedroom window. We couldn't remove the screen (bolted from outside on 2nd floor) from our crank window, but wanted to set up a portable AC unit. The screen also had a mini-screen door that had to be opened inward to reach out and grab the window handle to open/close window. I've seen this style of window around our neighborhood and it's the most outdated, backward thing I've ever used in my life. Anyway, there were a lot of issues to work thru to be able to set up the AC unit's hose at the window and I must have been to TAP at least 5 times to order parts, ask for help, and buy knick-knacks to make the whole thing work. I FINALLY got the whole thing assembled and I'm so sad that because the final assembly is set in a window I can't get a picture of it in action and I can't show the TAP staff that all my effort wasn't in vain :). Both front and back room staff were more than happy to discuss options, show me how to adhere things, re-cut, and make recommendations, etc. Thanks, TAP! read more

Diego did such a nice job of replacing the missing glass in my outdoor light fixture. And it was very reasonable and quickly completed. read more

TAP Plastics - Hobby Shops Near Me - San Mateo, California

Great service from Enrique and Iszaa on helping me with a custom build as I had to make a few changes along the way.

Great solution to a hot tub issue. Found right sized rod, they cut it for me $6 and done!

Consistently terrible service. San Mateo shop beats the bunch though. They couldn't care less and it shows. No eye contact, no courtesy, no sense of urgency. All I expect is basic courtesy and consistent policies across stores. Tap Plastics is spending too much money advertising and not enough on basic customer service training. Tap is NOT your fantastic plastic place. Stay away. :P read more

I needed a custom case for a special piece of rock memorabilia and the team of Umberto, Iczaa and Diego were super helpful in creating a really high quality product. The product exceeded my super high expectations. Super appreciative of their quality work! read more

Tap Plastics is cheap. Don't bother bringing the San Mateo shop any simple engineering drawings because they won't know how to read them. In the past, I've given the Fremont Tap Plastics engineering drawings with tolerances and everything. I was given perfect parts the next day. At this location, I got 4 parts (3 of which were machined incorrectly...holes were in the wrong plates) and the hole location dimensions were completely off. The plate size was also off. To top it off, the receptionist was quite rude. I'm never coming back here again. read more

4/5/2012 The only reason that I am giving 2 stars is because the gentleman on the phone on Wed night was so nice. Thursday,I go into the store to pick up the 34 frames that I am purchasing.The employee behind the counter was on a business call and never even acknowledged me.Then the employee upstairs decides to mosey on down see if perhaps I need help,duh. Woman gets off phone and still doesn't acknowledge me.Really?? CUSTOMER SERVICE IS HORRIBLE AND I WONT GO BACK AND THEY HAVE THE NERVE TO HAVE A YELP SIGN ON THE COUNTER,HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHA I am resubmitting this post.People need to know read more