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Boat Outfitters Marine Acrylic and Custom Parts vs TAP Plastics Cut-to-Size Acrylic
| Specification | Boat Outfitters | TAP Plastics |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| Price | Quote-based cut-to-size | Quote in store or online |
| Category | Marine & Boat | Supplier |
| Details | ||
| Company | Family-owned, grew out of Teak Isle Manufacturing | — |
| Location | Florida (Orlando area) | — |
| Years in business | 40+ | — |
| Scale | 350+ employees, 200,000+ sq ft, 300,000+ customers, 100,000+ custom parts engineered | — |
| Acrylic options | Clear, multiple tint levels, opaque black, two opaque whites matched to gelcoat | — |
| Other materials | King StarBoard, Coosa composite board, fiberglass | — |
| Shipping | Free over $150; same-day on stock items | — |
| Returns | 30 days on stocked products; custom excluded | — |
| Support | 407-614-1939, Mon–Sat 8am–5pm ET | — |
| Founded | — | 1952 as Taylor & Art Plastics, Oakland, CA; first retail store 1961, Hayward |
| Headquarters | — | San Leandro, California |
| Stores | — | 14 in California, Oregon, and Washington, plus web store |
| Brands | — | Chemcast, ACRYLITE, Spartech |
| Extruded | — | 1/16 to 1/4 in clear |
| Cast | — | 1/8 to 3 in clear, plus colors and grades |
| Specialty | — | AR abrasion-resistant sheet, mirror, tints, polycarbonate |
| In-store cutting | — | Typically under 5 minutes |
| Online cut orders | — | 2 to 3 business days |
| Also sells | — | NOVUS polish, restoral kits, solvent cement, fabrication supplies |
Boat Outfitters Marine Acrylic and Custom Parts
Pros
- Custom-cut marine acrylic in clear, several tints, opaque black, and two gelcoat-matched whites
- In-house engineering and CNC from a 200,000-square-foot Florida plant
- Supplies 300+ boat builders and covers 3,500+ boat models
- Free shipping over $150, same-day shipping on stock items, 30-day returns on stock
- One-stop for acrylic, King StarBoard, and the hardware to mount it
Cons
- Cut-to-size pricing is by quote, not instant
- Acrylic grade (standard, impact-modified, AR) is not stated on the product page
- Custom parts are non-returnable
TAP Plastics Cut-to-Size Acrylic
Pros
- Cut-to-size at the counter, often in under five minutes
- Chemcast, ACRYLITE, and Spartech sheet; cast from 1/8 to 3 inches
- Abrasion-resistant sheet, NOVUS polish, and solvent cement on the same shelf
- Staff who will talk you out of the wrong thickness
- Online cut orders ship nationwide in two to three days
Cons
- Stores only in California, Oregon, and Washington
- Quote pricing rather than an instant online calculator
- Generally higher prices than online-only suppliers
- Service quality varies by store