UK based science suppliers??

Hi all,

I'm here to ask for your collective wisdom.

I have the urge to do some experiments, as I've been reading up on
electricity and magnetism and optics lately, and fancy playing around a bit
with some equipment. I've done things like chopping up CD's to make
reflection gratings and so on, but now I'd like to actually try some
experiments using decent (not kludged together with whatever I can find)
equipment.

Basically, I'm looking for things like high field magnets, diffraction
gratings, ferrofluid, a reasonable power supply.... The usual things you
find yourself wanting / needing when you get into messing around with
science at home. I've asked at Maplins, to be met with blank stares and not
particularly suitable suggestions, but I'm just not sure where to get this
stuff from? There are plenty of little kits out there to do various trite
things with (make your own little flashing Christmas tree), but that's not
what I'm after

I know that some of you will have had to hunt down diffraction gratings for
spectroscopy, and I'm hoping that you might know of some good general
suppliers too

Edmund Scientific seem pretty good (they've even got a Wimhurst machine!)
but if there's a UK supplier I'd be happier.

Any tips would be gratefully received, and I do check the newsgroup, so
posting here is fine.

Phil

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