@david pierce wrote:
Tom,
Brass rod is a great material to practice on. Enco is constantly running sales on brass rod but there may be some local suppliers of metal near you that can beat their prices. If you live in Dothan Alabama you may be not that far from me. I live in Stone Mountain Georgia and used to run to Dothan quite often. On Ross Clark Circle near the old West Lumber Company is a Waffle House. SAIA LTL is just across from that Waffle House.
david
David:
Yes – I live in Circle City where even New Yorkers fear to drive – those farmers driving 15 mph in the left lane can be killer. 
Stone Mountain is a little over 200 miles from here. The old West Lumber is now closed – we have two Lowes and a Home Depot so I guess they just couldn’t compete. On the bright side, we now have a Harbor Freight just down the road from there on 431.
If you’re ever down this way again let me know and I’ll treat you to lunch or a brew – or both. Of course it won’t be free cause I’ll be pickin’ your brain. Some day, I might talk my wife into visiting Stone Moutain – I’m a big Civil War buff.
Thanks!
Tom