Randy, I might be waay off suggesting this but have you tried old drill bit shanks? I’ve read that some people use them for staffs, I would think that they would be hard to turn seeing as it’s the same material as a graver. It would be interesting to hear if it is possible though.
Standard drill rod is available from industrial supply houses and it is very inexpensive. A 3 foot length of W1 is about $4.00. I buy from MSC because they are close to where I live but all of them ship.
david
I am not sure about using old drills for balance staffs, I am pretty sure in their normal state they would be too brittle, if they are the old steel type then I dont see why they couldn’t be softened enough to become useable.