SS wire and brass ferrules - sources

[listenclear]

Can anybody please tell me a good place to get these? Went to my local B&Q yesterday and had no luck. Online searches only showed up trade/wholesales and got tired of sifting through all that.
Replacing my bail on zebra billy.

Any help most appreciated.

 

[Mesquite]

Replacing my bail on zebra billy.

Brake cables from your local bike shop. For the ferrules chop up an eletrical connector block for the individual connectors. Tighten up nice and tight then file the screw heads off so they're flush.

 

[listenclear]

Genius!
Thanks mate

 

[Mesquite]

Genius!
Thanks mate

LOL no genius thoughts on my part... it's been mentioned many times on the forum

 

[listenclear]

Ah cool.
Still, thanks for the heads up.

 

[Longstrider]

If you ever want solid stainless wire (as oppsed to the braided stuff you'll get with brake cables) look in the Yellow Pages for a local 'Fabricator and Welder'.
Stainless welding wire comes in a variety of thicknesses and is amazingly useful stuff or all sorts of projects.
A professional using it will normally buy it in by the box-load. My local place will let me have a handful of rods (almost a meter long each) for whatever I feel like putting in the charity Lifeboat on his office counter

 

[badgeringtim]

any other ideas for Brass plates for handle making - i found a metal warehouse with some brass ofcuts but the best he could do was £15 for a 8x4 approx 3 mm piece.
I want to try having some pre made plates to be the first part to put onto the tang and fit directly under the blase (yes i cant remember the right name!) partly to make showing other people easier and partly cos id like to try it at the moment i use antler or bufallo but its time consuming to get a nice fit.

 

[Mesquite]

any other ideas for Brass plates for handle making - i found a metal warehouse with some brass ofcuts but the best he could do was £15 for a 8x4 approx 3 mm piece.
I want to try having some pre made plates to be the first part to put onto the tang and fit directly under the blase (yes i cant remember the right name!) partly to make showing other people easier and partly cos id like to try it at the moment i use antler or bufallo but its time consuming to get a nice fit.

Try down your local scrap merchants. I picked up a piece of 4mm brass about 400mm x 300mm for a five. It even had the protective film still in place on one side

 

[launditch1]

A good source of brass sheet are finger plates for doors, y'know the bit you push.You can get some bargains on the bay too.I get brass ferrules from Yandles in Martock, somerset, or Penny farthing tools in Sailsbury.And Brisa for pre-made knife ferrule parts.(for the tang)

 

[Teepee]

Bicycle spokes come in a couple of guages of stainless steel.

 

[helixpteron]

Derailleur cable is lighter than brake cable.

 

[demographic]

If you ever want solid stainless wire (as oppsed to the braided stuff you'll get with brake cables) look in the Yellow Pages for a local 'Fabricator and Welder'.
Stainless welding wire comes in a variety of thicknesses and is amazingly useful stuff or all sorts of projects.
A professional using it will normally buy it in by the box-load. My local place will let me have a handful of rods (almost a meter long each) for whatever I feel like putting in the charity Lifeboat on his office counter

Its worth noting that stainless MIG welding wire is supplied "Half Hard" and if you twist it too tight it work hardens more and breaks (I found this out using it as lockwire on one of my motorbikes) but if you anneal it by either chucking it on a fire or heating to red and allowing to cool naturally its a lot better to use.

 

[mike 01302]

old sparklers from bonfire night once cooled sit on the floor and roll around with your foot that gets all the coating off i have found these perfect for billy handles very cheap too

 

[Crowe]

Flexible Monel (stainless) single strand wire is available from yacht and dinghy chandlers; used as locking wire. Aprox £3 a 5 metre spool
Crowe

 

[SimonD]

Brake cables from your local bike shop. For the ferrules chop up an eletrical connector block for the individual connectors. Tighten up nice and tight then file the screw heads off so they're flush.

my billy should be delivered tomorrow and i've got an old bike and electrical connector blocks in my garage. awesome.