Metal tubing rings for dot inlays?

Hobby shops or art supply stores might have raw materials for model-making. You could also try McMaster-Carr, which is a nation-wide industrial supply house.

Who knows... you might even luck out at your local hardware or plumbing supply house!

 

I've done that before, it looks super slick. I got mine at a craft store called hungates. IT was aluminum tubing. I've ordered from onlinemetals.com too. Or I think I recall seeing it at lowes in the those parts drawers.

 

+1 for Master-Carr. I use them exclusively at work, when I specify materials for projects I design. Prices are reasonable and they usually have next day delivery. Here's their link for brass tubing: McMaster-Carr

 

Search Results - Micro-Mark

One example....

 

Jewelry suppliers would likely have them in a variety of materials. They might be listed as findings

 

Yup. I imagine your luthier who's doing the inlay would have no trouble with that. It's just a minute or two with an Exacto saw and a mini-miter box.

 

If you need 1/4 inch inner diameter, you should look for thin wall 5/16 aluminum tubing.

A quick search online came up with Aluminum Tubing Type 6063 - 3 ft. unslit ends.

The 3/8 (.375) .058 wall tubing will get you very close to 1/4 ID. The only bad part is its only $1.45 a foot but they have a $20 minimum order. Home depot may sell also sell it.

 

Just search "Aluminum tube 1/4" I'd". On ebay, you will find a number of sellers that you can get single tubes from. I buy brass tube this way for my wood bridge tail pieces. Cheap, easy and quick.

 

Tubing is usually listed by its OD and wall thickness. 3/8" 0.065 wall tubing will give you very close to 1/4 inch id

 

Rio Grande Jewelry Making Supplies

 

5/16" OD x .035" Wall 6061 Aluminum Tube 48" Long! | eBay

this should work

 

Wow I like that touch. I think I would like to ad that to my upcoming build. I wonder if cutting the tubing would require a pipe cutter or just use a hacksaw? I bet a hacksaw may just collapse the radius of the tubing.

 

A tubing cutter will pinch the tubing slightly, so you would have to ream it out.
The best bet for this application would be a metal cutting band saw, but a hack saw would work

 

Gluing a length of the dot inlay material into the tubing before cutting it all together might be best, as it'd be sturdier.

 

Good thought..

 

What would the inlay material be? I thought Timsboby said it was wood. So I guess we would use 1/4 thickness doweling stained or painted black?

 

You could get 1/4" plastic rod in whatever color. Or something like an aluminum rod in a brass tube would be cool.