Steel rod suppliers for making steel pole pieces?

[tonemonkey]

I want to start making steel pole pieces for my pickup design and need to know some good suppliers and what kind of steel to get. How do you make the faces of the pole pieces shiny and smooth as well?

[copperheadroads]

Make them yourself unless you got a billion orders
If you are asking this question ...hehe
Is google broken ?
Search ..you can find the answer here

[tonemonkey]

Make them yourself unless you got a billion orders
If you are asking this question ...hehe
Is google broken ?
Search ..you can find the answer here

Boy, you're loads of help! I never thought to use the search funtion...

Of course I googled it, but I'm a noob who doesn't know 18-8 from 1210 (whatever that means) and was wondering if some folks here had some suppliers they had good result with.

[Bill M]

Depending on your location, you can check for local steel supply houses. This is where I order my rod and flat stock. Most of the steel I use is made at a small steel mill in upstate New York. As for the grade of steel to use, that is completely up to you as I don't know what tone you are going for in your pickups

[tonemonkey]

Depending on your location, you can check for local steel supply houses. This is where I order my rod and flat stock. Most of the steel I use is made at a small steel mill in upstate New York. As for the grade of steel to use, that is completely up to you as I don't know what tone you are going for in your pickups

Aha! I didn't know that different grades of steel give different tones! Has someone made a list here or can you tell me the differences?

[CRU JONES]

I like Steve Conner's analogy to food. Look at the ingredients of your pickup the same way you look at the ingredients for making a sandwich. After some experimentation, you will start to get a taste for what you like. Every ingredient changes more than one variable

Some steel's are more subtle than others, but; 18-8 makes you sound like Eddie Van Halen... I mean a cat on a chalk board
Ethan

[tonemonkey]

I'm looking at an Ebay seller and they have 1010 alloy humbucker slugs, 1215 alloy humbucker slugs, 1018 alloy humbucker slugs, and 1022 alloy humbucker slugs - what's the tone difference between them?

[copperheadroads]

I'm looking at an Ebay seller and they have 1010 alloy humbucker slugs, 1215 alloy humbucker slugs, 1018 alloy humbucker slugs, and 1022 alloy humbucker slugs - what's the tone difference between them?

You must be browsing Addiction-fx store
the higher the number, the higher the carbon content
1010
1018
1022
i forget how it applies to 1215

[David King]

RE 1215 it's a free-machining "leaded" steel, some folks love lead in their slugs others think it's a nonstarter. I haven't tried it myself but since Addicition FX has 4 ready-made choices you might as well try all of them. It's quick and easy now-a-days compared to just a few years ago when we all had to file away at our steel samples with Swiss army knives to make slugs. If you want to try other formulas then get familiar with McMaster Carr's catalog as they will sell you small quantities of more alloys than you can shake a stick at.
RE 18-8 that's your basic kitchen sink stainless and is completely non-magnetic. You need to look at the 400 series of stainless steels to get into magnetic territory.

[David Schwab]

RE 18-8 that's your basic kitchen sink stainless and is completely non-magnetic. You need to look at the 400 series of stainless steels to get into magnetic territory.

Actually you will find that your knives are magnetic, but your forks and spoons aren't. The stainless used for knives has to be harder to hold an edge, and is probably 18-0.

I find it odd that when they include nickel, which is magnetic, the steel wont be.

And yes, McMaster car is your friend! At least they are my friend.