Where can I get 4mm surgical stainless steel wire (online or in LA)?

April 30, 2015 11:54 AM

I have a metalworker friend who's offered to make me stainless steel jewelry for a 6ga septum piercing in exchange for pizza and beer, as long as I can find him the raw materials he needs in the correct size. Unfortunately, I can't for the life of me seem to find 6 gauge (4mm) stainless steel rods/wire anywhere. There are a bunch of people selling jewelry online in this size...where are THEY getting it from?
posted by sirion to Shopping (7 answers total)

Maybe the term "surgical steel" is throwing off your searches? It's a marketing term mostly used by manufacturers of cheap knives, not companies that make surgical implants. Just like "aircraft grade aluminum" is a marketing term used by companies making flashlights, not aerospace manufacturers.

Instead search for the specific alloy you want. (I dunno, 316 maybe?)
posted by ryanrs at 12:22 PM on April 30, 2015

Response by poster: It's 316L, as far as I can tell, but that isn't getting me much further..
posted by sirion at 12:24 PM on April 30, 2015

Response by poster: @odinsdream: Seems like the thickest wire they have is 0.81mm
posted by sirion at 12:27 PM on April 30, 2015

You want to look for steel that meets the FDA implant requirements. Per the regulations I have right now, you would be looking for steel with the designation of UNS S13800 - S66296. Other types of designations for this stainless steel are compliance to ASTM-F138, ISO 10993-11, or other similar international standards.

However some other GRAS metals to consider are titanium, which can be easier to find in smaller gauges.
posted by Nackt at 12:33 PM on April 30, 2015

ROUND BAR T-316L
It's 316L but I don't know enough about metal to tell if this particular type meets the standards that Nackt mentions.

I think searching for "round bar" or "rod" instead of "wire" will get you closer to what you're looking for.
posted by yeahlikethat at 12:58 PM on April 30, 2015

Response by poster: @yeahlikethat: I've found a fair bit of round bar steels, but they're also measured in imperial units, so they don't have 4mm (they have 3.18mm and 4.76mm...)
posted by sirion at 1:07 PM on April 30, 2015

Best answer: It looks like McMaster Carr has what you are looking for in the Super Corrosion Resistant 316 stainless steel.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-stainless-steel-rods/=wzbsa2
posted by Nackt at 1:25 PM on April 30, 2015