Robbie writes:

 > Instead of steel drill rod, how about a shaft of hard aluminum rod,
 > which can be coated with a hard black-dyed oxide ("Iodized") by a
 > local plating shop.  -- Robbie

You mean "anodized"?

Rick Inzero - Rochester, NY, rdi@cci.com

 [ Oops, you're right: "anodized" is a surface treatment, "Iodized"
 [ means iodine has bee added (to table salt).  All I could think
 [ of last night was "Eridite", another process to reduce corrosion.
 [ Thanks for writing!  -- Robbie