[jimmontg]

I worked as a welder and sheet metal fabricator most of my life and I would start at a local sheet metal shop. Then try welding shops and machine shops. Here in the Asheville area there are dozens of places that would sell you .030 thick stainless or brass, even Lowes has thin pieces of brass for sale. Stainless sheet metal like the 300 series stuff is barely magnetic at all and has high nickel and chrome therefore it is hard to cut. You will need more than snips to cut through anything thicker than around .030 thick, so have them cut it it into 1 1/2" wide strips for you. Some of the Hobby stores that sell trains and RC modelers have thin sheet metal for sale and I do believe Fastenal sells it too. Try Hobby City online as well. I buy almost all my pins and small tubing, round and square, for mosaic pins there and they have stainless tubing.

A sheet metal or weld shop is your best bet. Mail order metal places do volume sales and their shipping is way to high for small stuff like we need.

Lowes has thin .025 Tin and copper for sale which can be used as a spacer too. Most knife suppliers have nickel silver sheet that's not too expensive.