I see folks use Hypodermic needles all the time, but I have a few questions. First of all, where do you get them? How expensive are they? How do you cut them? Any other advice for working with them?

if you know any health care workers then there your best bet. Asides from that all i know is watch your fingers and make sure the needle is not second hand!
#:-)

If you don't know anybody working in medical/paramedical, just go at your chemist and ask for them. They are available in various diameters and costs (here in Italy) something like 4 cents each...
Ciao

The best way I've found is to use a cut off wheel in your motor tool. If you use a wire or side cutter type pliers, you stand the risk of squishing the tubing. Plus, these needles are stainless steel, and usually harder than the tool. I've ruined a couple of wire cutters .

To cut them I just put the needle on a straight surface, then I put an xacto knife on the needle in perpendicular and gently pressing the knife on the needle i roll it over two or three times to get an almost perfect sharp cut.
Ciao

Paul,
Nice quote by the way...Ihave a 4yr old son, I know it well...

I got mine at an Agway (NE farm supply store).. but I got some funny looks. I'm no drug dealer or junkie, but I'm sure not a farmer or vet either...
Up this way all the diabetic supplies are behind the counter and I've never asked. Too much heroin, even in small town Vt. But the junkies seem to manage ok..
I wonder if you could mail-internet order them from a farm/vet supply house...

I've had much better luck with the cutting wheel of a dremel than by rolling them to cut them as well.
But wear eye protection and secure both ends when you cut

mike

If you live in Los Angeles, Burbank House of Hobbies sells them for .89 cents. They are pretty cool though since they don't come with needles, but instead have two or three different size nozzles that fit on the end where the needle usually goes. I ran across them yesterday and had to pick up a couple. You might ask around for these as the various size nozzles are really handy.

I think you can buy them at drug stores. Also, Home improvement stores sell some for injecting glue under flooring.

I did a search in google and came up with some information.

http://www.medi-vet.com/needles.asp

http://www.allegromedical.com/home/Subcategory.asp?C=520&S=3631

the best prices I found was Ebay, just do a search for Hypodermic.

Hope this helps

All,

Check your local Department of Health Services before you start uning ANY needles. Some use of spent needles may be against the law in your area. Also, some spent needles may contain biohazards or chemicals that can cause you severe health problems (I worked in a Level 3 biotech faciltiy over 10 years before moving to the brew industry).

But...... I have an alternative. Wanting to use needles, and not wanting any problems, I decided to search for a supplier of the needle stock before it becomes a needle. While searching through industrial sources, I also found a need for some thin and even 'supper thin' tubing. Low and behold, I found a great company that not only has these prescribed needles, but a cock-full of other little goodies that just wet's the imagination.

The Small Shop is a on-line and catalog source of various metal, plastic and other tubing, sheets, struts, widgets, do-dads, and any other words for those thing-a-ma-jig that you can come up with.

Take a look at this site (I have no affiliation) and enjoy. Make sure that your spent needles are disposed properly into a Shaps Container that can be found at your local drugist (disposed at no charge). In todays world, we have to take the appropriate precaustions.

Dave

I got my stash from a contact in a business that supplys the actual tubing to the manufacturer. Pretty handy, since there's no sharp point to be careful of. Unfortunatly, I haven't a clue as to the name of the company...so I'm no help in that regard. As far as cutting them goes, I've had good luck scoring one side of the subing with a triangular file, then gently snapping the tube in two. I need to clean the end up a bit afterwards, but it's still faster than dragging out the moto-tool.