The Cheaper way to Stretch your Piercings

If you're like me, you've got a real problem with forking out the $60-plus for the odd sized piercing tapers / stretchers. Especially since, typically, you only use the thing once, and then toss it. This is even more expensive and frustrating when you are looking for unusual, custom lengths. So here you go... Make it your damn self!

CAUTION: This only pertains to the D.I.Y. FABRICATION of piercing impliments. For the correct usage/sterilization ect... There is a very well writen & comprehensive instructable by blasphemouskell.

Step 1 Material aquisition

I've got an apadravya <(WARNING: EXPLICIT WIKI, look it up if you're brave or curious enough). I've found it to be very difficult to find hardware that works, and what I have found is very pricey.
I think that stretching a piercing, (especialy when it's in your holiest of holies) is the way to go. It is a whole lot easier to put a small hole and stretch it, rather than starting out with a large gauge. Less down time too ;)
So here's the important part. You may get lucky and find some retail hardware store, or arts n' crafts store, that will carry "rod stock". But I didn't find any. So what does one do when the cheesy, retail thugs fail you? You go to "Pro" retail thugs: Grainger! They have semi-retail stores all around the country. I say "semi-retail" because they really only like to sell to businesses or contractors. But it's easy enough to convince them that you are a small business owner or contractor. They also have a great website to look up item #'s. One last thing, if you live near one of their stores, they will ship anything you want from their catalouge to that store for you, free. This is nice because most branches don't stock "rod stock".

Comments

[Treknology]

You state that moving up from one gauge to the next in larger sizes can be painful. If you have such a significant length of material, can't you make custom tapers that stretch in sub-guage sizes instead?

[brandonssk]

I just used paint brush handles of different sizes ;)
They are already really smoothe and all you need to add is a little Petroleum Jelly

[gnossos]

I'm all about DIY stuff, and I agree that tapers and plugs can get REALLY expensive, but I found that as long as you buy tapers online instead of from WAY overpriced head shops it's not so bad. I usually pay about $5 for each taper that would probably cost me double or triple that at a head shop by buying online. Interesting how-to, it just seems like a whole lot of trouble just to save like $2 or $3, if even that... However, if you want a unique and interesting handmade taper, this is great.

[Flashflint]

If I was you I would avoid using teflon. There have been many studies showing that teflon can have less than desireable affects on the human body. I would be very nervoius about having it in contact with as sensitive a part of my body as the inside of a peircing that is being streached. Just my two cents.

[invasiveadornments]

ASTM F754 - 08? IMPLANT GRADE ptfe does exist...