That sounds like a pretty good idea. Are you talking about bluing solution like they use on guns?

I've also found that copper is even more difficult to work with than brass. Don't know why. It would be nice to find steel cables that have the flexibility. I've tried different steel cables with mixed results. The coiled cable on the back of the JP is steel, but that's one I just lucked into and I have no idea where it came from or who made it.