Well, yeah, the parts immediately surrounding the tube could not be metal. I'm thinking of 3D-printing in a non-metal medium at Shapways.com.
Thanks for your concern. My part of Japan (Kyoto) has not been directly affected by either the tsunami or the nuclear meltdown, but the whole economy has taken a serious blow. This is certainly the worst thing that's happened to Japan since the bombing of Nagasaki. I did a charity auction here in Japan of an ANH Obi-Wan I made (and which I gave the corny name of "A New Hope") that earned 71,707 yen (about US $870) for the Japan Red Cross. Here are photos and a video.
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