Thanks for all the replies everyone!
I managed to find a telephone number for a company that supplies graphite to industry. I believe they use it mainly for EDM (electric discharge machining), and electrodes in ovens. It can be cut in any size and shape your heart desires.
Problem is that the graphite shop is not nearby, and I would like to investigate alternatives. There is a shop in town that sells any plastic known to man, and they have a product called "VESCONITE". It is a hard, easy machinable, self lubricating plastic. Used for suspension bushings etc. as well as high load, high temp applications where lubrication is a problem. My brother recently made inserts for his lathe steady in place of the brass inserts, and it works great! He used it to support aluminium tubes in the machine, and it merely polished the surface of the tube!
Has anyone tried something like this? or is graphite the final answer?
In the meantime I'll contact the graphite shop, and find out if they'll sell a small piece to a small customer
AND drop it in the mail...