You don't need a rectifier if you use a car battery. The hardest thing to get is sulphuric acid but it should work fine with water. Copper sulphate can be a dog to find. I needed some a few months ago and ended up scrounging it of a farmer friend, they feed it to sheep round here because the grass doesn't have enough copper in.

Chemicals generally are really hard work since all the chemists changed into pharmacies. That was just an excuse to put the prices of uncommon stuff through the roof and to stop selling the stuff that only kids with chemistry sets bought.

Doesn't matter what the wire is as long as it conducts.