HOW TO: Feather touch tension tool

[BlackPowderMan]

Recently I was trying to pick a lock with security pins. I was having a hard time getting the tension right. so I decided what the heck and I decide to make a feather touch tool.



What you will need:

a thin street sweeper bristle or wiper blade insert
a soldering iron
acid core solder
a tension spring of your choice
sandpaper
a wire cutter
and a pair of pliers



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step 1:
cut your street sweeper bristle or wiper blade insert to
4 inches and then take that piece and cut a 1 inch section off of it
take the 1 inch section and put a 90° band in the center this will be the tip of the tension tool
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step 2:
now take your sandpaper and rough up 1/8"of metal on tip of the tension tool and the handle
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step 3:
now cut six rings worth off your spring than on both sides straighten out the end of the spring


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step 4:
now solder one end of the spring to the tip of tension tool and the other end of the spring to the handle
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congratulations now you're done enjoy your new home made feather touch tension tool




optionally: if you're using recycled springs like me and you're springs are rusted or corroded you can apply a little bit of silicone spray or WD-40

[Eyes_Only]

Wow, I have to say that this must be one of the most creative DIY pick tool I have ever seen. You did a great job on these.

[BlackPowderMan]

WOW you think it's that good ?.
I was just hoping not to get flamed by anyone


if it's really that good it might become a sticky you never know

[JackNco]

Agreed, thats pretty awesome! so come on, did it work on the lock you make it for?

[nekret]

Very Nice! I could only think of two things that could improve it:

1. Rotate the handle around the spring 90 degrees so the flat portion is against your finger instead of the edge (but this is a personal preference, some like it the other way around)

2. Laminate the handle and the tension portion (might need thinner stock) so the spring is in the center for better strength.

Other than those two items it definitely looks like a tool I would use... Now I know what I'm doing on spring break! Good luck on the lock you made it for, and by the way, what lock is it?

[Shrub]

if it's really that good it might become a sticky you never know

Ok then why not lets do that for you,

Well done, a great little twist on an old idea very well done,

Im impressed to the point of knocking one up this afternoon i think,

Well done



Ive edited your title to make it a bit easier to read and also done a slight re-format of the text with the pics so it look's better for you, hope thats ok,

[UWSDWF]

looks cool... things i might do... pretty it up with quick sand and polish.. possibly before assembly... and then heat tube over the solder points and down the handle

[Shrub]

Ok competition then, ill post mine up later

Ive also had another idea that would make it adjustable........

Put a bolt with two big washers through the spring, a thumbturn on the other end as a nut will allow you to tighten up the botl onto the spring and stop it moving so much, may work may not but its quick and easy to try,

[UWSDWF]

well my reply will take awhile as i am working until thursday and then off to boston untill sunday.... but i'll try something out and post up i'm guessing next monday or tuesday

[Shrub]

Ok what a lot of you may not know is that ive got attention problems in that i start things and never finish them only to start somthing else,

I started making one of these this afternoon and then lost interest after 2 mins of looking didnt show up a decent spring lol (told you)

So instead i started messing with wiper insert and came up with these as an alternitive,

I admit they arent perfect and maybe a little rough but with only 5 mins wasted max its no great loss,

[JackNco]

well there shiny ill admit. and the top 2 look like they could be cool. but have you tried them out? any results yet?

[Eyes_Only]

Hey BlackPowderMan, where did you buy the solder? I just got back from Fry's Electronics but couldn't find one that said "acid solder". Would it be alright as long as its a lead free solder?

[Kaotik]

Very good guide For DIY'ers out their.

Nice clear pics aswell, but I was a bit surprised by the enormouse size of them...all in all, it's good and well presented.

[Libris]

Is it nessesary to use acid core solder? I tried the regular solder used for electronics, it just refuses to stick on the steel, no matter what. Yes I tried sanding and applying flux.

[nekret]

Most electronics stores don't carry this as its not really meant for joining electrical contacts (mainly since acid core solder does *bad* things to circuit boards). Try a stained glass supply place or hobby shops or even jewelry supply. Other than that you could probably get some flux and use that instead, just paint it over the area you want to solder and it'll work, however in my experience electronics solder is never very strong.