Raimundo's Bogota "How to" documents

[krept]

lol

toadfoot, toadfoot, they are like the yellow bristles on this machine, but they are made from steel instead of plastic:

[Olcaytug]

Hi Raimundo and thank you for your wonderful design!

I want to take this topic back to discussion. After this long time, experience gained by friends can help everybody...

Also I have a point to add & a question to ask:

Bogata picks are increadable! So far, I have been making them out of wiper blades, due to difficulty of finding bristles at winter.
(And until, a few days ago, a sweeper machine passed by me spreading broken bristles, I thought there weren't any in my country. Actually the problem was that the worker-men sweeping the roads afterwards daily were cleaning the bristles too)

Yesterday I made one out of a bristle, and I wasn't impressed. The problem was the handle... Due to the extra bulk of bristles, reaching the pins at the back of locks is difficult in restricted keyways (where you need to use the pick at angles to left or right).. After designing different handles, the problem was solved.. I didn't twist the bristle to make a handle, instead I made a triangle at the end of the pick (1.5-1-1.5 cm dimentions). I hold the triangle between my thumb and index finger (like holdin a flower) while applying pressure with the middle one (imagine the bottom of the flower is the tip of the pick). I can feel the pins far better!

I realized that many different handles can be designed without loosing the compact quality of bogata's.. and handles change success increadibly!!!

The question I want to ask is about the bottom cuts. I'm a perfectionalist. But I cannot make them properly (just at the middle of the peaks, or not leaning to left or right).

Raimundo, could you please tell how you make these undercuts? I use a triangular file and then smooth the sides with a flat one. Am I making it true? I ruin three picks out of four this way!

Regards & Thank you!!

[scampdog]

With regard to ray's details of how to make his picks,all i get up are two completely unreadeable small pictures. Has anyone else found this? and if so,how did you fix the problem.Thanks guys

[raimundo]

I do not use a triangular file for the under cuts, in fact, if I use a triangular file anywhere on them, I am only using the flat side of it. the triangular file used on edge is however a good file to cut a small nick v for centering a round file. so make a shallow v to mark the center of where yo want the undercut. then if its close to the right place, start with your smaller round file, this will center generally on that nick, but if the center is a little off you can shift the pressure on the round file to correct it. take this cut down til you reach approximately the desired thickness to the sides of the cut. if you have a large round file, you can then put it in the round cut and spread out the top edges of the area. if you have a round needle file, you can make the bottom of the round cut a bit more deep in the center, then use a fine tooth small flat file to round out the edges of the cut. remember, a flat file will tend to rock to the left or right, its very hard to make it cut level without a jig to hold it. but in this case, rocking toward the edges is what you are trying to achieve. Do not try to make the shapes perfect, the sanding will do that, taking down high points. very close to the desired profile is good, and the heavy grit sanding that is the start of the sanding process is still shaping and you need to use it that way. finish with finer and finer grits of sanding,

[reactive]

Can anyone enlighten me to the height of the picks?

I guestimated the one I made from a hacksaw blade and had alot success with small padlocks (your average $10 AUS) and some deadlocks. The pick was about 4mm high and 6mm between peaks.

Have anyone noticed certain heights and peak distances that work better than others?
I'd imagine a larger lock would need a larger bogota... or is it more universal and my picking skills need more work?

Supurb work raimundo

[raimundo]

I make them in various sizes to take advantage of the variations in the metal stock. small is better for small keyways, large is for large keyways.

[reactive]

Sorry, I should have been more specific.

With vertical sizing in mind, is the bogota designed so that in the valley the pin is completely pushed down (i.e the lowest position on a key for that lock) and the peaks represent the highest position a pin can take?

Sorry if it seems like a stupid question, I'm still trying to grasp how they work so well

[raimundo]

I do not make picks to fit keyways or certain locks, i try for a more universal tool. My experience seems to favor picks that are not near the extremes of the key cuts, somehow the mobility of the pick in the keyway as opposed to the fit of the key seems to make up for the difference. the rounding of the edges also helps the mobility in the presence of wards.

[CVScam]

When I make picks out of street sweeper brissels or coping saw blades I use that Fastweld epoxy or the J+B brand epoxy. I just use a rough cut file on the handle part to make sure the epoxy bonds. Most of the picks in that picture are made out of coping saw blades or winshield wiper inserts with epoxy handles.

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=4/11211184296.jpg&s=x11

[raimundo]

how long does that stuff take to cure?

[CVScam]

A large bit of it will harden in as little as 3-5 mins after you start to mix it. A little bit of it will take up to 10 mins. Mix some of it up then make the handle on the pick then when it starts to warm up, I make sure the pick wont stick to OLD work table I lay it on. I never try to use the pick till it sits for at least 3-4 hours to make sure its fully hardened. Once fully hardened you can sand it or file it or even break it off with a hammer if you mess up. I have repaired exhaust systems, cooling systems, and even a crack in an engine manifold with the 2500 degree version.

[raimundo]

I may have to get some of that, could be useful for making tubular picks out of tubular keys as a basis. I have done that and used fimo for the handle extension, but its a bit weak. Mad mick may haveone of these, perhaps he could post a photo some time.

[TheMikeMan]

Thanks, ray- for this great design. I was toying with some wiper blade inserts and I made a shoddy little one. It works quite well.

[pinhopper]

Thanks rai, my set came yesterday, im yet to have any luck on my Yale padlock for some reason But im sure if i practice or just dont use them on padlocks ill be ok.


Cheers

[p1ckf1sh]

Question to all the people using bogotas...

Do you succeed in completely opening the lock (setting all the pins) with the bogota alone?

I managed to get an Abus and an BKS eurocylinder open that way, but that is a while back. Since then my bogota died and I had to make new ones, and with these I hardly ever succeed in a complete opening, maybe 1 in 10 times. I usually use it until I get false set, and then use a hook to manually set the spools. Quite often there is only one of the two spools left, so it is quite an easy job. Occasionally I also rake like stupid and when finally taking the hook to feel what is going on in the lock I find that both spools are set and I only have to push down the last regular pin to open.

Maybe it is just my technique, but I wonder why this worked when I was a beginner to picking... Could it be that the bogota is so influenced by Ray's subliminal experience and knowledge that it works best on locks pinned to factory specifications? When I repin (and all of thm are repinned by now) I don't pay attention to DIN or MACS specifications...