Homebrew Hall of Fame!

[Exodus5000]

I hear exactly what you're saying Ray! I don't know what the on-going fascination with rare metals like Titanium has been about, especially when you can order some of these babies:

http://www.easterngage.com/stock-feeler-gages.asp

You've got your precise thickness you want (I prefer .032), and you even have a choice between high quality carbon steel or 300 series stainless steel.

Cheap too, all things considered. Drop 20 bucks for a box of 12 inch feeler gauges (12 in a box.)

And if you're REALLY hardcore, this company boasts custom cutting your gauges for you too if you want. Example:



Some of those look very close to being customized pick blanks. Instead of having the tang of the blade cut off short, like the very top one in the picture, or the second from the bottom on the right, I would suggest having it taper back up to a full half inch at the end of the tang.

Ideally if I were to order mine, I would get a box of the spring steel and stainless steel, custom cut to 5 inches, with one end rounded off, and the opposite end tapering down to a width I've yet to determinem kinda like the second from the bottom right tool in the picture. Then bring the last half-inch to an inch in length of the blade back up to the full width. Delivered right to my door, all I have to do is take them out (of their vinyl sleeve) and grind whatever pick shape I want onto the end of the pick blank and file/sand/polish. Maybe add a handle too, I suppose I could get those custom cut perfectly out of a thicker gauge and delivered too. Oh the possibilities!

You're welcome folks

[ATM tech]

I hear exactly what you're saying Ray! I don't know what the on-going fascination with rare metals like Titanium has been about, especially when you can order some of these babies:

http://www.easterngage.com/stock-feeler-gages.asp

You've got your precise thickness you want (I prefer .032), and you even have a choice between high quality carbon steel or 300 series stainless steel.

Cheap too, all things considered. Drop 20 bucks for a box of 12 inch feeler gauges (12 in a box.)

And if you're REALLY hardcore, this company boasts custom cutting your gauges for you too if you want. Example:



Some of those look very close to being customized pick blanks. Instead of having the tang of the blade cut off short, like the very top one in the picture, or the second from the bottom on the right, I would suggest having it taper back up to a full half inch at the end of the tang.

Ideally if I were to order mine, I would get a box of the spring steel and stainless steel, custom cut to 5 inches, with one end rounded off, and the opposite end tapering down to a width I've yet to determinem kinda like the second from the bottom right tool in the picture. Then bring the last half-inch to an inch in length of the blade back up to the full width. Delivered right to my door, all I have to do is take them out (of their vinyl sleeve) and grind whatever pick shape I want onto the end of the pick blank and file/sand/polish. Maybe add a handle too, I suppose I could get those custom cut perfectly out of a thicker gauge and delivered too. Oh the possibilities!

You're welcome folks

Excellent site!

I may switch from SURG, Stainless to these blanks. Very nice find!
I am placing an order now I will post the results of the first pick I make from them.

Thanks again!

[Kaotik]

Another excellent resource. Thanks for sharing.

[raimundo]

the piece on the lower left of the photo looks like a flat top of keyway tensor.
I have wondered about just ordering pick shapes from them and let them cut it out.
I have also wondered when that canadian discovery channel show will show the production of sewing needles, the steel is very hard and the finish is so smooth, I need to know the industrial processes that make them.
the feeler gauge company or a sewing needle company could make excellent lock picks and I have some designs to share if they want to contact me.

[captainjerry]

Whats the black plastic handle from, and does it fold as it appears that it might?

that's a pocket nail file

after (quite) a bit of sanding, it comes out great
beside the fact that it already comes with a plastic handle,
it's just the right thickness, and it's made out of some really strong (and yet very flexible) steel..
and it even comes with a plastic cover!

definitely my favorite pick out of all of them..

[uberwaboose]

Here's the first two picks I made, with my first torsion wrench. They worked well for me, but they weren't amazing. Both picks were fashioned from old dental tools, but the finger pick fell out of it's holder.

[bigbrother]

[url="http://la.gg/v/DSCF1798.jpg"][/url]
The extent of my picks, all made from hacksaw blades except for the one of the far left, that one was once a knife. I used a dremel and converted the knife blade to a nice pick
[url="http://la.gg/v/DSCF1799.jpg"][/url]
[url="http://la.gg/v/DSCF1797.jpg"][/url]
My tension wrench is a hex key that I filed down to fit into a keyhole. And because all of them have a hole I attached my picks to a hoop
[url="http://la.gg/v/DSCF1796.jpg"][/url]
Like a key ring

[muskratt]

too bad half the links wont show...

[guest5999]

first try at some Falle copies. the metal ended up being kinda crappy and flimsy, so i'll have to make another, but i'm happy with the way the "prototype" turned out

[img]http://woz5999.googlepages.com/falle-3-4.jpg[/img]

[guest5999]

sorry, here's the link



If anyone could point me to the "edit" button, i'd be much obliged :oops:

[Gibraltar]

What do you think of my homemade stainless double rake?




Topic with more picture.
http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?p=285078#285078

[LockNewbie21]

Here's a set of mine to contribute to the thread I see a bunch of excellent pieces of worksmans ship, well done fella's.



Take care, keep homebrewing

LN21

[Safety0ff]

Full size HERE

Click the "0" in my signature to see my tutorial, it explains how I made it.

[JackNco]

now THATS what I'm talking about when I tell people to polish picks to a mirror finish!

good job dude. that looks like the dogs danglers.

[Safety0ff]

that looks like the dogs danglers.

That's the first time I've heard that one! I'm guessing it's similar to the "cat's @$$" idiom.