Safety0ff's guide to making picks with a rotary tool

[vitti]

Hey Safety, have you ever tried a tungsten carbide cutting bit ?

They make extremely short work of hacksaw blades and best of all there is minimal heat produced so quenching is not necessary. They are a bit more difficult to control so having the piece clamped in a vice is a necessity. I use one to rough out the shape quickly then use grinding stones and files to finish the job.

[Safety0ff]

No I haven't. I considered it but what it came down to was not wanting to spend the extra 20-35$ when I already had something that would do the job.

[immolate]

I'm glad you included the particle mask and safety goggles in your list. Most new people attempting this woudl have no clue about those flying particles getting in your nose, eyes, mouth, etc.. If anyone has ever attempted making their own picks, you know what I mean!

Otherwise, very informative, you did a great job covering the subject, keep up the good work!

[vitti]

I bought mine at home depot for $4.95. Well worth it.

[Safety0ff]

@4.95$ I would have got one...
I think the lowest one I had seen was like 15$.

[vitti]

that was their regular price on them, wasn't a sale. Amazon.com has 'em for $6. Dremel brand. I got the model 9903 Tungsten Carbide Cutter bit. My local Michaels hobby store sells 'em too but they have 'em at $7. I haven't seen one priced higher than that. Maybe it's a regional thing.

[josh0094]

YAY. now i know how to get my picks shiney. i had made my own. then i bought some. but now i want to make some more loll

awsome, thx man

[Eyes_Only]

I was kind of getting worried that one day soon this country will ban lockpick tools and allow only the locksmith to carry and possess them and the rest of us can't buy decent tools anymore online.

But now after seeing so many beautifully hand crafted picks I don't worry any longer.

[JRock]

Hey, just wanted to let you know I made my first set (I should say my first homemade set) using this guide and they are working great. Thanks for the help.

[taracor]

Thanks man, this is amazing! I just wish I had seen this a year ago when I was trying to figure out how to do this.

About the carbide bit, I have one, but it doesn't..do anything. Could be my crappy dremel knock off but it doesn't even leave a dent.

[vitti]

tungsten carbide should be harder than any steel you'd make a pick out of, actually I think the only substance that's harder is diamonds. Make sure yours is truly tungsten carbide and not just a hardened steel bit, if you still have the package that is. I've only used mine on three different metals but it worked fine on all of them: brick strap, "bi-metal" hacksaw blades, and standard carbon steel hacksaw blades.

Also, they don't recommend using these bits at full speed. Turn your dremel to max, then back if off a little bit. These cutters are prone to chipping/dulling at higher rpms. Look at yours closely, with a magnifier if possible and see if it's still sharp.

[paulvalente]

Hmmmmm...

Not entirely sure that Tungsten Carbide (WC) is harder than diamond. It is very hard, and this is often improved further by Titanium Nitride or Carbide coating, but not I think quite as hard as diamond.

Could be wrong however, anyone know for sure?

Paul

[Safety0ff]

A frew things aboutTungsten carbide:
IT is a 9.5 on the Moh's hardness scale and diamond a 10.
Tungsten carbide has a higher melting point than diamond.
Tungsten carbide won't react with iron.
Tungsten carbide is cheaper than diamond.
It uses cobalt as a chemical binder.

Tungsten carbide chemically bonded to a modified nickel aluminide is harder and perhaps more durable than tungsten carbide-cobalt in rock-, coal- and metal cuting applications

[Safety0ff]

I didn't realise at the time I made this guide that the compounds have corresponding numbers that some company's use instead of the names here they are:
#1 - Emery black
#3 - Tripoli Brown
#6 - White rouge

[fredd3039]

One of the fastest ways to achieve a mirror finish on your picks is to buy a cheap grinder ( Harbor Freight, Big Lots etc...) and replace the grinding wheels with buffing wheels. Sand your pick to a 400 grit finish then use the black coarse grit buffing compund on one wheel then the white grit compound on the second wheel. After the white grit is used clean the pick with a plain cotton buffing wheel. Be careful using the black compound on 3600 rpms though. If you hold the metal on it to long it will develope what is called "Orange Peel" on the metal. This is where the heat and speed of the buffer make the metal pit and it looks like the surface of the orange. If you sand properly it only takes a few seconds on the black coarse grit wheel.
Also an alternative method of achieving a perfect 400 grit finish on your picks is to use a grinder with a flat dic wheel on it. Spray the sandpaper on the disc with silicone spray and using a push rod hold the pick to the wheel for a few seconds then flip pick over and repeat.
This puts a beautifull finish in the pick and its polish is uniform. Some people even go to 600 grit after the 400 but with a buffer using 3600 RPM it is not necessary.