Homebrew pick set

[Buggs41]

For shrinking heat shrink tubing, you could also use a heated paint stripper. ( Same thing as a hair dryer, yet yields more BTU's. )

[milkman22]

i just can't help going to this topic over and over. the picks are so...shiny. really high quality, too.

[pick_maker]

Yep, I used fine grit sandpaper- 220-600 grit- and #425 Dremel polishing wheel- by hand that is, and not in the tool. On all surfaces I use 220, 320 and at 400, sand only the neck and head and finish overall with the #425 grey polishing wheel. This will give the chrome-like finish to the steel. I use a 4 x 9 x 3/4" block of wood as a portable work area, placing the pick on the block edge.

These finishing principles are exactly like 7th grade shop class only now the material is steel. If your edges are not square and smooth to begin with and you proceed to polish, the result will be a pick with highly polished unsquared edges.

[pick_maker]

Like this:


Top pick is finished- The dark specks are pine trees in my backyard reflected on the steel polish. Not only do unfinished picks give you incorrect feedback, they also leave score marks on the key pins and pin residue on the pick.

[thertel]

I know others have asked but I'm gonna do it again, any chance those word template could be acquired from you? I'm currently in the process of preparing to machine a set of titanium picks and yours are by far the best picks i have ever seen, including commercial picks. pm me
Thomas

p.s. WOW, I have access to a machine shop with tumble polishing and laser cutters and soon a waterjet and those picks are nicer then anything even the shop master turns out..............WOW

Edited by Chucklz: No email requets, even if you do have Gmail.

[Hojo]

What im WOWing at is you have access to G mail, how did you manage that...I want G mail....

[pick_maker]

The Word template is for jiggler & wafer picks. I did not use a template for the large set, all free hand and now I only use a plastic template set-up. Please see http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?t=3693

[thertel]

I got the gmail from a friend who was part of the first test group, when they gave him the chance to invite a person. Next time I get an invite I'll post it in the general chatter forum and someone who wants it can have it, Let me tell ya the archive feature is sweet no more searching for obscure stuff you deleted.

Thomas

[pick_maker]

This is the same cylinder from page 1 of the topic. Definately an improvement. One thing I learned is that set and over-set pins each make different click sounds when you release tension. Another thing- results from raking with tension in one direction are different than raking and tension in the opposite direction.

[xorox]

What im WOWing at is you have access to G mail, how did you manage that...I want G mail....

Heh, http://gmail-is-too-creepy.com/

[DigitallyChallenged]

Thanks. This was not my first DIY set and it takes some hand finishing after the pick shape is finalized- those double and triple ball rakes were the most difficult to get the proportions right. But after I watched pyro1234321's pick making video it seemed not as difficult as imagined and the satisfaction of making a working pick propels you to try experiments.

Alrighty.. Yes, I'm new. I'm very interested in learning more about picking as a hobby (one of my friends goes to a school with a picking club). I'm cheap. I really can't spend much money. And yes, I've tried the search tool (but I STILL can't figure any of this stuff out...).

1. Where, oh where... is Pyro1234321's video? I can't seem to find it anywhere.
2. I can't find any templates here either. I've found several nice pictures of awesome picks, but I can't find anything next to a ruler or with labeled dimensions.
3. I plan on using some steel (?) ribbony things that the carpenters took off of bundles of 2x4's. They're not too thick to fit in the locks around the house, but I don't want to waste the metal/my time on something that's not going to work at all.. soooo: this fish tape or plumbing tape. You said don't get the coiled kind.. Isn't it all coiled? Is there a specific brand to look for? The picture posted was of the tape on a reel. (Isn't that coiled?)
4. What shapes are recommended for beginners? I understand the concept of how the lock works, and what's involved in the process of picking a lock, I'm just eager to get some hands-on experience.

#include std.n00b.flame

[DigitallyChallenged]

What im WOWing at is you have access to G mail, how did you manage that...I want G mail....

I have 3 Gmail accounts.. Each Gmail account has 6 invites. I can invite 18 people to Gmail.. Just let me know if you want one.. I'll help ya out.. And maybe you could help me out as well

[zeke79]

Alrighty.. Yes, I'm new. I'm very interested in learning more about picking as a hobby (one of my friends goes to a school with a picking club). I'm cheap. I really can't spend much money. And yes, I've tried the search tool (but I STILL can't figure any of this stuff out...).

1. Where, oh where... is Pyro1234321's video? I can't seem to find it anywhere.
2. I can't find any templates here either. I've found several nice pictures of awesome picks, but I can't find anything next to a ruler or with labeled dimensions.
3. I plan on using some steel (?) ribbony things that the carpenters took off of bundles of 2x4's. They're not too thick to fit in the locks around the house, but I don't want to waste the metal/my time on something that's not going to work at all.. soooo: this fish tape or plumbing tape. You said don't get the coiled kind.. Isn't it all coiled? Is there a specific brand to look for? The picture posted was of the tape on a reel. (Isn't that coiled?)
4. What shapes are recommended for beginners? I understand the concept of how the lock works, and what's involved in the process of picking a lock, I'm just eager to get some hands-on experience.

#include std.n00b.flame

You can download templates and the pyro video from my ftp site. ftp://lockpicking:101@nickz.homeftp.net . You can find them in the templates folder. Man if I only had a dollar for every time I typed that.

[DigitallyChallenged]

You can download templates and the pyro video from my ftp site. ftp://lockpicking:101@nickz.homeftp.net . You can find them in the templates folder. Man if I only had a dollar for every time I typed that.

Crap.. I knew I left something out of that post.

Yeah... Umm.. I've tried your FTP with both Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer.. Neither one can make anything out of it..... It doesn't work for me

Also: I just tried making a half diamond pick with our dremel and one of the high quality cutting wheels.... and failed miserably. I'm going to the hardware store to pick up one of those ceramic carbide bits and a good file.

[pick_maker]

1. I can mail you a copy in trade for two of your homebrew picks.

2. I emailed you a couple. Murph's jiggler template is decent as well:
viewtopic.php?t=3897

3. I use Great Neck hacksaw blades mostly. Plumbing snake is the strongest yet it is only 1/4" wide. Fish tape is too thick and is less than 1/4" wide.

4. First picks I made were half diamonds and hooks. Then I got creative.

Sounds like you are cutting your steel with no template for guidance. Maybe a cool template system like this will help:

viewtopic.php?t=3693