Tungsten Carbide picks?

[Viggs]

I know that a lot of people like to use hacksaw blades for homemade picks. Personally, I've always used .022" feeler gauge or shim-stock. But I saw a listing on amazon.com for Tungsten Carbide Hacksaw blades (LINK). And I'm wondering if, perhaps, this would be the ultimate pick material? It's used on drills to penetrate hard-plate. It's even used by the military in armor piercing rounds. According to wikipedia, It's dramatically thicker, stiffer, and more dense than steel (LINK). Maybe, with the right industrial grinding wheels, these blades could be made into picks that were just as strong as traditional stainless, but half as thick.

[Squelchtone]

I know that a lot of people like to use hacksaw blades for homemade picks. Personally, I've always used .022" feeler gauge or shim-stock. But I saw a listing on amazon.com for Tungsten Carbide Hacksaw blades (LINK). And I'm wondering if, perhaps, this would be the ultimate pick material? It's used on drills to penetrate hard-plate. It's even used by the military in armor piercing rounds. According to wikipedia, It's dramatically thicker, stiffer, and more dense than steel (LINK). Maybe, with the right industrial grinding wheels, these blades could be made into picks that were just as strong as traditional stainless, but half as thick.

negative, these are steel with tungsten carbide grid glued to the teeth.

from that Amazon link, last line:
"Exclusive "grit edge" of tungsten carbide particles bonded to tough, alloy steel."

good thinking though, I like where your head's at.

Squelchtone

[Viggs]

rom that Amazon link, last line:
"Exclusive "grit edge" of tungsten carbide particles bonded to tough, alloy steel."

Bummer, I didn't see that! Good eye.

[LocksmithArmy]

well yes it may be harder but im pretty sure tungsten is more brital than steel

id be aftaid of braking em qickly

[mhole]

yep - TC is as brittle as anything, that's why TCT tools are usually only tipped with tungstem - solid TC tools would be very fragile. A TC pick would be like a glass crowbar

[bushd]

Unless people know something I don't I'd say TC isn't brittle. The hardness is right under diamond on the Mohr scale. My wedding ring is made from tungsten carbide and it won't die sans being throw into a mountain to kill Sauron or a new jeweler's saw - the old school ones usually won't do the trick. This is the issue with anything that is pure tungsten carbide - very high temp (you homebrew guys can't get that high normally) required and you're likely going to ruin it by aftermarket alteration just like most people ruin carbon steel tempers when they're sculpting by not keeping it cool enough.

[Baloopaloop]

but on the bright side if you hooked em up to a car battery they'd glow like the sun

[bushd]

Potentially but I don't know how resistive they are and tungsten filaments are done under controlled gas because oxygen in the mix will oxidize the filament. The oxidation prevents redeposition of the sputtered tungsten and causes breakage eventually.

[mhole]

Unless people know something I don't I'd say TC isn't brittle. The hardness is right under diamond on the Mohr scale. My wedding ring is made from tungsten carbide and it won't die sans being throw into a mountain to kill Sauron or a new jeweler's saw - the old school ones usually won't do the trick. This is the issue with anything that is pure tungsten carbide - very high temp (you homebrew guys can't get that high normally) required and you're likely going to ruin it by aftermarket alteration just like most people ruin carbon steel tempers when they're sculpting by not keeping it cool enough.

Hardness isn't the same as toughness, and something can be very hard yet also brittle. mY comments on TC are based on usng TCT router cutters and drill bits, which are way more vulnerale to chipping than high speed steel. HSS cutters will blunt quite quickly, but rarely chip. TCT cutters will stay sharp much longer, but will chip if they're subjected to high torque or impact.

[n2oah]

Why do we have to make picks from exotic materials? I mean, isn't spring steel good enough for almost any pick application? Unless you people are going through picks like they're single-use (I'm not, and I tend to be fairly rough) I don't see why we need to complicate things by using exotic materials.

[LocksmithArmy]

exotic materials are fun... bragging rights... y not...

i know how to solve this mystery...

make picks aout of tungston...
c how they work

ok so whos blowin the money... i still dont trust the idea so not me

[raimundo]

Diamond is the hardest stone, Jade is the toughest stone. A Jade hammer will shatter a diamond. Jade has an interlaced crystal structure that is not subject to fractures. Although it can fracture under tremendous pressure, everything else will go before the jade. Diamond is hard and can be very sharp, diamond will easily cut Jade.

[LocksmithArmy]

well puy raimundo...

now who wants to make a jade pick

[bushd]

Let me break out my million dollar bill to pay for that jade.

[LocksmithArmy]

lol

ok let me know how they work and i might make myself some...

(ill hav to use a thousand thousands tho)