Beginner - Getting/Making Picks

[jayjay1317]

Hey there!

I have a big problem. See, I'm living in Luxembourg and am 15. I want to learn lockpicking, so I just started grinding and filing picks out of hacksaw blades, which produces (for me) wellformed, smooth picks. The problem is, that they always break inside the lock. I know that those picks shown on several photos wouldn't break, cus they're much wider.
But I'm starting to think that my european locks are much narrower than US Locks.......These picks on the photos would never enter one of my locks!
So I have to make them thin, and they break.

I also thought about buying this set here:
http://www.lockpickshop.com/p-C2010.html

But i think if they'll bend and break just like my homemades, then why buy 53 Euros for them...? (That's much money for a 15-year old..-_-)

(I repinned a normal door-lock with three pins and am currently trying to reopen it....it's not that easy^^...but I'm trying)

So, do you think it would help buying those picks? Will they be much more resistant than my own ones?
Will I have them for a long time, or will I break them as a total beginner???
What should I do?

Thx

[gostone]

Hello,
I would suggest you make your own, you really only need 3 o4 picks. You need a snake, a couple of hooks, thats it......... Maybe a half diamond. Even with the hacksaw blades, they should not break. You need to have a fine touch with these tools. Not much pressure is needed to lift a pin, less than many beginners think. So reevaluate your technique perhaps.
Also in terms of material, use something better than hacksaw blades, it really is not the best. I would suggest hardened spring steel, it is cheap, and readily available. You could also use machinists gauges, or shims. I have found these to be about the best material.
The european locks tend to have smaller keyways, but a pick of around .015 - .020" should be fine for you.

Good luck

[hurri]

Don't buy those picks (my opinion).BEcause maybe you'll spend your money and the picks will not work.You can improvise picks...
Or,if you really want to get picks,try to buy some european picks.

[hippy5749]

If you grind them, make sure you dip the pick into a cold cup of water every couple of seconds (pretty much any time you feel the hacksaw blade getting warm. That will make sure you aren't removing tempured strength from the blade. Also don't shove the blade into the grinder very hard. You could be created stress farcures on it. Do the picks you make break in about the same place every time? Last thing. Try a couple of different brands of hacksaw blades. Each one is a little different......

Hope this helps

[jayjay1317]

Yeah they always do break in the same place:
that one where the leverage is the biggest, just before the handle...
But I now managed to make to new hooks out of new hacksaw blades.
They seem to be a little more resistant.(I left it a little thicker)

I'm going to see if it really is better than the others...........

(I always dip them into water rather fast...they won't get that hot. And I'm grinding really slowly; I don't force the blade against the wheel.

I think these new ones should work now....I'll tell you guys if they do or not...

Many Thanks, Jayjay

[clinked_up]

I noticed in the review it said they were made for japanese and european locks so i think those might do well but maybe you should also make other picks maybe just a tad wider than you usually do and if you find that the picks you made were better then the ones you bought then it means you dont have to spend a lot of money anymore or at least just for the blades