calling anyone who wants to make picks

[savs2k]

I recently talked to a buddy who owns a machine shop. He has a guy who does his sheet metal. I can probably get a big sheet of metal cut into good sized strips to make picks. If I buy a large sheet he will cut them down to a small size for me for free. The sheet metal won't cost me too much so i'll probably give them away for free here (as long as you pay shipping). For all you lockpick making GURUS. I need to know the BEST thickness and material to get. I want to try to make some titanium picks and burn the tips for a good effect. I am only considering titanium right now though. It would look awesome heat treated but i'm worried it will be too hard of a material and possibly snap eaiser. I work with the stuff a lot on the race cars I do but constant movement isn't an issue for it as it would be as a lock pick. For those of you who do not know. Burnt titanium is just a cool look effect. You will probably get the effect grinding down the metal and shaping it into picks. Just imagine this look on a pick



so again my question to all the guys who have made ALOT of high quality picks. Whats your ideal thickness and choice of material? Also on a scale of 1-10 how well would titanium hold up as a pick? It's a very strong metal but something as slim as a pick it might be too hard and brittle.

[jamesphilhulk2]

try and get spring/sprung steel, that's the best for picks

[sfi72]

Yeah, its gonna be really hard to grind down titanium.

[savs2k]

titanium in a thin sheet for lock picks should be a fairly easy grind.

[ratyoke]

I use high carbon steel feeler gauge stock in what ever thickness the person ordering wants. Usually between .020" - .025". I have also used stainless steel feeler gauge stock a few times.

I have worked with titanium, it won't be too hard to grind or file to shape if it's around that thickness. The stuff I worked with was about 0.020", I cut it with a jeweler's saw.

I don't think it would hold up as well as steel, but I have never made a pick with it.

[Engineer]

Thickness is typically 0.025"

Titanium this thin shouldn't be impossible to work with. It won't be too easy, but it should still work on an electric grinder for example. I would say though that you will need to water-grind them and probably with an aluminium oxide wheel - See here for example:

http://www.mwponline.co.uk/Features/Grinding_titanium

Although it should work, it will be rough on your tools and grinding wheel, so don't expect too long a life from a home-type electric grinder. Unless it is relatively new? - Just these last 5 years or so, I have been seeing some home electric grinders with pretty good wheels already on them. It is an intriguing idea for picks, but it would be for "master" picks - That is they are SO much harder than the brass (or steel) that locks themselves are typically made of, you would have to know not to put too much force into them, or they will damage your locks.

They would make good picks for SPPing, but I wouldn't want to rake a lock with them as it would probably be like scrubbing the inside of the lock with a file.

I personally don't like picks that are too flexible, I prefer stainless steel over spring steel because of that. I have absolutely no idea how titanium would "feel" as a pick, but it does sound like an interesting experiment though

[savs2k]

thanks for the quick replies guys. I'd have no problem making these picks. I work with alot of tools for cars so I have acress to gas torches,grinders,saws,plasma cutters... you name it I can get my hands on it pretty much. I would really like the input of some of the best pick makers on this forum. You get a really strong light weight and good locking pick with titanium. But with that thin of a thickness it might snap without a "masters" touch. If i decide to to these i'd make carbon fiber handles for them with a polished resin. The lightest and most elite of picks =D. Also you can polish titanium really smoothly so it would come out perfect and not rough for raking. Also SPPing was my main goal for them, i'm sure making rakes out of them would be fine. A normal sheet of titanium would run i'd say $90 us. That is for a 12"x12" sheet in whatever thickness I want. With my friends price I should be looking at about $60-70 a sheet and cut for free. i'd say i can make 150+ picks with ease. That's worth it for me and i'd share with you guys at my expense. It's really not that bad.

[ratyoke]

I forgot to add that I was working with grade 2 titanium, which is almost pure Ti. The 6AL4V alloy is stronger, and also more difficult to work with.