Pick material

[fozzie99]

Hi Everyone,
I'm new here found the site by accident! have been picking for over 35 years. Self taught before the internet!!! Make all my own tools. I did a search on pick materials and did not find this mentioned. Replacement springs for lawn mower recoil starters. Found them about 25 years ago. I also use deywall tape knives (with the blued steel blades) to make flat tension wrenches to fit my wallet. Great Site!! Haven't been very active in hobby lately but this site has got me fired up again.

[rayman452]

Welcome to the site, introduce yourself in the thread near the top. Replacement springs would be on a normal push mower I suppose? I use a tractor to cut my grass, so I don't think I have. However, I can strongly suggest trying hacksaw blades as you may have read, their quite the material. Once again, welcome to the site, please fill out your profile so we can "get to know you better", and I hope you will be active.



BTW, I find the metal inserts in windshield wiper blades very very useful for tension wrenchs, you can bend them cold.

[fozzie99]

When I first started picking I made all my picks from hack saw blades but most were to brittle and would eventualy break. I've never broken a lawn mower recoil spring pick.

[ndgreen]

I know that a lot of people advicate using the spring steel street sweeper bristles, and I agree.

They are of a good thickness, and are as sturdy as the HPC spring steel pick kit I use (although nowhere near as sturdy as the stainless steel kit).

I am lucky: on my morning walk to the coffee shop I usually fick up 5 or so .

N.

[raimundo]

I used to buy the briggs and stratton coil spring that is used in ropewhip starters on old lawn mowers, that was back in the early '70s, before I moved on to foot long feeler gauges that are sold as singles by machinests supply stores. Now I'm pretty much into sweeper bristles. way cheaper, and less mass wasting in the process. in fact, very little to cut away

[zeke79]

I used to buy the briggs and stratton coil spring that is used in ropewhip starters on old lawn mowers, that was back in the early '70s, before I moved on to foot long feeler gauges that are sold as singles by machinests supply stores. Now I'm pretty much into sweeper bristles. way cheaper, and less mass wasting in the process. in fact, very little to cut away

Wow raimundo!!!! I had no idea you have been making picks and picking that long! Alot of years went into perfecting that Bagota pick design. Great Job!