tension wrenches

by **karl** » 6 Jul 2004 15:15

ok,ive been making picks for a while,but the problem is,i have loads of picks but only one tension wrench(a ground down allen key).i want to make more tension wrenches,but i dont know what to use.i hear you can use the metal in windscreen wipers,but tou have to heat it and i dont have a torch.i was thinking of using nails,by bending them 90 degrees then grinding down the sides.anymore suggestions or tips are more than welcome!thanks,

----karl----

(yes,i already did a search,but could not find much)

by **Hak** » 6 Jul 2004 15:21

you really dont have to torch the windscreen wipers to bend them. Whenever i make stuff out of windscreen wipers i just use a pliers and bend them, works like a charm

by **jason** » 6 Jul 2004 16:49

Use the thin steel "spine" of the windscreen wiper. This bends easily with two pairs of pliers (I have a couple of "twist" tension wrenchs) they take literally seconds to make and if you walk past a car spares store you'll often find old wipers in the bin (or gutter) when people buy new ones they fit them outside the shop and lob the old ones anywhere.

by **pinky** » 6 Jul 2004 17:28

another ken special, but spot on, you can get up to 16 wrenches from one pair of blades, far better than the real ones and made to suit your needs, dental picks make excellent wrenches also , found on most tool stalls at most markets , about 50p each.

by **Ice** » 9 Jul 2004 3:16

I would say try anything and everything... if you have the experience to make picks, tension wrenches can't be that far off. If people can use strange objects as picks, you can most certainly use just about anything for a tension wrench. I know somebody who used a paperclip as well, and also the metal "plate" off of those floppy disks.

by **Exodus5000** » 9 Jul 2004 5:19

I would say the best material is a windshield wiper (windscreen for assorted euros.) I simply cut the length I want, grasp the piece with a pliers and bend the metal with my thumb over the pliers. Its that easy.

by **Retrovertigo** » 25 Jul 2004 2:25

An Idea...

This is what I have done in the past. Go to your local Lumber yard. Either go grab it or ask for the spring steel strapping that they wrap lumber with. They will just give it to you, no worries they throw it away. This makes great picks, and tension wrenches, you can also make a good slim-jim with it too.

by **Rath** » 25 Jul 2004 11:47

i have made a tention wrench out of a nail i took a 5lb hammer and flattend the tip and bent it at a 90. it worked but it was hard to gauge the force you are usuing

by **Guitar_J** » 25 Jul 2004 14:01

something i noticed that might make a decent wrench...

in an umbrella there are metal rods that come out from the shaft and go to the dome part of it, they're usually round, except on the end they're flattened where they go into a ring on the shaft of the umbrella...

Might work.. Dunno

by **Neil** » 26 Jul 2004 2:44

Karl

Try using the stainless steel head band in a pair of cheap headphones. bend the right angle portion then using two pliers, heat a section and twist 90 deg. Because they are quite springy you can get a very good feel and a light touch.

Cheers

Neil

Sorry as this is my first post, an introduction;

Names - Neil

Country - Australia

Occupation - computing

Hobbies - picking and target archery.

At present - studing locksmithing

by **hzatorsk** » 26 Jul 2004 6:18

Allen Keys (hex wrenches)

They look like a tension wrench as they are 'L' shaped, they come in a set of a variety of sizes and one will almost always fit snugly in the top or bottom of virtually any common keyway. No hammering, torching, cutting or grinding. Just a stop by the hardware store!

They have a hex shaped cross section with flat edges... so they are not flat, but I've found them very handy, strong and cheap.

Guess what... you'll probably need allen wrenches anyway to remove set screws or to disassemble other things.

by **S3rratedSp00L** » 26 Jul 2004 13:08

I found some stainless steel hacksaw blades that were a little too springy for me to make picks from. I just ground it close to the proper wdth and cold bent it. I prefer to cold bend with 2 pairs of pliers. If you leave about 1/8th of an inch in between the pliers you will get a nice bend radius and it will help to prevent snappage while you bend

I friend of mne uses Brass rod. (Probably brazing rod) and has had good results! Bicycle spokes, nails, hex wrenches, old screwdrivers can also be used, of course

I've even used parts off of some old RC cars to make picking tools

I have an old bridge from an electric guitar lying around that looks like I could just cut it in strips and grind to shape. I am going to go raid the junk drawer and see what I might have in there to make some more wrenches

Oh! And good for you, making your own wrenches!

by **Murph** » 27 Jul 2004 9:45

The brass rod idea sounds good, I'm going give one a try tonight.
Thanks for sharing S3rratedSp00L!

by **Murph** » 28 Jul 2004 10:42

Well I'm "hooked" on the windshield wiper spine material. Lastnight 27 July, I made a nice tension tool from it and it made a big-time difference; in fact, I finally opened my first lock that I have been picking at for about 5 days using a small allen wrench with the "L" side ground flat. That wiperblade spine made all the difference. Newbies, take note! Read and search the posts, valuable information from many experts in this forum! Read, Learn, Practice, Improvise

Thanks to everyone for their input, you people really help make my new hobby fun.

by **Serethipas** » 30 Jul 2004 0:56

when i lost my only tension,i used a steak knife with the smooth bladed tip bent