How to make fancy pick handles

[VashTSPD]

my sixth grade music teacher actually was SINGING when he put insulation in his roof...and that's why he can't sing anymore screwed up his vocal cords too much.

[Gordon Airporte]

Gordon Airporte, I have one question. How thick is the plastic dip on the pick? They look excellent, very professional.

Thanks. The dip is ... not very thick at all. I put two coats on, in fact. I can't detect any interference with the feel of the pick, if that's what you're asking.

Minor correction: It's a the #4 curve... Oh, and now that I think about it, could someone who has a Falle set please measure the width of the curve on these? Does it taper slightly? It's not super exact working from scans of the picks.

[Shrub]

Does this help?





If you save it out the imagie should be good enough for you to zoom in at will fo detail unless photobucket has removed some of the definition,

[Gordon Airporte]

Oh, thank you very much. Matt Blaze's pics don't have the graph paper. Now if you could just redo it using imperial measurements. j/k
Look's like I got it pretty close. Think how many keyways they measured to come up with these.

[Krypos]

142,975.26 keyways to be exact.

j/k i have no idea, but for $300 some odd dollars, they had better have done it darn fine.

[Octillion]

Here is a thread where I took measurements and made high resolution scans all of the Falle picks.

http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?t=11956&start=0

[LockNewbie21]

Sweet job with the falles.

I am really winging it here, but i am sure he did some sort of average system to make the picks right?

Say 20 of th emost used keyways, including measurments of proper angels to manipulate diffrent pin settings? I adimire Mr. Falle, he's good.. simply put.

I actually like his L-rake's, i did critisize them, meanign they were no diffrent from a conventional run of the mill. But i like the peak and valley placements.

As for the fulcrum hooks.. good design.. but really i would like to see just all the hooks with seperate bare handels.

I mean i am always willing to be proved wrong, if anyone has a spare, or one they don;t use or willing to part with, PM me or post here.

But just to check, they are indeed only sold in a set right? Is there anyway to contact safe-ventures directly and say you need a replacement?

[Gordon Airporte]

Here is a thread where I took measurements and made high resolution scans all of the Falle picks.

http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?t=11956&start=0

Perfect. In the high resolution 20MB file it's very clear what's shadow and what's pick. And at 1:1 scale it saves messing around with the size before printing templates out.

[Gordon Airporte]

Hah, it turns out that a pick I made freehand, based on nothing but an idea I had, is exactly (+/- .002") a #5 graduated curve.
Freaky.
(I was thinking "I could use a short hook that's maybe a little taller, like with a rounded tip added.")

[iNtago]

Thanks gordon i finished 3 today but a little different. I have a bent alumenum peace that i just bent all the way to clamp the pick.

Confuesd Heres a pic




it needs more work but it feels good no plastidip needed

[lancoff]

This is a great idea! I gave it a try on some of my picks and it works great. I do have one thought thou. Would it not be eaiser (assuming one had the tools required) to just rivet the handles rather than using an adhesive. Thats what I do. I guess its just a matter of preference. Tell me what you think.

[Gordon Airporte]

Yeah, I got ya Intago - it's one strip doubled over, which would ensure that you have a nice finish at the back. Those look really good. I've thought about using them without the dip, but it hides all kinds of mess

Lancoff - the problem with riveting is drilling through the hacksaw blade - or at least if there is a problem that will be it. You might have just the right bit and just the right blade. Some (most?) blades have only the teeth really hardened, so that would help. Aligning everything would call for some careful clamping too.

[Pwnany]

Sorry to bring up a old-ish thread but whatever.

I haven't made any picks before but I'm getting a grinder soon and I'm wondering of this method can make the length of the handle longer. Because I have drawn my pick designs on to the piece of hack-saw blade I want to grind but the handle is only like 1.5 inches long. :S Could I still use this method on the picks so that it makes the handles a lot longer? Or should I just re-mark my picks so they will have a longer handle.

-Pwnany

[Romstar]

Generally, picks should have complete handles. This is generally 3.125" on picks such as the HPC, SouthOrd, Majestic and Ilco.

If you do have picks with shorter handles, you can lengthen them by gluing, soldering, riveting or welding longer handles to the original pick handle.

Be sure to use a very good glue, or some mechanical means of securing the pick to the handles.

Romstar

[Gordon Airporte]

What Romstar said. I suggest JB Weld for sticking the handles on if they're that short. I'd also try to fill in solid between the scales at the butt of the hacksaw, at least an inch or so down. Best would probably be to use JB Weld to fill in all the way down, but you could switch to some other filler. Maybe peanut butter.
Well, maybe not , but I have used plumbers' putty for this and the pick has worked just fine for me.