Homemade picksets VS. bought brand

[PickPhooey]

Hey, just a short question for all. I bought a small set of Brockhage picks and have become fond of the short hook, but the chrome plate is flaking off and it's becoming tougher to pick. Is this pick dead or can it be saved? Is there a better pick than this to move up to in a starter set? It appears to be copper coated to get the plating to stick. I've made afew of my own but am nowhere near the level of what I can buy. Those that I have made, i've done pretty well so far. Any suggestions? Thanks much!

Phooey

[TigerDragon]

I'm not familiar with Brockhage picks, but I've never seen a "chrome plated" pick before. What it sounds like you are seeing is what looks like a "copper" on the tip of the pick? It is more likely brass shavings that you are making from picking the lock too hard. The more you pick a lock (especially if you use too much force) the more damage you do over time to the pins and such. The pick is a harder material than the pins, and scratches them. This eventually produces a powdery brass shaving inside the lock and on your picks. Take a cloth and wipe your picks and you should see some or all of the brass on the pick go away. The reason the lock is harder to pick is the brass shavings inside the lock are likely gumming it up a bit. If you can disassemble the lock, you should do so and clean all the parts before putting it back together for more picking practice.

[ToolyMcgee]

Actually... Brockhage picks are claiming to have a three layer plating on their spring steel picks. Copper, nickel, then chrome. If you are down to the copper and you don't like the way it's picking, it's time for a new one. Cut out the rivets and use the pick blank as a template if you like it so well.

How long have you been using it?

[PickPhooey]

Actually... Brockhage picks are claiming to have a three layer plating on their spring steel picks. Copper, nickel, then chrome. If you are down to the copper and you don't like the way it's picking, it's time for a new one. Cut out the rivets and use the pick blank as a template if you like it so well.

How long have you been using it?

I've been using it about a month, and it's starting to peel. It doesn't affect picking ability so much, but it highly affects how easily the pick slides. I might try one of those max yields in a short hook format and see how it does for me. I mean I don't use it for everything inclusive, but every master padlock I have, about 12 or so I use this pick. Any suggestions brand-wise?

phooey

[bushd]

The Brockhage Navigator set is nice but on some of the picks you can definitely see the difference in thickness. Most of the picks are way too thick but some are really thin. I like them and they do slide nicely but I know I would be upset if that chrome started to peel or come off. The set also doesn't come with any tensioners I particularly like, I don't know what it is like with their other sets, but if this is the case then look at investing time in custom tensioners or purchasing others.

[PickPhooey]

I took a closer look at the set I have, just about all of them are starting to peel. It might be a crappy batch or just way too many coatings on them. Well, they were only meant to be a starter set until I figured out if I wanted to continue this and invest in something bigger and badder. I've got a few good tension tools, nothing fancy or the dial type, but i've made some of my own and i'm good on that end. I'm not against dropping a few bucks as long as the set will last. I have no problem replacing one pick here and there to make a set complete again, but for all of them to be the same way, time for a better set. I might get one of those southord either 11 or 14 piece, nothing serious, but it's hard to learn the proper way with bad juju right off the bat.

Phooey

[raimundo]

copper plating will stick harder to other metals than most plating, therefore its usually the first step in plating metal, then subsequent metals are plated on the copper layer, why nickel is the base for chrome plating I dont't know for sure, but likely it adds something, perhaps its a stronger bond for the chrome.

platings do not work well on things that rub or flex, the picks do both.

[ToolyMcgee]

How long have you been using it?

I've been using it about a month, and it's starting to peel. It doesn't affect picking ability so much, but it highly affects how easily the pick slides. I might try one of those max yields in a short hook format and see how it does for me. I mean I don't use it for everything inclusive, but every master padlock I have, about 12 or so I use this pick. Any suggestions brand-wise?
phooey

I took a closer look at the set I have, just about all of them are starting to peel. It might be a crappy batch or just way too many coatings on them.

1 @#^&$% month!? My guess is if you bought another set, it too would be a crappy batch. Time to change brands. My vote is for a small HPC set, supplemented with 1 or 2 singles in the slimmer version. Good picks, good price, excellent little snap case. Lockpicks.com has HPC, and their singles are majestic(another good choice) but I don't know that they sell varying thicknesses. I cannot recommend regular southord, and their new Max picks are as expensive as peterson's. You'll have to do some shopping around. I don't do much commercial price checking

This is one of the many, many threads that discuss choices.
http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=39809&start=0

-Tooly

[PickPhooey]

How long have you been using it?

I've been using it about a month, and it's starting to peel. It doesn't affect picking ability so much, but it highly affects how easily the pick slides. I might try one of those max yields in a short hook format and see how it does for me. I mean I don't use it for everything inclusive, but every master padlock I have, about 12 or so I use this pick. Any suggestions brand-wise?
phooey

I took a closer look at the set I have, just about all of them are starting to peel. It might be a crappy batch or just way too many coatings on them.

1 @#^&$% month!? My guess is if you bought another set, it too would be a crappy batch. Time to change brands. My vote is for a small HPC set, supplemented with 1 or 2 singles in the slimmer version. Good picks, good price, excellent little snap case. Lockpicks.com has HPC, and their singles are majestic(another good choice) but I don't know that they sell varying thicknesses. I cannot recommend regular southord, and their new Max picks are as expensive as peterson's. You'll have to do some shopping around. I don't do much commercial price checking

This is one of the many, many threads that discuss choices.
http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=39809&start=0

-Tooly

I've seen Peterson's bypass things here and there, but never seen a pick set made by them. The sets I have seen are way out of my experience level/bent metal needs/plus way out of my price range. I'm a mechanic by trade, so just about everything that sits in the toolbox is snap-on. Not because I like spending 100 bucks on a wrench, I need tools that will stand the test in the worst environment you can think of. The max yields are very pricey, but if they stand up to the test, I have no problem droppin the $ for them. But are they what I really need in the smaller set? It's all so confusing with the amount of choices one has in front of them........

Phooey