modifying acutal dental picks

[kuroikoshka]

anyone have any luck with modifying actual dental picks?

[Grudge]

I have ground down some dental picks to become lock picks (you have to flatten them in order to get them to fit into the keyway). Although they would work in a pinch, the stainless steel just doesn't seem to be hard enough once they are ground down (maybe it was just the cheapy picks I was using).

[CaptHook]

I had the same experience, I used a craftsman pick and ground think then into shape. Its too....springy.
Chuck

[CitySpider]

Someone explain to me why you would make lockpicks out of dental picks? Especially when there are so many objects that are both easier to get and easier to modify?

[Chucklz]

I find the handle of dental picks to be extremely comfortable and to give great feedback, but I find them totally unsuitable for making picks, except for a few rakes for truly miniscule locks, and of course, a little hook shaped one for removing gunk from keyways.

[Pheniox]

For this answer, we should all turn to pyro and bug him. I know for BUD/s, I had to get a dental pick to work on my acuator, now I am done with that part and just have it sitting around. I might be taking a hammer to it in a few days to see how it would work, but if I could find some way to graft on the handle of a dental pick to my southord slimlines....... I would be VERY happy indeed.

[CaptHook]

Being in the navy, do you have any buddies in the machine shop? If so I can draw you a blueprint for a handle. (you will need to butcher a pick, so buy an extra one) What Im thinking about is a round knurled handle with a slot approximately .750-1.000 long on one end, with 2 set screws perpendicular to the slot. Grind down the handle of the pick to the same width (about 1.00 long from shaft) as the shaft on the pick and cut it off. Insert the pick into the handle and tighten in place. If you have access to a drill press and a scroll saw, an improvised version could be made from a large dart shaft.
Chuck

[Pheniox]

nice thinking. I will be talking to the machine shop monday and seeing what favors it will take to have them do some custom work for me.

[Chucklz]

Phen,

I was thinking about my previous success at using hobby knife handles. If someone was skilled at making small welds, I think it may be possible to cut a small slot in a dental tool handle and weld either a Southord Hook, or a copy ground out of street sweeper bristle (probably a bit stronger) to the handle. Anyone wanna take this idea and run with it? Pyro im looking at you!

[Pheniox]

I am very good at welding, but I don't have any welders i could use around here

I agree though, pyro is the one to try it.

[PYRO1234321]

it seems to me that the fasination with dental picks can be divided into to camps. first, the handle, which is round and robust, but heavy and not very good for feedback IMO, but do offer a good tactile feedback due to their volume. why not drill a wooden dowel (or steel/aluminum rod) and epoxy a shaft into it? The second camp seems to think that the narrow flat stainlees steel shafts are better than flat steel/metal, well, its really the same thing as a fine shafted 'normal' pick made from a flat material. ground needles are not a good place to start for picks (as mentioned by Grudge).

i think that the the whole dental pick 'thing' can be boiled down to pure looks and the more important aspect of the handle (depending on personal preferance).

the handle is the part that controls the business part, its effects can be mental or actual, but both are just as important. a larger handle imparts a sense of more control and solidness which may or may-not be real when it comes to picking a lock. dental picks have the impression of being a solid tool (shaft joined to handle - which they are), but wouldn't a solid (one peice) material tool be better?