new J handles by raimundo and me

[femurat]

In the past I've tried to make many different handle types, one of them was a SPP dimple pick with bogota style handles. It worked, but it wasn't as comfortable as the original version.

Recently Ray sent me something special to test: a pair of xsmall hooks with new style handles, designed for dimple locks.
I liked the handles very much! They're so comfortable... I like to rotate the pick to lift the pins. The tips are small enough to fit the most restrictive keyway. Even a bit too small. I prefer half diamonds rather than hooks, but that's just a personal preference.
I've tried Ray picks with some locks: a master padlock, a mtl 6 pins and a mtl 7 pins were very easy to open. In particular with the mtl the picktip was the perfect size. Sometimes I trap my half diamond between the tall set pins. Ray hook is just the right size to escape from this trap. The bricard and the iseo gave me some troubles. I guess that the picktip may be too small to lift the shortest pins in these locks.

So I decided to make a pair of half diamonds with these new J handles. Here you can see Ray picks, kept together by a pink drinking straw, and my new set, with some heat shrink on the handles.



















In this period I haven't much free time, so forgive my short description. I have some more pictures of Ray set, I'll add them in the next days.
These picks are comfortable and effective. Hope you like them.

Cheers

[Phrop]

Very nice indeed.

[raimundo]

Thanks for being my beta tester on the dimple lock stuff.
on your advice I am now making the halfdiamond type, but because they are for dimple locks and I know how picks can be trapped in a mul-lock, what I did to the halfdiamonds was to use a fine tooth round file to put an angle on both sides of the back slope that is on the shaft side of the pick tip, its not a knife edge but its that kind of slope to narrow the back slope, giving it the possibility of getting under the bevel on the pins to lift them on the side towards the handle, with less on the front edge on the tip, the front edge moving forward wants to lift pins but the back slope of the picktip is narrowed in hope that this will make dislodging a stuck pick without having to put another piece in there to lift the pins that have trapped the pick tip,

I did make the diamond slopes more acute than the usual forty five degree angle,

I notice that on yours you have a certain wider flat top on the pick tip. I don't think that is necessary because a more pointed peak is more agile in the keyway and the pins don't know or care if what lifts them is wide on top, any metal tip that can be put under the pin will lift it regardless of how wide it is, the important dimension is the height to which it is capable of lifting pins, for this two picks are made so one can be of lesser height.
the flat top only adds some 'dwell time' as the pick passes under, if you are not passing under but stopping and lifting, the more acute tip will do it and take less space in the keyway and be less likely to impinge on an adjacent pin if its not centered under the pin you are working. having less mass in the keyway also makes it easier to maneuver the pick tip and less likely to get trapped,
That said, the tip should be sanded round and not sharp pointed because usually any sharp edges that can dig into the brass is not going to help

that is only my opinion and not a criticism of the flat top diamond, you and I will see things differently sometimes and we can both change to the other persons idea if its working well for us.

[raimundo]

OH, and I forgot to thank you very much for the nice write up and photos, and your evaluation of the J handles.
I really appreciate the work youve done.

[femurat]

Hi Ray, I appreciate your opinion about my pick shape. I know it's constructive

The out-most angle is a lot more than 45 degrees and it's exactly like I had it in mind. I agree that I made the side closer to the shaft a bit too wide and flat, I may correct it in the future making it steeper.

About the wide flat top, its an evolution of my old ballamond, a morph between an half ball and diamond. That pick works well and as you suggest is very agile in the keyway. Since it's acute, well sanded and polished, it easily slip off the pin I'm working on. I find useful to have a flat area to push up a pin without having to keep it in the exact centre of the pin.
I'm picking some locks to test it and till now it didn't get trapped. I think that it's thin enough to be manoeuvrable but I concur that it could be thinner.

Anyway, I'll think about what you suggested. I like to visualize objects in my mind and imagine how they work and how to improve them.

Thanks again