When I got into picking I saw that pick making tutorials utilized either feeler gauge stock or hacksaw blades. I couldn't find feeler gauge stock at the hardware store and I didn't want to use hacksaw blades because of the brittleness of the material, plus all the grinding involved. The solution that I found was to use 1/16th inch ER308 stainless steel TIG welding wire. What I did to make the picks was to flaten the wire with a hammer and then file them down to the desired profile. For the handle I used some segments of tree branches; the picks are inserted with pliers into the soft cavity in the middle of the branch. The only pick I had to use epoxy on was the flag pick due to the torque involve while picking.
The advantage of this method is that the welding wire comes with a certain degree of work hardening and after they are flattened the material aquires more work hardening but still has enough room left so that they are not brittle and there is no need to temper after forming them. The rake and the hook picks, except for the one next to the rake, are 0.60 mm thick; that other hook is 0.80 mm thick. The half diamond pick has a progresive thickness, 0.50 mm at the diamond and 0.80 mm at the beginning. On the image I show two flattened pieces of wire with 0.60 mm thickness and a piece of the branches I use for the handles. I like the round handles better than the flat triditional ones, so I've left the handles with just the bark peeled off.
