by Greyflex » 22 Oct 2005 19:12
I have ditched the thumbscrew. The picks now open and close a bit like the old Leatherman tools; they all kinda move together, so you have to sort through them a bit carefully. They stay in place very nicely, though you wouldn't be able to rake with the underside of a pick. Since I don't use any double-sided rakes, that isn't an issue for me. So I replaced the thumbscrew with a slotted machine bolt (size 8-32) with a round head, which is much, much smaller, and it can also be adjusted with a dime, if necessary. I also replaced the hex nut with a sqare nut, which sits flush by a bend in the belt clip that I made from the metal clip of a pants hanger. This arrangement works better than a friction washer.
To retain the tension wrench, I cut a itty bitty notch toward the handle of it, and I made a tooth on the top of one of the picks (on the end towards the hole), so that it catches and holds the wrench when closed. I am much too lazy to take any new pictures, and my camera couldn't capture anything so small, anyways.
Anyone else with experiences/ideas for locking the picks or retaining the wrench, please post here.
