Bogota Titanium Set Question

[Conquer]

I recently ordered a 2 pc Bogota Titanium Mini set from BlackScoutSurvival.com. Unfortunately they were on back order and being that I am a newbie at LockSport I have been so excited to receive them I took their offer of the regular sized Titanium set (not the flats). They were shipped yesterday so I should have them in a day or two.

Anyway, as I said I am a newbie at LockSport... My question is, with the set I just purchased, you know how it comes with two pieces, one for raking and one is a feeler pick (both are the tension wrench). Is the feeler pick also an actual pick, or just that, a 'feeler' to first assess the pins inside the lock and then begin raking, to get an idea what your dealing with inside? Or is the other piece aka the feeler pick an actual pick where I can first use the rake and then if any pins aren't set I can then use the feeler pick? Or do I need a dedicated pick, I believe its called a half diamond?

Also, since they are both tensions wrenches and some people use the rake to set as many pins as they can and then use another pick to 'finish' the job, one would have to remove the tension wrench from the key way to use the other pick. Is it possible you think to insert the tension wrench of the feeler pick on the Bogotas, rake the lock and set lets say 4 pins, then remove the rake and use the other side tension wrench and insert it on the upper part of the keyway, remove the tension wrench with the feeler pick on it from the bottom of the key way and use the feeler pick to finish the job of setting the last pin?

Or do you suggest having a 3rd pick?

I guess my entire question is this. Can I use the feeler pick in the Bogota set as an actual pick, or do I need a dedicated pick?

Thanks and sorry for the huge confusing post!

[Solomon]

You could use it to feel for individual binding pins and set them, although I wouldn't imagine the handle design to be be particularly comfortable for doing so. They're designed for rapid jiggling, not finesse. But you can definitely do it, yeah.

[Josh66]

If I'm understanding everything right - yes they are both picks, and yes it should be possible to switch tools without a third tool.

You could apply tension with the pick inside the keyway, remove the other pick, insert that in the keyway somewhere else, then remove the first pick, flip it around and apply tension with it. Does that make sense?

I could be tricky in small keyways, but I think it would work.

[Squelchtone]

site where you got your picks:
http://blackscoutsurvival.bigcartel.com ... ry-toolset


They shouldn't be calling that single Bogota a feeler, I have always felt the short hook is the only pick you can honestly call a feeler pick, and it isn't really to feel out anything, so the name sucks to begin with. Lifter is more appropriate for a short hook, but for your single hump Bogota it is more of a half diamond which you can use to rake or individually lift pins using the peak. It is a perfectly viable set, no need for another pick. If anything another normal tension wrench would help a lot, as the handles are sometimes too long and stick out of the lock while tensioning.

Squelchtone

[Conquer]

You could use it to feel for individual binding pins and set them, although I wouldn't imagine the handle design to be be particularly comfortable for doing so. They're designed for rapid jiggling, not finesse. But you can definitely do it, yeah.

So the one on the bottom is not for SPP but for simply feeling around and setting any pins that may not have been set by the above rake?



http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server5000/f5a79/products/393/images/175/Bogota_Toolset_Titanium_Mini__85657.1331526487.1280.1280.jpg

[Conquer]

Josh - Yes it does make sense, thank you.

Squechtone - disregard my last post I refreshed and saw your explanation. Yes that is the site in which I got my set from. I wanted the minis but 2 weeks went by and they still were on back order so I went with the regular sized set.

As for the handles being a bit too large and sticking out, do you think the mini set will remedy that?

[Solomon]

So the one on the bottom is not for SPP but for simply feeling around and setting any pins that may not have been set by the above rake?

The way I see it, it could be used for either. Personally I'm not a big fan of the half diamond (which is essentially what that is) for pure SPP, but to each his own.

[EmCee]

I haven't (yet) bought the bogota set. However, thinking of what you describe I believe that a third tensioner would be useful if you are going to swap tools mid-opening.

I say that because I would have thought that fitting two tensioners side by side in the bottom of the keyway would be difficult to impossible in most keyways and you'd risk losing the tension anyway, in which case all the pins would drop again. Swapping tensioners by using the second in TOK would be possible, but in my experience TOK tension really requires a very short bend so that the main arm of the tensioner is close to the front of the lock. I think the length of the tension part of the bogotas would be too long to easily use TOK (it's entirely possible that I am completely wrong or that my skills are too unrefined to use a 'long' tensioner in the TOK position).

[crmcrm]

I tried this with my Bogota set and a Peterson pry bar lite (a TOK tension tool). It took a couple of tries, but I could swap between tension with the half diamond to tension with the rake. I am still new at this and I don't have the hang of using TOK tension while picking. I can see where a small TOK tool would make a good add on for your Bogota set.