Question on pick sanding

[tydirian]

I understand the basic idea about sanding picks smooth to get better feedback from the lock. My question is this. Is the goal to just make the flat sides smooth or to also round the edges a bit?

[CaptHook]

Personally, I like everything smooth and a little rounded. I dont like putting anything with a sharp edge or point in a keyway. It avoids scraping/scratching the pins and keyways.
You can always tell pins that have been screwed with and raked, with a sharp "pick".
Chuck

[Shrub]

The reason for sanding is to take the burr off from around the edge of the picks, they have a burr as most of the commercial ones are punched out thus not cutting a clean edge,

Just take off any sharp edges and you will be fine,

Use wet and dry paper, fine emry paper, oil stone (wet), deburring machine, rubber belt, basically anything that you can control easily without it taking off any 'needed' material.

As Capin said, you if you dont you will be forever leaving brass swarlf in locks and if practiceing you will soon damage the lock.

[vector40]

You can also sand to actually thin the pick, if it's too wide or thick for your tastes. Just depends on how long you go at it.

[raimundo]

definately round the edges, the square edges interact with the complex shapes of the keyway wards and pin drillings, this will scratch these parts and the feedback you will feel is not helpful either. I also smooth the tips to avoid sharp edges inside the pin drilling that will scratch the pin and the hole it rides in til these two scratched parts interact in ways that can be unpredictable, (sometimes it could aid, more often it will obstruct) If you bring a pick out of a lock and see the yellow brass on it, sand that pick. by putting a piece of sandpaper on a block of wood, you can take the pick handle and move it across the block to round those edges, then when that is done, push'pull the pick over the edge of the block of wood so that the final sanding lines are lengthwise on the pick.

[Chucklz]

You should start with 80 grit paper then progress to 120, 150, 220, 400, then if you want to get shiny 1000 grit paper. You should really concentrate on removing all sharp edges, especially if you have ground your own picks. You will find that your success rate really increases.

[tydirian]

Thanks for the info. I got some fine wetsand and got some of the picks that i use the most nice and shiny. Much better in my practice lock.

[Shrub]

Not completly neccasary but i also spray some silicon lubricant over mine and they really do glide in and out of the keyway, it also helps the moisture getting to them so much when they are on the back of my van.