What does a sweeper bristle look like?

[Olcaytug]

I found some wondcerful equipment for pick making in a hardware store but I'm not sure if it is a "sweeper bristle" or not.

It is made of crom-steel alloy, and assumedly never breaking or deforming. It is something for sweeping leaves I think...

The only problem is that I forgot to measure its thinckness. Would it be ok?

Regards and Thanks

[Varjeal]

That may be a bit too flexible for picks, but hey...cut some up and give it a try.

[wtf|pickproof?]

in this: http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?t=3702&highlight=picture%2A+street%2A+%2Asweeper thread, skold posted some photos of sweeper bristles and some tension wrenches. (The sweeper bristles are the straight things on picture 2 and 3 and were cut fto appropriate length to make tension wrenches out of them, usually thei are about 20cm long if you pick them up on the road side, and about 50cm long if you manage to get some before they are mounted in a street sweeper vehicle.

There is at least one thread that deals with finding sweeper bristles:
http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?t=8287&highlight=zen+search

I found it via the search funciton, it work believe me! I know there are better picture of bristles floating around but I think they should work

I hope that helps!

[Eyes_Only]

I personnaly like to make picks out of rake tines, they're flexable and thin enough to fit in a key way. Totally beats having to stalk and chase down street cleaners every thursday morning.

[Olcaytug]

Then that is what a sweeper is!...

But I thought a sweeper is a man who sweeps the roads and sweeper bristle is a kind of broom that he uses

Hey but I'm not the guilty! People were talking about following or running after sweepers.. Even someone advised to follow old sweepers that seem to want retirement, since they would be more willing to give their bristles! (I thought about nice old grandfathers!)

But how can those monstrous machines use steel bristles? To me, they always looked as if using plastic brushes with fancy colors!

Or can they be different in my country?

Regards...

[Olcaytug]

I personnaly like to make picks out of rake tines, they're flexable and thin enough to fit in a key way. Totally beats having to stalk and chase down street cleaners every thursday morning.

By the way, I measured the thickness of these rake tines and they turned out to be 1mm thick (0,04 inches). I assume that would be a bit too thick for my taste.

Regards

[raimundo]

look again at your sweeping machine, it is now common for them to have plastic bristles on the back brush, but there is a rotary brush that comes out the side to do the curbs and this one is still made of steel bristles. In most places anyway.

[raimundo]

If you are going to use the rake tines, you should shop around, there are probably some that are thinner than others, in fact the cheapest ones may be better for using. this metal is hardend so you might have some trouble filig it, you will know if your file gets dull very fast, if that is the case, use a grinder, and keep cooling the metal frequently

[illusion]

the rake I have dropped a few bristles the other day, and they work okay for lever locks, but since they are too thick it's not wirth turning them into cylinder picks.

I'll take a photo of a bristle and post it later.

[Eyes_Only]

I personnaly like to make picks out of rake tines, they're flexable and thin enough to fit in a key way. Totally beats having to stalk and chase down street cleaners every thursday morning.

By the way, I measured the thickness of these rake tines and they turned out to be 1mm thick (0,04 inches). I assume that would be a bit too thick for my taste.

Regards

Yeah I agree, it is a bit too thick for locks like a schlage with a tight keyway, thats why I almost never use them. But for something like a kwikset it works very well and it also serves as a good emergency back up set (if there even is such a thing as a lockpick emergency).