other materials?

[anikan_25]

alright ive read many many posts about making picks out of saw blades, wiper blades, etc. but i was wondering has anybody ever made working picks with something other than metal, such as plastic, im sure someone will have an interesting story of once picking a lock with nothing but cookie dough

[Legion303]

Banana. (But it wasn't me.)

-steve

[Safety0ff]

Does jiggling a cheap wafer lock with a zip tie count?

[MacGnG1]

Banana. (But it wasn't me.)

-steve

lol, i saw that on youtube

[thunerhair42]

I watched the banana video, it almost looked like he wasn't actually turning the cylinder, just the wrench, what I mean by that is he made it look like he was, but really he was just spinning the wrench inside the cylinder.

[Legion303]

The one faking the whole thing was our admin, DB. Except he wasn't faking. :P

-steve

[ToolyMcgee]

Yeah, I've made picks out of calling cards, credit cards, unbreakable combs, zytel knife sheaths, all different types of metal, etc. The point being I have tried many things. Stick to some type of steel and save yourself a headache.

[cheesehead]

I too have made picks out of plastic - it's kind of a fun novelty, but they aren't very durable, and wont last long. As far as the Macgyver aspect goes, it's kind of fun to experiment with improvised tools. you never know when an evil villian might lock you in a room with a ticking time bomb. That #2 pencil, and used chewing gum might be your only hope for escape...

[thunerhair42]

Oh, my bad, sorry.

[ToolyMcgee]

Necessity is the mother of invention. Improvisation was the key to many modern inventions. Sometimes intended purpose meets functional purpose entirely by coincidence. Occasionally by casual observation. A good pen clip tensioner has teeth to hold it firmly in the plasitc cap. These teeth also aid a wrench to grip the walls of a lock plug.

Often innovation lies in the discovery for new applications related to an intended function. Observe operation, then hope to understand alternate applications. In otherwords learn through another individuals discovery by understanding flaws in design. Exagerate benefits, and modify any apparent shortcomings. Do NOT be concerned with failure. Experimentation should a process by which you systematically eliminate all improperly functioning tools to further understand why an intended tool work smoothly.

-TMcgee