my tubular pick homemade

[lilaznbo14life]

Im trying 2 learn to make a tubular lock pick but im just a new beginner. in the pic below i used a bic pen barrel as the base and i used the peices of metal from winshield wipers as the key picks. i can fit 6 key picks on it. but i just started and its not rdy yet. i just wanna kno if this would work b4 i continue 2 continue making it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/ ... ture53.jpg


i think the holes on both of them r about the same. i havent made grooves on the pen base yet tats y its kinda bigger.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/ ... ture51.jpg

[Pickermeapie]

Ok... I am not trying to be rude or anything, but do you know how a tubular lock pick works? From your pics (kinda hard to tell) there is really no way for the feelers to retract on their own. BTW a tubular pick may not be the best thing to start out on making. But just as a note, I have seen old .30 Carbine casings with millings used for picks. Just in case you have any lying around.

[SFGOON]

Trim your fingernails.

With refinement your pick should work OK.

[Chrispy]

Trim your fingernails.

[dxlocks]

I wouldn't rely on the pen to work well for too long, if you were to make a new one using a pen i would advise you use a pippin file to cut the slider channels.

[raimundo]

I make them not very often, but they work very well, the basis i use is an ace keyblank cut to the 8th depth, (fort lock has an 8th depth, ace only 7) these cuts center the channels that i cut with needle files, parts or all of the key bow have to be cut away, depending on how you go about building up a little bit of shaft behind the tube, I usually solder the keybow on before any of the work in cutting channels, and I cut it away in parts after I use those parts to hold the piece in a vise during channel cutting. with the soldered key bow partly cut away where it will interfere with the o rings near the slot pickup or where it is necessary to make the fourth cut channel, then i build up the shaft behind the tube with fimo, the heat hardening plastic available in art supply store, but there are other ways to do the shaft extension, including a bolt screwed to the end of the tube. the slot pick up can be soldered in, or you can just not have one, its not really necessary as the edges of the eight cut will pick up the lock stem by pressing on the picked pins.

[lilaznbo14life]

yea tats too technical to understand. im only 15 and i have VERY LIMITED tools. I have a hammer, plyers, sissors, and a soldering iron (best tool i have i think) lol

[Shrub]

Good effort, keep going, you should do ok with it, not sure what pickermypie means as tubular picks dont retract on thier own, as long as the feeler picks are loose so they freely slide up and down you are fine.

Rays quick guide is acheivable by you but i dont think you quite understand it, what he basically was saying is to use a key and make the cuts for the pins go all the way up the shaft of the blank, solder the handle end of the key because the little pip inside which puts tension on the lock is attached to that in most cases, once soldered (glue may work but i doubt it) cut the handle (the bow) down so it doesnt interfere with the feeler picks, then useing a modelling clay stuff called filmo (it comes in any colour and sets rock hard in the oven) make a handle out of it,

Once done you will have a key that has feeler picks instead of depth cuts and a nice handle to grip it with.

The important thing is to make sure the feeler picks are smooth in their movement and can move up and down with ease, if you want to open tubular locks like i and other lockies do then you need to be able to grip the feeler picks at a good tightness so all you do is insert the pick, wiggle it and the feelers will set at the correct height for the lock to open but i guess looking at your design and intentions you are going for single pin picking in which case your above effort will be a good first try, dont forget you need to add a tensioner (that little pip on the inside of the key) that is just as important as the feerler picks.

Goodeffort and keep at it

[Minion]

I like what you've done, but using your age as an excuse for not being able to understand something is a crap fall-back.

I'm 15 and I understand perfectly well, I just try.

Like the fact that I use proper English spelling, grammar. "That" is not equal to "tat", "why" is not equal to "y", "are" is not equal to "r", "to/too" is not equal to "2", "for" is not equal to "4".... if I'm getting my point across. Put some effort into your posts and learning strategies. Reading what would insult most MSN chat rooms on a semi (oh so very semi) professional forum such as this just kind of rakes on my nerves.

[Pickermeapie]

I didn't think it would work because good tension couldn't be applied. As well as the sliders not moving freely because of the cap over the pen, and their legnth. Thats kinda what I was saying before about the sliders not retracting or retracting too much. I guess it could work, but I wonder if Rubber bands would provide a better adjustable tension to the sliders?

[Shrub]

Rubber bands should be ok, rubber 'o' rings are better but you have to get specific sizes where as the rubber bands can be doubled over.

[lilaznbo14life]

Yeah, I understand what you are trying to tell me about the picks retracting when it's inserted into the keyhole. I wanted to find out if the design would work, because i didn't think the picks would be small enough to pick. I still don't understand Rays quick guide about cutting the key and using pins in it. Maybe if you can show me a picture? I would appreciate it. Thanks. (And look! I'm writing correct English and grammer.) :-p

[Mad Mick]

(And look! I'm writing correct English and grammer.) :-p

Thanks, it does make reading posts easier. You'll find yourself getting better responses to your questions by constructing a good post.

Personally, I haven't yet tried to make a tubular pick, so kudos to you on that one...nice work. Ray makes a lot of his own tools, and currently has some very effective picks/rakes for sale. Do a bit more research on tubular picks, then re-read Ray's post to make further sense of it.

[lockstocknbarrel]

lilaznbo14life

Keep up the good work what you have achieved so far is probably better than some.
Just by thinking outside the square and without knowing it somewhere there is another looking at your pics and seeing how they can copy or improve on the design.