hangar lockpicks?

[berky93]

i have been told that hammering hangars to a certain width (about 1 mm) and filing them can make good picks. can this work? i want to make a decent home made set and i was thinking that if it works it will be pretty easy.

[Bud Wiser]

My first pick I ever made was from a metal clothes hanger in the 70's!

It was a simple (single) warded pick and could pop open slayer warded locks in one second!

I suppose you could make a simple hook pick and file it down to about .020-.025, would probably open some pin tumblers out there. Should be better then paper clips

[illusion]

Yeah, the material is not ideal for the task however.

Try using bicycle spokes - they are stronger.

[berky93]

actually, it is perfect because i just tore about five bikes apart and have all the spokes. however, i flattened one of the pieces of the hangar. the problem is, it is only about 4 or 5 mm wide. how should i file that down to a shape that will be able to pick locks but also be able to withstand the force of the springs in a lock?

[digital_blue]

Take a look at raimundo's Bogota Tutorial. He's using street sweeper bristles, but the same steps could apply to bike spokes (or coat hanger, if you insist, but it's pretty crappy metal).

db

[Bud Wiser]

actually, it is perfect because i just tore about five bikes apart and have all the spokes. however, i flattened one of the pieces of the hangar. the problem is, it is only about 4 or 5 mm wide. how should i file that down to a shape that will be able to pick locks but also be able to withstand the force of the springs in a lock?

You wouldn't file down coat hangers to make the hook part. You would use needle nose pliers to make the hook first, then use a file to get it down to the proper thickness.

If this can open (single side) warded locks, I'm sure it can set pins on some pin tumblers too.

Coat hangers are not the best material and bike spokes would be better. Good luck finding street bristles! If in a pinch, a coat hanger could be made to work, albiet not the best material, at least better then paper clips

[illusion]

Man, this pickset makes me shudder when I look at it now!

OK, here is my first set I made, so cut me some slack if they all suck...

I made them by first banging the ends of the spokes flat, and then filing them to shape using needle-files.

They all work, and the half diamond is not a bad pick; after sanding it down with fine grit sand paper, it really has surpassed all my original exceptations.



It's nice trip down memory lane when I pick them up and remember what I once used as picks.

You will have to thin the picks down quite substancialy, something I later went boack and did to mine in order to cope with narrow keyways.

Hope this helps!

Ben

[berky93]

ok i bent the other side that waasn't flattened yet into a hook and i will flatten it later