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[iNtago]

Ran out of hacksaw blades today so I thought I would improvise



See! I made southOrd better

This is my first try with steel and I like it I plan on using steel from now on it feels so much better

Dose anyone know where I can get good steel like southOrd is made of?

Anyway sorry for the triple post

[Romstar]

Feeler gage stock, and you will pay for it too.

Starrett is one of the best, and they charge between $1.20 and $1.80 per piece depending on where you get it. Most often come in a box of 12.

Try finding a cheaper brand.
Romstar

[iNtago]

Feeler gage stock... i'll give it a try

i'll go to a hardware store tomorrow

thanks romstar

[Romstar]

Feeler gage stock... i'll give it a try

i'll go to a hardware store tomorrow

thanks romstar

You're very welcome, but you will be extremely lucky to find them at the hardware store. Most likely place is a good industrial supply shop.

If you do find a shop that sells them, you want .025 for normal picks, and .020 for slim picks. This allows you the extra thickness to stone, sand and polish your picks without them getting too thin.

A .025 blank when finished should measure between .023 and .021 when complete, and a .020 should measure out at .018 to .016 when complete.

If you aren't familiar with the process of stoning a pick, I would be happy to explain it to you, but its pretty basic. Just bear in mind that a good polished finish is going to take away some of the thickness.

Romstar

[iNtago]

but you will be extremely lucky to find them at the hardware store

You’re right I went there today couldn’t find none and I live in a small town so no industrial supply shop

Guess im stuck with hacksaw blades for now unless I find something else to use. I’ll keep an eye out for feelers anyways



Stoning a pick? Never heard of it

[Romstar]

There are a number of places on-line where you can purchase stainless feeler gage stock in either the usual 12 inch lengths, or in 25 foot coils. Obviously the coils are less expensive, and you can cut each piece the exact length you want without losing an inch or two from the stock.

Stoning a pick isn't all that hard. Its a lot like sharpening a knife with a stone, but you aren't trying to make an edge.

Start by getting a double sided sharpening stone. Medium and fine grit. If it is new, or has not been used in a long time make sure you soak it for a while in a light machine oil. The oil is important for floating away the small metal shavings so the stone doesn't get clogged. Be sure to oil the stone as you are using it.

Another good thing to have is a gouge or slip gouge stone. This is for getting into small angles and crevices. If you don't have such a stone, or can't find one, you can modify the edge of a small flat stone with the tang of a file or hard piece of steel.

Once you have the basic pick shape ground or cut out, use small files to finish any parts, or correct small imprefections. This will give you a good shape.

Now for the stoning.....

Start with the slip or gouge stone, and get into any small nooks or crevices such as the inner curve of a hook, or the inside slope of a diamond. Be gentle as you don't want to cut deeply into the pick. Also, the small stone allows you to do the upper surface of the pick shank.

Whet your stone with light oil, and place the blade of the pick flat on the surface of the stone. Move it back and forth in the same direction as you would insert the pick into a lock. Do NOT use a circular motion. Rewhet the stone as required. Do one side of the pick between 20 and 30 times, and then flip the pick over and do the other side.

When that is complete, rewhet the stone and do the bottom edge of the shank, making sure to follow the angle of the tip for hooks, or to slide off the end for diamonds. Rakes and balls should use the gouge along the top and bottom.

Between strokes, you can examine the pick and see how smooth you have gotten it. If you feel it needs more work, start again, but only use 10 strokes and examine each time until you are happy with the finish.

What you are looking for is a nice satin finish moving in the same forward to back direction as the picks motion.

After finishing this step, you can move to sanding.

I will try to take the time this evening to have the wife take some pictures so I can make a post illustrating this technique.

Romstar

[REparsed]

A couple of my bogota variants. The background is 1500 grit wetordry paper.



The rest of the pics are at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/reparsed/sets/72157594376364056/

[REparsed]

Lets try this again... (post editing would be cool.)

A couple of my bogota variants. The background is 1500 grit wetordry paper.



The rest of the pics are at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/reparsed/s ... 376364056/

[raimundo]

I just started seeing reparsed's new picks today, he's doing a great job making them, so far he hasnt said the words grinder or dremel so Im gonna guess hes doing it with files, If hes holding the metal in a groove in the wood of the bench, that would not supprise me either. HE and spossum seem to be catching on to some of my little methods.

[Romstar]

I just started seeing reparsed's new picks today, he's doing a great job making them, so far he hasnt said the words grinder or dremel so Im gonna guess hes doing it with files, If hes holding the metal in a groove in the wood of the bench, that would not supprise me either. HE and spossum seem to be catching on to some of my little methods.

I have avoided making these because I didn't want to step on your toes.

So I guess I will just have to make a set finally all by hand and with the files.

Actually, its been years since I did anything with just a set of files. I promise I won't cheat and you'll get to see the very first set. Even if they are rotten crap.

Although, I would like your permission to modify the basic design to a standard pick shape if you wouldn't mind. Not for this project, but for a regular set.

Thanks,
Romstar

[REparsed]

I just started seeing reparsed's new picks today, he's doing a great job making them, so far he hasnt said the words grinder or dremel so Im gonna guess hes doing it with files, If hes holding the metal in a groove in the wood of the bench, that would not supprise me either. HE and spossum seem to be catching on to some of my little methods.

I use 5 tools; A vice, tri-corner file, 2 different size round (chainsaw) files, and 220 - 800 wetordry paper.

I do have a Dremel but I don't use it for working on the picks, although I did use it to cut a "Ray Groove" in the top of my vice.

It's amazing how quickly you can remove material with a sharp file. The trick is holding the piece firmly and close to the working edge so the file can get a good bite.

I use the top of the vice jaws as a guide. I’ll chuck the work piece in the vice so the line I need to file to is even with or just below the top of the jaws. The “Ray Groove” comes in handy when the rough shape of the pick is there and just needs fine tuning.

A pic of the Columbian Royal Pair:

[Romstar]

Would you PLEASE stop posting that pic?

That's one of the sweetest pictures of a set of picks I have ever seen. The lighting across them is perfect.

Its like looking at chrome in a sunset. Almost makes you wanna cry or something.

That's art man, both the picture and the picks.

Romstar

[Exodus5000]

Yeah, no kidding. I'd say your photography skills are pretty top notch. The lockpicks aren't so bad either. I looked at the other pictures you posted on flickr, those are pretty sweet man.

[raimundo]

I have only encouraged people to try making their own, I have never tried to restrict what I put on the site.

[Romstar]

I have only encouraged people to try making their own, I have never tried to restrict what I put on the site.

Oh, I know, but you created something unique. Not to mention that you are very, very good at what you do. They are unique, and I didn't want to take away from that.

I believe I even saw them in LSS and your name is nowhere to be found. Its happened to me, and while some people just shug it off, I have always believed that proper credit should always be given.

Look at the DeForest picks. We know the guy's name, but I challenge most people to find out anything about the guy.

Anyway, once I start slaping that pick design onto a regular handle, it will just become another pick. I don't want that to happen. I want to make sure everyone knows where that came from. Same for the King and Queen. I didn't design the original, but after 30 years there is almost nobody who can say who the original designer was. Its a shame too, because they actually work so well.

We'll see what I come up with when I finally make a set of Ray's Bogota picks.

Thanks,
Romstar