A pick copying machine

[pickmonger]

Key duplicators cut a pattern on a blank by tracing an existing key and cutting a copy.

Does anyone care to give some input, be it negative or positive,on the potential for success in modifing a key cutter to cut duplicates of profile picks.

I am refering to picks like those computer gen picks from HPC, Majestic, Initial or maybe even bogata picks or jiggler keys.

[Romstar]

I've tried it, and it was an absymal failure.

Grinding wheels small enough to make such small cuts easily and quickly wear down, and don't make proper duplicates.

Steel cutters don't like dealing with such thin steel. It chatters like crazy, makes the cutter dull very quickly and requires a very wide carriage to duplicate something as long as a pick.

I am sure there is a way to do this, but I think the effort way outweighs the benefts.

Romstar

[lockjaw]

Key duplicators cut a pattern on a blank by tracing an existing key and cutting a copy.

Does anyone care to give some input, be it negative or positive,on the potential for success in modifing a key cutter to cut duplicates of profile picks.

I am refering to picks like those computer gen picks from HPC, Majestic, Initial or maybe even bogata picks or jiggler keys.

Single piece picks -- including profile picks -- can be duplicated using a CNC machine, a computer controlled laser cutter or a computer controlled plasma cutter. I'm not suggesting you buy one of these (unless you have money to burn) but there are many shops that will do "bespoke" work for you. You will be charged for the initial programming i.e. turning the design into executable code and you will typically be offered a per unit price that is scaled for the order volume. However, unless you intend to produce thousands of units it will be cheaper to just buy the picks. Also, most shops -- except those in the far East -- will have an (ethical) problem with duplicating a commercial design.

[pickmonger]

ohhhhhhhhhhhh kayyyyyyyyy

Scratch that idea.

Its either too hard or impractical from a cost point of view.

Thank you for your candid input.

[JackNco]

a profile grinder for cutting molding blocks would be able to do it. large joineries would have them.... and well set up small ones..


John

[sevenAU]

Small CNC mills used for PCB would be ideal, though most cheaper machines may be too innacurate for perfect machining and i'm sure you wouldn't like to spend over $50,000 on a HAAS machine.

Copy carver? Anyone heard of them?

http://www.copycarver.com

The machine plans sold by this site may be able to be modified for smaller items such as picks.

You could find a local machining firm that operates a CNC laser cuter, though you may need to do some deburring after the picks have been cut.

[lockdr]

One might also look into a process known as Chemical Milling AKA Chemical Etching. Basically, a photo image of the finished product (in an acid resistant ink) is placed on a metal sheet which is then dipped in an acid bath. Voila! finished parts! This is the process by which printed circuit boards are made and has been used in other industries. I worked with this in my younger days in a print shop. Take your designs to those listed in the phone book under "Engravers," "Photo Etching" etc.

[ObiWonShinobi]

Die-Cast?
could make a mold, and metal poured into a sheet that had 400 picks on it.
not the BEST way to produce... but might be worth looking into.

thought about stamping sheets too... but lots of pressure need to cut that much material in high enough quality.

[Exodus5000]

Has anyone looked into how commercial pick makers mass produce their picks? It might be worth zipping an email over to peterson international.

[raimundo]

whats wrong with the punch press, you only have to buy the initial tool and then order shop runs for the number of parts you need,
I have been wondering about how to make the bogota in a machine way that is not complicated,
stamping out the profile is a no brainer, but getting the rounded edges could be done by 1. coining, forging the round edge bevels with a single punch of a press, but there would still be some finishing necesary since punch press leaves a cutbreak edge, (partly sheared, partly fractured)

the edges could be smoothed with a hard burnisher that presses the metal flat as it passes probably a wheel so the burnisher would not drag, but just roll and press. the metal would have to be supported for this operation but in a machine industry, these could be banged out pretty fast.

[Eyes_Only]

As long as we're talking about this...what about the Peterson IC lock tension wrench? The commercial ones have little teeth on the tang of the wrench to grip onto the holes on the bottom of the control sleeve. Could it be possible to replicate this kind of tool on a key duplicator? It takes much less cutting and grinding then trying to replicate a pick tool. Although it probably would ruin the cutting wheel in the long run if you make too many of them.

[TOWCH]

You could let the wheel grind itself down in to a negative using brickstrap.

[assweasel]

There is an attachment you can get for a milling machine called a Pantograph that will let you duplicate anything.

Or you could probably getaway with a an engraving machine to do a pick for you.

[Shark500]

I believe CVScam made picks using electrolysis(youtube?).
you could use this for the rough cuts.
personaly, i don't trust metal that thin.

[Kaotik]

Does anyone already have Username and pass to d/load the free PDF copy of the cutter? www.copycarver.com