Full Homemade set

by **Peter Martin** » 10 Jan 2007 19:09

This set took about 4 months to make... after work and weekends. Each pick is about two hours worth of work, sometimes more based one the design (King/Queen took longer). The pouch is the Surgical Tool Kit pouch from Widget Supply. ... and I still have more tools that don't fit here. The hardest to make accurately are the double-ball picks--which are difficult to get in a nice round shape. The King/Queen were also a little challenge.

by **mrdan** » 10 Jan 2007 19:17

Very nice

by **jackbeef** » 10 Jan 2007 19:19

Nice work, what did you use for metal?

by **timal** » 10 Jan 2007 19:47

Wonderful craftsmanship !

by **Anero** » 10 Jan 2007 20:10

very nice picks.

i would also like to know what stock you used.

i'm out of bristles so i need something new to work with

by **jabial** » 11 Jan 2007 9:30

by **parapilot** » 11 Jan 2007 9:59

Great work!

by **Exodus5000** » 11 Jan 2007 10:02

I could be wrong, but it looks to me like you used spring steel plumbing snake.

Very nice work shaping the picks. I like using plumbing snake too, the metal is reminiscient of peterson picks, but I feel like the handles are never wide enough for my taste.

by **Peter Martin** » 11 Jan 2007 11:07

Yes, all were made using either 1/4" or 3/16" high plumbing snake which measures .025" thick. The metal is just easier to work with than hacksaw blades. A lot of my hacksaw blades just seem to be too brittle or too soft (even when I buy high speed steel blades marked "flexible"), but in plumbing snake the spring steel is much more consistent. I buy it with slight surface rust from a local surplus tool store in 12 foot coils.

The majority of the picks patterned after the HPC 32-piece set which I purchased about 22 years ago. But the more unique ones, I got the patterns from this website.

When I started making these, I didn't know there were so many varieties of the simple Hook pick! HPC has just two versions. I added as many of the Falle regular hook picks as I thought were useful. Most have a 1/4" to 1/2" radius and simply vary in height (i.e. they are cut off shorter).

Now I just need to work on making a larger variety of tension tools. My "spreadable" two-prong wrench doesn't work all that well--and tends to close during use. I will also try to duplicate Kaotik's serrated tension tool, and make some stiff, short, and wide ones that wedge into the keyhole.

The only other things I haven't tried yet is are Bogota rakes and some stiff wire picks to get around paracentric keyways.

by **Peter Martin** » 11 Jan 2007 11:11

Just so nobody ever gets discouraged... I have a coffee can full of substandard, miscut, failed, broken picks--and ones I just didn't like. So keep trying!

by **Kodiak** » 11 Jan 2007 11:32

Quick question. Your picks look brilliant but do they tend to rust? I don't see any in the picture so I was just wondering if you had to continuously polish them or something to keep them clean.

by **RodVT** » 11 Jan 2007 11:34

I am majorly impressed. I really like the variety of hooks also. It's nice to run into people who have such an obvious passion about the things they do.

by **Peter Martin** » 11 Jan 2007 11:56

I haven't had any of my picks get rust yet. The material does obviously rust because I have to clean the metal stock before I use it (a 150 grit Dremel rubber polishing wheel takes it off), but the set stays in my vehicle and remains dry.
There hasn't been a problem with surface rust yet from temperature variations or humidity.

by **JackNco** » 11 Jan 2007 14:51

WOW thats one hell of a nice set. one of the best if not the best home brew ive seen.

by **Iron Man** » 11 Jan 2007 16:29

Fantastic work! i was considering making my own but these just blew me away.

Full Homemade set

Full Homemade set

and another thing...

Rust

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