Where to get plug followers?

[nekret]

I've got this image in my head of a guy with all ten fingers stuck inside of mortise locks and repining a medeco master key system with his toes

[Eyes_Only]

A 9 mm deep socket works well for most locks in the US. Not sure about the UK though.

[BobbO45]

I have found that using a Mag-Lite SOLITAIRE flashlight works really well. If the flashlight is a little loose, then just wrap a little electrical tape on it.

This gives you the added bonus of being able to see much better in the lock.
Just turn on the flashlight by twisting the top, and then stick it in the lock to be repined.
This works especially well in locks with 6 stacks, or European locks, or any lock with a longer plug that is hard to see into.

[Mutzy]

Brass or aluminium ones work well. You can cut parts out of them to accommodate different plug types. I've got a couple of brass ones. They're all I need.

[Afisch]

Using a rolled toilet tube here, seems to work perfectly for what im doing...what is it that the comecial ones do? are they just Plastic cylinders?

[Raymond]

Lets all be real silly now....

Seriously, plug followers can be made from anything that works. Someone said to watch for any pieces of tubing and make your own. I suggest going to a hobby store and geting an assortment of brass tubing from about 7/16 inch down to about 1/4 inch. With some adapting this supply will cover almost everything.

My favorite followers are made from stainless steel. I used surplus rods from take-off verticle rod panic bars. I finished them in a drill press chuck and filed the ends to fit common cylinders. Some I left thick and others were hollowed out until very thin.

[NKT]

No-one has suggested the most obvious answer, and that is the plug follower is simply another plug! Turn the plug, insert your shim, then push the plug out with another one.

Costs nothing, perfect fit every time.