Material + Thickness

[Vice]

Hey, I`m new to the forum, read tens of threads but couldn`t find answers to my questions. I`m from Europe and plan to do the locks by lase cutting (done be some factory). The questions are

1. I`m form Europe and I think I need slim line picks. I`ve seen somewhere that the material should be 0.5 mm thick. Is that correct

2. The hacksaw blades are about 1mm thick. What other materials (which are thinner) can I use? I guess I shouldn`t use sheets of ordinary steel, right?

[Eyes_Only]

My Peterson Slender picks are about 0.35 mm in thickness but the SO slimlines might be a little thicker.

I don't know many other metals available that are thin yet strong enough not to bend under regular use but you can go ahead and make the picks out of hacksaw blades and then use like 120 grit sandpaper to thin it out. Just fold the sandpaper, place it in a thick book and put the homemade pick in there in between. Just place some moderate pressure on the book where the sandpaper and pick is and just work the pick in it.

Thats what I do but I'm not a regular pick tool maker so I'm sure theres better methods out there that I don't know about.

[JackNco]

My Petersons are about 0.6mm thick and my SO slimline are 0.5mm thick.

As for sanding i use 600grit on them both.

[Wolfy]

Try buying some hardened stainless steel feeler gauges. come in a rang of sizes from .001"- .030" or .01 - .95 mm

[JackNco]

I have seen some sites that will make up a set with all one size of metal in if you want.