New Life For Broken Picks

[Raymond]

Over the years I have accumulated many broken picks. Then I started giving them new lives as star performers. Following is one example how to breathe new life into an old broken pick. The example I am using is an HPC curved pick with the tip broken off that will transform into a single point triangle pick. The style and variations you use are up to you. I know this idea produces plain and simple picks that work very well. Their looks dont hold a candle when compared to some like those made by Koatik and Locknewbie21.

Original broken pick before modification and a new HPC curved pick.



First I knocked the rivets out with a punch. You can reuse the same rivets if desired when reassembling but you will need one additional rivet. I personally prefer brass pins.

I then cut the tip of the handle end off, close to the rivet hole. This short piece will be replaced at the end of the handle to provide the original spacing. I dented the spring steel with a sharp punch where the new hole will be. After opening the hole up with a Dremel, I drilled it to size.


Regrind your new pick using the handle end of the remaining spring steel. Design your own style. Smooth and finely polish the finished pick.


Because I am using spring steel and not stainless steel, I will treat it with cold gun blue to prevent rust. I have drilled out the holes to.110 using a #34 drill bit. Since this is no longer a true HPC pick, I have turned the handles over so there is no name on the outside. I counter sunk the holes a very small amount to allow the brass rivets a place to spread..

I have reassembled the pick using #11 pins from a Falcon keying pin kit. When hammered down this length does not have to be ground off very far.

After peening the new brass rivets, the handle was sanded to remove sharp edges and to smooth the finish.

And behold, a new pick.

[LockNewbie21]

Top notch post mate!

I must say that this is a phenominal idea, if the pictures can be enlarged I would Opt. for a sticky as this could help those who are money concious with these style picks and who have broken them.

Class A post mate, and great worksmanship

[Jaakko]

Very clever idea! Another would be to make tensioning tools out of broken ones

[raimundo]

notice that he optimized the angle of the pick for holding his hand slightly below the lock plug (not euro).

That is a very good post. Thanks for that.

[jamesphilhulk2]

wow good idea to reues a broken pick, well done

[Kaotik]

+1.

This is good stuff for those who might break a favorite pick ect. All the materials can be reused which make the cost of replacement considerably less.

Very good post mate.

[muskratt]

as everyone else said, fantastic idea! I dont know if it would work on ripple or southords rivetless picks thou.

[RockInBlack]

You can easily make broken picks into bypass tools, too, but that was very clever of you. Good Job

[Raymond]

Thank you for the positive support and statements. I would update this post with larger photos if I had any idea how to do it.

I don't think you could use this idea well for ripple handled picks. There probably is not enough flat material left to work with. I do not know as I have never used any rippley handled ones.

However, it should work well for any kind with a glued on handle. You might just punch and drill through the handle and steel at the end before separating them and drill the rest after you have designed and ground your near finished pick.[/img][/code]

[Father]

nice job men.it is cooool